[dwayne12]

Hey guys,
I was out on the Vedder yesterday for the 1st time this year after hitting the Stave once and the Chehalis once...still 0-3 and no steelies. i parked at Wilson Road and walked up to the rail bridge with my father-in-law. I was about 5 feet from the bank rigging up when 3 guys show up and 1 asked me how the fishing was? I replied "i don't know, i haven't put my line in the water yet". So what do they do they go under the bridge side by each. The guy who asked me the question parks himself right where i was going to fish...i didn't say anything as technically I wasn't on the bank (rocks) fishing. ...just 5 feet away!!I was gearing up. here's some questions for you guys. i found it really impolite and bad etiquette on their part? Was it? would you guys have piped up and said anything?
It was the start to my day so i didn't want to get pissed off so I just let it go and made my way to the other side of the bridge and fished the other side for a good portion of the day and found some nice spots. I go out fishing to relax so there's no point in starting a quarrel.Other than that I met some nice guys on the river and the weather turned out nice. the water was not that clear though. Tried pink worms, roe, spoons, jigs....all to no avail...Anyway just wanted you more experienced fisherman's inputs, advice on this one.
Still seeking the 1st steelie!!!! i heard a good quote somewhere: "Thoughts become things"..well I keep thinking of catching my first....so it will happen!!!
cheers

 

[HOOK]

well i cant speak for others however i do know that alot of us would have said something especially me or my dad. neither of us ever have any trouble speaking up on the river whether it is people bouncing into your spot when you turn around or someone using illegal fishing techniques (Ie: foul hooked fish)

and not to stress myself out i have found that when you say the first thing it ends up stressing the other person out alot more that infact you noticed him about to do something un-ethical and just down right rude

my two cents

HOOK

 

[Richard Nixon]

Dwayne, it was smart of you not to say anything because stuff like this can some times turn ugly, best off to bite your tongue taste the blood a count to ten and hope you hook something big right under their noses. ;D This is nothing new to this river, I gave up fishing the Vedder over 10 years because I enjoy fishing to much too let this kind of crap bother me and I still get my share of Steelhead and salmon but the systems I now target just takes a little longer to get too but the pay-off is worth it 10 fold. It's too bad that the Vedder attracts so many guys that just don't give a crap about anything but themselves because it truelly is one of the best steelhead and salmon producing river in the lower mainland.

 

[steely_crazy]

Hey dwayne12,,,the Vedder is not reknowned for its etiquette .

Its a great river, and there are many great guys out on it, but there are people will hop in without asking :. The correct thing for them to do would have been to ask if you were going to fish there and if they could bump in if you were busy. I tend to just bypass areas guys are fishing, even if I'm hiking. It can ruin another persons day and I like scouting out overlooked and underfished spots . Wish them luck, move on, and the steelhead gods will smile on you.

 

[fishortho]

There are a few things to consider with this scenerio and ways to prevent conflict from occuring...Firstly, I would rig up your gear at home, carefully transport it to the place you want to fish and be ready to go as soon as you arrive....If there is no one there you should stake out your spot and fish, keeping in mind if you are at the head of a long run, you will likely find guys come in and fish well below you and not ask.
If you are in a small run that can only handle a rod or two, and someone pops in below you, I would definitely, albeit, politlely ask them if they were aware that you were about to fish this area and would you mind starting at the head of the run?
If you are standing at the bank away from the river and not fishing, I am afraid those arriving are not obligated to say anything to you, but a polite gesture would be to ask if you are about to fish this run and where?

 

[troutchaser]

The Vedder will NEVER have river etiquite. We're beating the life out of a dead horse here guys. dwayne12 you did the right thing. You can be polite all you want, but just remember that the types of people who carry themselves in this manner don't give a crap anyways. You're much better off, and safer, to stay quiet. I always look at worst case scenario, and here that means either going for a swim, or broken knuckles. Both I could go without,especially since I'm in it for the peace of it all anyway.

 

[nates]

Personally, whenever I come to a piece of water that I want to fish and someone is there I usually just talk to them an ask if they mind if I join them, and where would they prefer me to start. In your case you were a little bit off of the bank so they took full advantage. This should tell you that you need to rig up where you intend on standing. Even though these guys stepped in on you I would have rigged up, stepped in right beside them and started fishing. In that case those guys couldn't have said anything about it. For the most part, if you ask to fish with someone on the Vedder they usually don't say no.

Tight Lines, Wes Roffey

 

[young gun]

I have decided to stop fishing the vedder and thats one of the reasons why. Terrible behavior, horrible water conditions, and the stupid clay banks all have caused me to not fish it anymore. I am gonna have to learn the other systems i fish better. I would have piped up, i'v had it happen a couple times to me and i've said stuff but not as often as others(thankfully) Good luck and tight lines.

 

[Crazy Drifter]

Hey ther D12 here is a locals tip for you if you can park near it or if there is a bridge near it stay away from the water. When fishing in the back yard I cross the bridge and usually just shake my head. (Check it in the Fall) Then head either up or down from there . There's way nicer water to fish both above and a ways below and the banks are usually empty.
Crazy D

 

[young gun]

Thats why i fish te back side, ranger run down. U get pretty much the whole side of the river to ur self!

 

[Big Green Machine]

sorry to hear about that but fishortho has some good advice especially if you want to fish popular areas like Wilson

if you were with a buddy and he has to retie his leader after getting hung up then I would say "man down" jump in but this is not cool with your scenario

 

[Bonanza]

Its a tough deal D12, If you go out on a weekend day you are going to have to put up with the numbers on the lower river or know the spots on the upper river. On the plus side your vehicle will probably be there when you go back to it. Mid week its pretty risky to have your vehicle parked up in the upper canyon out of your sight. Its a sad comment, but it seems the avid fishermen usually have nice equipment and the scum bags know it! I was up to the Vedder yesterday as well and allthough I was rigged for action I chose to just watch and hope to see some one get into a fish.All the spots that looked good were well maned and I did not want to step in. Instead I went over to peg and practised my short float skills and watched the dirt bikes and had a great day on the river! ;D

 

[markus23]

Getting ready to go the night before is good advice. Plus you should expect that someone will piss you off and cork you so it won't be such a surprise..then go and fish behind them at catch a 12lb chrome bar behind them and laugh!

 

[dwayne12]

Thanks for the various input on this guys...I like the Stave and the chehalis because there are less people fishing at this time of year. i know there are not huge numbers of fish like the Vedder, but it makes for a peaceful outing. But to catch the 1st i guess I need to go where the numbers are (vedder or chehalis) and increase my chances. i guess going out early and rigging up prior will help. Thanks for the feedback guys...i guess the point of keeping quiet is to eliminate the start of a new sport "ultimate fishing". I'm sure some of you more experienced guys have seen this.
thanks guys and I'll keep you posted when i get the 1st. i don't get the chance to get out often but this year is the year of the steelie!!

 

[Rib]

In a perfect world all fishermen would have a modicom of consideration for their fellow anglers, and although I've witnessed my fair share of the vedder syndrome over the years, I recently relearned this lesson on one of my last few outings...

At the end of the day last week, while Ogobogo was showing me how to hook fish right under my nose, two anglers came in to the area we were fishing. Well, one of them went to the top of the run, and the other stepped in about 30 feet below me. Now he had seen me fishing the very top of a run, and I'm sure he noticed I was on the move, but he stepped in anyways. As he made his way downstream, it was obvious he was slowing down a bit waiting for his friend.

I was bit rankled by all this, mainly because there was plenty of river both above and below us and yet these anglers chose to step right in anyways. I chatted with the last angler as he made his way down to his friend who had stepped in below me, making some small talk, talking fish and such so as to make sure he knew I wasn't just your everyday prick. I then proceeded to say to him, that he "might mention to his friend that next time when there's hardly anyone around, and you see just two anglers working their way down, that it's ok to ask if you can step in below, or to just start at the top...". Well, what had been a relatively pleasant conversation changed with his response of, "I'm not going to tell him anything of the sort, nor do I think you want to tell him either...you're on the wrong river for that kind of fishing....".

Now I am not ignorant of how the vedder is, not by any means, and I do not think it will ever change, but this case is a good example of how things can catch up with us if we don't keep things in perspective. My advice is not to bother saying anything, you never know what the temperment of the guy next to you will be, and a perfectly good day can be ruined in a flash if you let things get to you and try to make a point someone else might not appreciate.

Sometimes you will meet anglers of like mind and consideration out there, but don't let that fool you, many if not more of the anglers you meet on the vedder will not be as receptive to suggestion. However tough, or proud or strong you might be, you likely didn't go to the vedder to fight, you went there to fish right? My advice is let it go and move on. Only rarely can you make points about ettiquette that people will be receptive to on that river. The only times I stubbornly insist on making a point is in the case of conservation or proper fish handling and the like...otherwise I leave it alone.

As for staking out your spot on the river Dwayne, I would stand in your spot to tie up, and even if you are really close to where you want to fish, and you see people approaching, step into your spot ASAP, and tie up while in position. This way you are assured no mistakes will be made by others in steeping into your space. I like to stand in such a way that I take up a lot of space when I am tying up on the bank...get the fishing rod sticking out sideways, and when anglers start moving in and look like their going to step in right below you, just take a few steps toward their intended spot with the rod sticking out there, and they will often not crowd you in too badly. Be patient, don't worry too much about educating the idiot next to you, and try and enjoy your day...just like in any situation in life, there are going to be people that do things differently, and changing them is not going to happen.

Good luck out there, remember there's lots of water out there, and you can only be responsible for how you conduct yourself on the river. Do so in the same way you would hope others would treat you, and in this way you can rest assured you did things the right way. Don't let someone else's ignorance ruin your day.

rib

 

[dwayne12]

Well put Rib, i guess the saying "it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks" does apply. ???

 

[fishhog]

This is the main reason I rarely fish the Vedder anymore. I usually end up having some jerk ruin my day, plling crap just like this.
I expect it when the salmon are running, but steelheaders are a different breed, or at least they should be.
I guess everyone of us has been lowholed at one time or another. Some just get jaded.

 

[leaping tyee]

That way i never fish in the crowded area.

 

[young gun]

Back side all the way, 1/3 as many guys.

 

[cohokid]

Dude. If it has 1/3 less people fish it then why post about it. Things on the net travel fast. Next thing you know its peg leg all over agian.....Guys wonder why there spots are all crowded, it because of the internet. Some people need to just keep good secretes quite. word travels fast.