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[milo]

i totally agree with you.
funny thing is i'm familiar with a lot of guys on this forum and other sites...i have yet to see a seasoned veteran walk away from a hole where they're getting multiple hits....usually they'll stick around until they're convinced the fish are no longer biting...i'm not talking about 15-30 minutes... more like an hour if not more.

 

"No longer biting" being the key phrase. I'll admit it, I don't give up a spot if the fish are there AND they are biting.
Do you? Does anyone? 
The only time I'd give up a hot spot is for a buddy or family member if we are fishing together that day.

[Brian the fisherman]

if i go 10-15 casts with out a fish in the same hole, i leave.
Once a fish is caught.. it tends to spook the other fish. just personal experience..
i've stayed at holes that I felt hits at and caught. Never to find that elusive 2nd hookup for steelies.

[Nucks]

I don't necessarily agree with you Brian the Fisherman.

I've seen 5 steelies come out of about 5 feet of water on the Vedder before and the same thing on the Chehalis but this time it was three steelies. 

Everday is different, every fish is different, stay if you want to stay, move if you want to move but the key is to have respect and etiquette when doing so.  On the busier rivers, the popular holes will have both fence posts and transients. On the lesser known rivers and the lesser known spots, you will mostly find transients.

All anyone needs to do is put the shoe on the other foot once in a while and think if you would want that to happen to you. 

Experience also goes a long way too.

[floatfisher]

Steelhead react differently to other fish being hooked in a body of water than say salmon. Salmon most of the time get turned off the bite while steelhead will turn on, not all of the time but that's what I have found most of the time. If there's snaggers then I'd just move away from them a bit and start looking.

[blaydRnr]

"No longer biting" being the key phrase. I'll admit it, I don't give up a spot if the fish are there AND they are biting.
Do you? Does anyone? 
The only time I'd give up a hot spot is for a buddy or family member if we are fishing together that day.

First honest answer i've read thus far.

[penn]

First honest answer i've read thus far.

I second that . Some are just far to anal in trying to enforce their own interpretation of "etiquette" .
 Some guys just should not go to the Chilliwack if their comments are to be believed . I'm certainly no fence poster , but who's to say others can't do it?? And no , you don't have to give up your spot because of some one else's rules . Good luck with your enforcement of these rules . Maybe some ought to go to the Coq or Skagit as the Chilliwack is far to crowded  a river to go by these rules . In most cases you might as well just go back home because these ideas won't work on the Chilliwack . Guys do turn up everywhere and some are even moving upstream covering water , starting from the bottom of runs working toward the top , as that is the direction they are going .

[milo]

I second that . Some are just far to anal in trying to enforce their own interpretation of "etiquette" .
 Some guys just should not go to the Chilliwack if their comments are to be believed . I'm certainly no fence poster , but who's to say others can't do it?? And no , you don't have to give up your spot because of some one else's rules . Good luck with your enforcement of these rules . Maybe some ought to go to the Coq or Skagit as the Chilliwack is far to crowded  a river to go by these rules . In most cases you might as well just go back home because these ideas won't work on the Chilliwack . Guys do turn up everywhere and some are even moving upstream covering water , starting from the bottom of runs working toward the top , as that is the direction they are going .

I agree with most of what you say, but low-holing is still not cool, even if it is the Vedder.
People shouldn't work the flow upstream, it is against common sense.

Let me explain: when the fish holds in the current, it faces upstream....expecting for food to come towards it. When you come from below, it means you first cast over the fish for your your presentation to come down towards the fish. In the process, you will spook the fish, which will, instinctively, move away.
Always work the flow downstream.

[Dave]

The only time I'd give up a hot spot is for a buddy or family member if we are fishing together that day.

And I thank you for that when we fished together last April
Milo, you are fast becoming FWR's favourite trusted and respected no BS guy.  Great posts IMO

[James]

with the large number of people fishing the vedder , there will always be someone who is unhappy , I just try and leave as much space between me and the other fisherman . I wouldn't want to be crowded so why would I do it to someone .

Treat others as you would like to be treated .

I was however "hearded" off of a section of river today . I watched 3 people stay on a run for 15mins , and never move down . So I went to a run that was atleast 100yrds away , and all of a sudden the 3 people were practically running down the river while casting . Once they were with in 50feet of me I just left and watch from the trail . They moved back up river to there original spots . LOL . I guess they thought they owned that entire sections of water . I didn't get mad , it was funny to watch actually . It was like they were territorial animals guarding there land .

There is lots of open spaces and runs , you just gotta walk ( a lot ) .

[Sandman]

I agree with most of what you say, but low-holing is still not cool, even if it is the Vedder.
People shouldn't work the flow upstream, it is against common sense.

Let me explain: when the fish holds in the current, it faces upstream....expecting for food to come towards it. When you come from below, it means you first cast over the fish for your your presentation to come down towards the fish. In the process, you will spook the fish, which will, instinctively, move away.
Always work the flow downstream.

On the flip side, approaching from the downstream side could allow you to avoid spooking the fish that are, as you say, facing upstream.  The fact is, the upstream down approach is more common, so if you go against the grain, whatever your reasoning, you are going to run into conflict with other anglers (this should not be your goal).  

if i go 10-15 casts with out a fish in the same hole, i leave.
Once a fish is caught.. it tends to spook the other fish. just personal experience..
i've stayed at holes that I felt hits at and caught. Never to find that elusive 2nd hookup for steelies.

I watched a guy last season walk into a very small and fast run just above the Crossing.  After one or two casts he had a fish on and he played it downstream where he released a 15 pounder.  He returned to the same run and after a couple more casts he had the mate on and played it down and released a 17 pounder.  That said, if you are not getting fish, chances are you will not.  Think of how many times you hear the "I caught it on my first cast" versus the "I hooked that fish after pounding the run for an hour."

I second that . Some are just far to anal in trying to enforce their own interpretation of "etiquette" .
 Some guys just should not go to the Chilliwack if their comments are to be believed . I'm certainly no fence poster , but who's to say others can't do it?? And no , you don't have to give up your spot because of some one else's rules . Good luck with your enforcement of these rules . Maybe some ought to go to the Coq or Skagit as the Chilliwack is far to crowded  a river to go by these rules . In most cases you might as well just go back home because these ideas won't work on the Chilliwack . Guys do turn up everywhere and some are even moving upstream covering water , starting from the bottom of runs working toward the top , as that is the direction they are going .

You have missed the whole point of "etiquette."  These are not "rules" to be "enforced" at all.  These are social conventions for behaviour that promote a sense of predictability and good conduct that enhance the cordial nature of fishing.  You should not need referees to "enforce" these conventions, as you should consider how you would want to be treated.  No one wants to be low holed and cut off from finishing fishing a run they had started before any one else was there.  The fact that others are doing it to you is not a reason to behave in the same manner (reducing to the lowest common denominator).

I was fishing a run this morning.  I was alone (thankfully) on my side and was swinging flies.  There were two other guys on the other side floating roe or wool, one was way at the top of the run, the other had reached about half way down.  Then in comes two other guys and right away they set up right below the lower guy, causing him to have to stop and "fence post" as the two guys took up the rest of the run between them.  They did not say a word to the other guys until they have finished fishing the lower end of the run (they fished it for an hour or so, and had "rotated" among themselves, walking down and then going back up to a point right below the original guy).  I could hardly believe what I was watching.  When they were done they walked up past the other guys (who had long since stopped fishing and had stood chatting for a awhile).  One of the "low-holers" walked right by them without a word but the other stopped and appeared to strike up a conversation with one of the original guys. I could not hear the conversation, but I have to say I give full kudos to the original guy for he sounded very polite and did not toss the young guy in the river.  Unfortunately for the original guys, by the time he finished talking to the low-holer, another pair of fishermen (a father and son pair) had taken up the lower end of the run for themselves.  These guys certainly seemed to have a sense of entitlement.

[alwaysfishn]

You have missed the whole point of "etiquette."  These are not "rules" to be "enforced" at all.  These are social conventions for behaviour that promote a sense of predictability and good conduct that enhance the cordial nature of fishing.  You should not need referees to "enforce" these conventions, as you should consider how you would want to be treated.  No one wants to be low holed and cut off from finishing fishing a run they had started before any one else was there.  The fact that others are doing it to you is not a reason to behave in the same manner (reducing to the lowest common denominator).

I think you may have missed the point of Penn's comments. I echo his sentiments in that the Vedder/Chilliwack is a river system frequented by a wide variety of fishermen both in experience and style/expertise as well as attitude. If you are going to fish a river system like the Vedder and expect everyone to use "conventional techniques" that demonstrate "proper etiquette", then you will always be disappointed.

I can't imagine fishing a river and coming away upset each time. Your experience on the river is what you make it, not what someone else makes it......

[alwaysfishn]

I agree with most of what you say, but low-holing is still not cool, even if it is the Vedder.
People shouldn't work the flow upstream, it is against common sense.

Let me explain: when the fish holds in the current, it faces upstream....expecting for food to come towards it. When you come from below, it means you first cast over the fish for your your presentation to come down towards the fish. In the process, you will spook the fish, which will, instinctively, move away.
Always work the flow downstream.

While I agree with the idea of working downstream, I will work the river upstream as well. I have several sections on the Vedder where I work the river downstream, then cross the river and work the same part of the river upstream, ending up where I started (usually where my vehicle is parked). I don't believe I spook fish any more when I work my way upstream than when working my way downstream.

If I come across someone working their way downstream I do let them have the right of way if we end up in the same run at the same time. I  just fish around people that fence post.... 

[milo]

On the flip side, approaching from the downstream side could allow you to avoid spooking the fish that are, as you say, facing upstream.  The fact is, the upstream down approach is more common, so if you go against the grain, whatever your reasoning, you are going to run into conflict with other anglers (this should not be your goal).  

I've heard that argument before, Sandman, but I still can't picture myself casting over the fish upstream.
Also, one would have to reel in /strip like a maniac to get any sort of gain over the slack/belly that will form with the line drifting downstream towards you. Not conducive to detecting bites if they occur.
Maybe on very slow and shallower runs...

[Sandman]

...If you are going to fish a river system like the Vedder and expect everyone to use "conventional techniques" that demonstrate "proper etiquette", then you will always be disappointed.

I do not expect other fishermen to use "conventional techniques" or to use "proper etiquette."  I expect other fishermen to behave badly.  That way I am never disappointed, only occasionally surprised (by those that use proper etiquette).

[alwaysfishn]

I do not expect other fishermen to use "conventional techniques" or to use "proper etiquette."  I expect other fishermen to behave badly.  That way I am never disappointed, only occasionally surprised (by those that use proper etiquette).

  I think you and I could fish together!