Thought I'd share my story from this past Sunday on the Kasilof River. Bob did a great job of describing the conditions in his fishing report. Needless to say, there were boat-loads of people on the river. We ended up empty handed, but am planning to go down and give it another shot next weekend.

First off, my buddies and I were fishing above People's hole. Had a few bites,... caught a steelhead and released it. Then, several boats started hooking up all around us. I knew it was just a matter of time before it was our turn. However, a guy on a guide boat behind us hooked a fish, then pointed his rod straight at it. That king started stripping line so fast and was headed around my boat (and anchor). At that point, I pulled up and moved out of the way so I didn't cause the poor sucker to lose his fish. They drifted through, with the king a hundred plus feet away from the boat, until the guide was finally able to get the guy to lift his rod up and start playing the fish. In the meantime, I was blown out of the slot and turned to see 2 other boats slide right in (where I had just been) and throw out their hooks. We had a great view of them catching fish. Question: Should I have just stayed and let that fool lose his fish?

Next, and this is the one that really burns my ass, I drifted down river to the last hole before the pullout to find boats stacked on boats. I picked my way through the 12+ boats, being careful not to disturb any lines. Slid in behind a guy who was fishing 5 people out of his boat. Dropped my anchor about 20 ft down stream of their rigs and hear him start yelling that I was on his line. "You can't fish there! You're on my line! Move down!"

What an ass! I am a private angler who comes down to enjoy the experience of fishing the great Kenai Penninsula with my friends and family, hoping our luck and skill is good enough to bring home a king for the table. I don't charge them $175/pp for this experience. I also don't have any problem with guides bringing in people to enjoy this their own 'Alaskan' experience. But we all have to understand when crowded conditions exist, fishing is not going to be optimal and there's gotta be some compromises.

I ended up moving down as instructed. But would be interested in hearing if you fellas think I did the right thing? And what would you have done in the same situation?

Thanks.

p.s.
My father-in-law said I should have told the guy, "I'm not on you lines. I'm going to fish right here and if you don't like it, you should move."

You should have moved up closer to his boat and told him to F*** OFF (jk, I hope). Really though, I wouldn't know because I don't have a boat.

Fishinfool,

I don't envy you the position you were put into. As often happens, the good guy (you) ends up taking it in the shorts because of all the other "sportsmen" out there have no sense of ettiquette. It's almost a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation when that many people are crowded into an area.

If I were in your shoes, I probably would have kept my original position in the hole and let the other boat worry about untangling their fish. You would not be wrong to do this considering the loss of good water and the unlikelyhood of gaining an equally good hole downriver if you were to move (which you did). When the remainder of the day's success is at stake it is not your problem.

Not being there, it's hard to visualize how tight quarters were but I don't know that I would have anchored 20 ft. below another group. When fish are hooked and are unpredictable, that's too tight a quarters and is a situation ripe for disaster. Maybe you had no other choice and I understand you were being VERY concientious about not stirring up the waters but that is just too close to anchor below someone.....probably should have reluctantly moved on or breathed deep, go home and come back swinging the next day with a new understanding of what to expect.

I do admire your effort to be concientious of others. There's alot of guys out there that could use some reminding of what the sport's really about.

Good luck.

As far as pulling anchor your a gentlmen and a scholar! Not a whole lot people would've of done that including me. If the guide doesn't have enough sense to tell his clients how to fish and what to watch out for like an anchor rope! They wasted there money. Don't ever low hole somebody...Like Eric said....tuck,roll and learn....

You might have pulled the anchor up and rowed in place to keep you're spot then re anchor when they passed you. It is hard when there are lots of boats no right answers just do what you think is best

AKfool- your not in the wrong. At least you were trying to be concious to curtious of the people around you. Some guys are just Jag offs. The guys in the wrong are the ones that cork'd you out of your spot-that is a NO NO

Thanks for the feedback guys. What the hell, it was a pretty good day regardless.

will be burning the midnight oil again next weekend. Sure wish I had the entire summer off.

Thanks again.

Fishingfool ... I'll shed a little insight from my point of view.

The Kasilof generally sees two types of etiquette, one generally practiced by Kasilof regulars, the other by those that I'll call the "irregulars".

The June fishery sees a mix of these two, and rude actions are commonplace. It's become worse in recent years with the rash of closures the Kenai has faced due to low return. It's one reason I'm starting my morning trips at 3:15 this year ... to avoid situations like this. I'm out in front and rarely run into situations where the "irregulars" are in front.

July and August usually see a return to more social conditions save for Kenai closure days and times when the Kenai silver run sucks.

My advice / critique comes from a "regular" point of view and you won't neccesarliy see it practiced by everyone.

First off, if in the Traps - the hole above people's hole, if there are any substantial number of boats present, you shouldn't have been on anchor. Certain holes in the river are traditionally rowing / moving areas, others traditionally anchoring. The Traps is not one to anchor in in my book. You have dead water on either side of the main flow and can work up and down it and shouldn't block it off so everyone can make passes.

As to pulling your anchor, that's mandatory for everyone, but the two that pulled into where you were were wrong. Guides should be aware of what's going on around them and if you pulled out to let someone through with a fish, they should have let you slide right back in ... let 'em know it next time. Sometimes you need to be a little vocal

Now, to the second part ... if you had dropped the hook on my lines, you probably would have heard it from me too. Anchored boats are "rocks" to be rowed around if you're MOVING, but etiquette says you don't drop right in front of an anchored boat and drop your own, give 'em some room ... sometimes you have learn some new spots or sacfrice the best one for the sake of some civility. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself if you're going to affect their fishing, don't do it.

Don't mean to jump on you on the last one, but it's done way too often ... but you'll never see me do it to you!

Good luck down there ... if weather stays calm and Kenai doesn't cloud up too much, it should be a little calmer!

Thanks Bob.

That's the kind of feedback I was hoping for. I don't want to piss anyone off... but then again, I don't want to get pissed on, either.

3:15!?! Might as well go down to the Ninilchik for some Friday-at-midnight etiquette rather than sleeping at all! Guarantee you'll see some "irregular" action.

Thanks again!