Hey Rich, I feel your pain brother. I was out in your neck of the woods for the last few days and got to witness alot of crazy $#!+ going down. We Had a problem with a couple of guys on the Bogey Saturday. First they are fighting eachother rock throwing and all. Then we had a fish on and this jerk (the brains of the two) throws over our line gives it a jerk and yells fishon, needless to say the fish went free with a hook in it's mouth. To my disbelief this round head had a few choice words for us, but we showed great self controll and said nothing, first because we were in shock, and second, this Idiot must be nuts for talking crap to a boat with three guys that go close to 900lbs combined with the 6'9" frame of our fellow board member scrawny taking up a good chunk of that . A little while later this twit hooks a fish and tells us not to cast over his line this time, and not in a nice way, he looses his fish and starts telling us how he's going to cross the river and kick our butts. I guess It was my purely my fault for not knowing that I was fishing their river, my bad. It was to bad he never made it over to see us, maybe next time we can get togeather.

From today's South County Journal:

ST.AUGUSTINE, Fla. A man was killed yesterday in a brawl among six anglers vying for the same fishing spot. Craig Alan Buckley, 35, died on the Mantanzas Bridge on Florida's east coast... Three men were arrested, including Buckley's 37 year old brother, who was charged with assault.

How long will it be before we see an article similar to this one with a Washington/Oregon dateline? Judging from some of the rudeness reported on this board, it will probably be sooner, rather than later. Be .

fish Jesus,

I like your floating zip code idea. Need to get me one.

OP guys don't like PA guys. PA guys don't like PS guys, PS guys don't like CA guys, .... I see a vicious circle here. As a CA guy once said "Can't we all get along?"

Getting along would mean sharing and no matter what some people teach their children following through with certain ideals becomes more of a "do as I say not as I do" proposition. We try to teach our children social ideals so as they may get along in life yet contradict those teachings in our own displays of greed.

Lots of fish most often means that leading by example diminishes. I make it a piont to explain my opinion to my 12 year old son when he questions me on a fellow fishermans etiquite. I work with my boy not only on his fishing prowess but also in the manner in which a great angler carries themself. He's pretty much got the prowess it's the manner that sometimes gets clouded when multiple hookups are present. All in all I am confident in the fact that my offspring will not be one of those knuckleheads to which we toast
to their ignorance.

FJ...out.

I figured you were down at the hatchery when I read the first post but didn't want to say.Very well.I was fishing up at the Sol Duk hatchery years ago with my wife and had a guy on the other side of the river,a local,start to threaten us.He then pulled his pants down and took a dump right in front of us and told me if I came over on his property He would kick my a--.I crossed the tailout,got all wet,and kicked his drunk butt.My temper is not set for that kind of envirement.I havent fished a hatchery since.Something about stacked up fish that brings out the worst in some people.

Was out at Reiter for the first time on Sunday. beautiful area. Not so beautiful people. some were quite nice and understanding that 'combat' conditions require more patience with the guy next to you but others were just elbowing their way in. I even saw some people crossing lines across the river. Didn't have anyone relieve themselves though. I may head back on some weekday but not on the weekend if I can help it.

My wife and I fished the Bogacheil River over Thanksgiving weekend. Most of the folks at the hatchery and down along Goodman Road (I believe that is the name). We did run afoul of one person however who made up for all the nice people. He enlilghtened me to the following:
1. Fly fishermen are not welcome in the Forks area.
2. Fly fishermen cause all the problems on the river including ruining the spawning beds
3. A fly-fishing group is attempting to stop the catching of wild steelhead (some truth here although he could not identify the group).
4. If sportfishermen don't take more native steelhead the Quileutes plan to take more. This may or may not be true, I don't know.
Since the guy was brandishing a fillet knife (he was filleting a hatchery steelhead as he lectured me) I chose to fish elsewhere.
What I do know is that I've fished the Olympic Peninsula for more than fifty years and during that time have:
1. Supported local businesses by dropping a lot of money in Forks and peripheral areas.
2. Been a reasonably good citizen who does not foul the river banks with empty cigarette packages or beer cans.
3. Made my own choices on which fish I keep -- or release in accordance with the regulations.
4. Enjoyed the largely wide open spaces left on the Hoh River for my type of fishing, which has been for the past ten years or more, only fly-fishing.
It is too bad that a few people tarnish the experience we all attempt to enjoy during our winter fishing. I don't blame any one geopgraphic area (Port Angleles for instance) for producing these inconsiderate, loud-mouthed, borderline illiterate louts. They are everywhere and since most of them have kids who will be brought up in the same borish manner, we will have to learn to live with them, at least during "hatchery brat season."

Les Johnson

There's always one bad apple,eh Les

TJ,
Make catching your first steelhead a memorable one, don`t make it Reiter Pit, that`s combat fishing at it`s worst.

I enjoy fishing secluded out of the way streams away from the so-called morons and that is what I treasure.

It seems to be that the OP has a higher percentage of these waters then anywhere else on the state...If I could make a living out there I could. That is one reason behind my pursuit of fisheries science at the UW.

Anyways, I also enjoy the combat fishing at times. I enjoy a little comedy at times and a trip to Reiter is full of it. The fights, the yelling, the crackers etc. etc. etc., it is downright hilarious!!!!! You just have to go into that type of fishery knowing what to expect...

Hell, I spend a day down at Drano this past Spring and I thought it was a blast. Normally trolling in a big circle is no fun but at Drano it is differnt, because there are so many people. It is blast just to sit back and watch everyone jockey for postion so they get the best line angle at the best water. It is riot to watch lines upon lines get crossed and see chrome springers zip across the lake taking one fisher's line after another with him. Just go in there with some patience and a good attitude and it can be a Hell of alot of fun.

Also if you have some pented up anger, terminal fisheries are a great place to go as you will no doubt have a good reason to yell and scream at someone.

Your right the olympic penninsula definately alows for olot more privacy.I have to hike alot more but it is half the fun.You can spend all day hiking not see anybody and still might catch a fish.When you do it is even more rewarding.I am the same way,I go to the crowds for entertainment,and if you go with the right state of mind,it can be fun,in verry small doses.I have a feeling that it is alot harder to do on the other side.alot more fish at times though?