Originally posted by chadk:
Looks like most of you have some good advice for dealing with jerk-offs - thanks! But how about some guidlines for fishing friendly with others. If I show up to a popular hole that has 5 or 10 fisherman working it (normally I will move on), what is the 'proper' way to work in and not look like a jerk? If there's just one guy fishing, I usually ask him if he minds if I share the hole. If the river is big enough, I may not ask, but just keep as far away as reasonble. If the stream is smaller, and you rarely spend more than 10 or 15 minutes fishing the same spot, I'll ask which way he is heading (up or down stream) and then go the opposite.
So if there is a group of guys fishing a stretch and they are evenly spaced, and this spot for some reason is your only decent option, what do you do?
Casting sequence and order is the key to fishing in crowded situations. You might have to forfeit a cast here and there, or educate a guy beside you, but it's not brain surgery. The guy below always casts first, then you, then the guy above you. Cast on a 45 degree angle upstream in line with the other guys casts, don't try to cover the whole river in one cast. Drift one to two guys below you, pick up and repeat. Talk to the guys beside you, smoke a fattie with them and have a good time.
This sequence only works in groups of around five, so if you're on the margin between two groups it can suck. Fishing in crowds is a reality, like BK said, so instead of picking fights use common sense and deal with the situation.