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Gear guy....

900 Views 12 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  stewart dee, 
G
Fished the Duc yesterday mid-section all was great then..... A gear guy and his buddy float into my water and SPLASH fish on. Now I expect boat pressure but these guys practically hit me (and I think hooked my missed player). So gear guy has a fish, boat is beached and at this point I have front row seats as a spectator. After the 12lb Native rolls over I have been asked to hold his spinning rod while he attends to the fish. I look at the other guy, he is spacing out in the boat so I oblige with one hand my fly rod and the other this gear rod. After 2 or 3 minuets the fish is still flopping around , I think to myself how sweet if it just broke off. I kneel down cradle the fish at both ends as I notice blood. This guy thinks it was important to retract his friggin cheap barbed egg hook rather than a released fish in good condition. Some jewelery is OK for a couple days - bleeding at the release in my book could be a dead fish. Imagine if every gear boat did that even just once ( we lost count of how many boats ) that's a lot of fish. Some people need to wake up!
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N
I totally agree about people needing to wake up, however I have seen plenty of fly guys bumbling with wild fish trying to get hero shots and such. Don't believe it's exclusive to just the gear side of things, but thats just my humble opinion.

Nick
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flatheadmatt
True that Nick...ive had friends do that and get extremely offended when I call em on it....the ol "how dare you question my ethics" battle usually ensues....ugh
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Matthew Gulbranson
I spent last weekend on the Hoh and Duc, and lost count of how many times I either got low holed by a boat or gear folks. I usually take it in stride, but it was really starting to get me riled. I thought about calling it my low-hoh(ed) trip. That little encounter that you had sounds really frustrating. It doesn't take much to just pinch it. I think it's just a matter of thinking in this country that everything is expendable, and wild fish certainly fit that bill.
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Jergens
That sucks Stewart, especially about the handling of the fish. I was on the coast last weekend, and every gear boat I encountered went out of their way to be courteous to us, rowing behind us whenever possible, and in general were just very friendly and pleasant to fish around.
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Poopy McButtfart
Stewart and I were fishing together, and these guys were definitely dumbasses. But just prior to that, a gear fishing guide rowed by and was beyond courteous. Asked me far in advance of what side he should row around me, and had his clients reel up until they were well downstream. Even offered some advice on the sweet spot of the run I was fishing. Then the dumbshits of the original post come barreling in playing "hit the rock" with their boat, bouncing all over the place, and casting over my line. So there are definitely all types out there. But holy geeze was there a lot of pressure for a weekday, especially in those conditions.
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S
I find that the proffessional guides are genrally very good to share the river with and have not had any problems. It is the testoserone laden stups that do not have any common sense and think that they own the whole river.
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Leroy Laviolet
As time goes on we must all learn if the hero shot presents itself, fine, take it, if not, don't think twice, get the fish back on its way SAFELY , that's what matters most -
Good you guys are gett'n out there doing your thing Stu-
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SpeySpaz
not all bleeding fish die, and some that aren't do die after release anyway.
"sharing the river" and polite behavior while fishing...well, set the example and hope others follow along. Many of the folks you see out there have better gear than they have consideration.
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A
i tend to think that if we see something like the mishandling of fish going on it we need to take the responsibility to speak up, i know ive bit my tongue many times but ive vowed to not sit back and watch stuff like that anymore...otherwise it will just continue...bad etiquette sucks but bad conservation is a lot worse
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Mumbles
So Stewart, you were fishing with control of two rods? The saying no good deed goes unpunished comes to mind...where is that Game Warden when you need him? (just kidding man)
Sorry to hear about the handling and pressure. Unfortunately there is likely no end to either one, be they gear or fly fishers. The better the weather the more pressure the OP will likely receive. Did you and/or Evan get into any fishyness?
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Leroy Laviolet
ED , your new avatar has me freaked man -

What happened to cyber boy ?? What is the new avi anyways ??

Two respective embryo eggs ?
Two Boobs from Zelda the man killer ?
A set of headlights ?
Frog eyes ?
Enquiring minds need to know this stuff ...
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G
We don't fish and tell.:rofl:
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