In the brotherhood and sisterhood of fly fishing, observing the rules of etiquette you may find yourself provided with all sorts of useful information by fellow anglers. Where salmon have been seen, what that guy with last week’s impressive haul was catching it on, and much more.
Etiquette cuts both ways, and meeting fellow anglers in mutual respect can net you not only some great stories, but helpful hints about flies, trout, techniques, good beats, and more. Giving and receiving information on rivers or lakes is a truly important aspect of angling. This knowledge sharing is possibly unique among sporting activities. Yes, we are competitive, but that should never stop us from sharing information, knowledge and stories. Eric Tavener, who wrote for the Lonsdale Library classic “Salmon Fishing” put it beautifully: “Whatever information it has been your good fortune to garner, place it freely at the disposal of others. Tell the man who is going to follow you down a pool, if he should ask you for the information: where you have seen a salmon showing, whether the water is rising, falling, or steady; whether you know of any salmon having been taken on that day, on what fly and in what pool; and give him ungrudgingly anything else in reason that, under similar circumstances, you would find useful, were you the seeker or a stranger to the river.”
In this short passage lies the essence of what’s great about the fly fishing community.
