Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Holdom on September 17, 2006, 11:06:26 PM
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I was reading the book Fishing Mapbook Southwestern BC by Wesley and Russell Mussio, The brothers. When it comes to part of describing Chilliwack/Vedder River , it writes as follows
"It is always crowded when the fishing is good. To avoid unnecessary confrontations with other anglers, please respect their space and move aside if someone hooks into a fish. I is aslo essential to time casts in sequence with other anglers and please do not mix fly casting and float fishing..."
For a novice angler like myself, who has never been to the bank, this warning is quite discouraging and makes me feel uneasy. :-\To my understanding, confrontation or other distress are not what fishing is about. I woundn't doubt that majority of people by the river are kind and respectful. I just want to know how bad the things could become often? If Vedder will be more or less like a battle field or something, I would rather stay away from being part of it. Thanks in advance for your input.
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I am a newbie myself, but i've fished the vedder quite a number of time. What i would comment is, avoid fishing the canal area around Keith Wilson Bridge. It is like a hell hole, during the peak of the fishing season. Lots of the unethical fishermen (or they don't deserve to be called fishermen at all) are practising some very unfriendly way of fishing, bottom bouncing being the most hated one. Some guys do set their hooks every end of their cast, and that would just spook the fish away, not to mention it might also tangle others' lines. I don't mean they at the KWB are all bad, but most of the real fishermen would avoid that place and fish somewhere else. Go try the end of Lickman Rd., Vedder Crossing or Allison Pool(when it opens up). That's all i know of. Good luck fishing :)
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Use a little common sense and you should be all right. If someone yells "Fish On", it means someone has hooked a fish. Be courteous and reel your line in and let the fishermen fight the fish. Wait til he either lands it/lose it, or he's gone downstream from where you are, then resume fishing. Most of the fishing pressure is concentrated in the more popular runs. If you don't like crowds, simply drive to another location. There are lots of spots to fish on the Vedder.
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Confrentation? if never seen anything like this at the vedder and if fished some gong shows ::) :P most it ever comes to is two fishermen cursing each other out.
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If one of the guys next to you hooks a fish, my advice to you is don't cast over his line. Nothing makes me madder than that!
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What the authors of that book are referring to is how crowded the Vedder gets when the fishing does become hot. Crowding can get pretty unreal on the weekends, on the good spots to fish and people can for whatever reason get pretty rude. Personally, I do not know why that is, but if you can get out during the week those are probably the best times to fish the Vedder. Less people - more enjoyment. And don't forget, to not leave anything of value in your car. If you do have items like that lock them in the trunk of your car. Lot of break ins to vehicles occur during Salmon season.
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I would suggest staying far away from the flyfishers, they'll take your head off if you get too close...
I heard some guy lost an eye for getting too close to a flyfisher, they are dangerous!
And never step downstream from one if they're stepping through a run, or else you'll wish you had awoken a pack of rabid weasels instead...
;)
Nicole
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Now I know why they call you the Freak! ;D
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Gee fishfreak you could go and work for dog the bounty hunter with that bear spray ;D ;D . i know that it does get extremly busy in the lower end once the white springs come in. That is when I go and hit another river. I won't say which one but the guys that I fish with know the one that I am talking about. Not only do we like to get away from the crowds but also the white springs and this system does not seem to have as many so you end up catching way more coho ;D ;D and the odd clean chum ( although I have only seen one bar crome chum caught in about 5 years).
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Fishing and alcohol don't mixed. Wouldn't surprise me in the least that these guys get into their car and drive home after a day on the river. :(
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It's way too crouded and the people are all too rude. I'd stay away if I were you ;)
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thats why i always carry my 12 guage flare gun on the Vedder. ;D Guy looks like he might have bear spray i give him a shot of white phosphorus from about 60 ft. ;D They run screaming for their mommy. ;D
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I don't have that much experience but have fished the river quite a bit for Steelhead and the early run of Springs in the last 10 months
It is intimidating as a beginer (or new comer as I am), but I found most of the guys to be really freindly and helpful as long as you are polite. I would just have a chat with a few guys when you get to a spot and just check with them how to do it so you don't get tangled or upset anyone, even ask where would be a good spot to fit in with everyone (that's how I got going).
I expereinced a few people who couldn't get the hang of rotational casting (hardly rocket sceince) but just be polite if they snag you, it's not worth getting too upset about (although easier said than done). Perhaps if I'd been fishing the river for like the last 15 years my patience might be a bit thinner.
Better still try and go out with someone who fishes there often and get them to show you the way. I agree that KWB is a joke and just gets too busy for me to have any interest in fishing it, but there's plenty of river so have a walk and you'll find some quiet (er) water.
cheers,
Paul.
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Thank you all. I appreciate your valuable comments, experiences and stories. I think I am now better prepared than previously. Really feel lucky I had found this nice online community. :)
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Hmmm, I've never had anyone bother me, I find most fishers to be polite when approching ;D
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You guys are so violent.!!! Flare guns?! Fishing knives?! come on!! if you see an @$$hole fishing beside you give him space. injuries don't have to occur over fishing.
Honestly, you guys are making the vedder sound horrible!! but it's not!! if you're willing to go for a little hike you can find your self a nice spot with no or minimal crowding!
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Ithink that they are trying to scare people away from the river. I have never had any problems on that river. But like you said just go for a walk and find some water.
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Stay out of the high and the low and you should be fine! Still miles of water left. Have never seen a fight on the Vedder but it must happen!
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as AliG would put it, RESPEK!
give people space, say hello, dont be a dick. People who have fished the vedder for a while and are having a hard time putting up with the crowds that are coming now have to realize that the river doesnt belong to anyone...and those that are relatively new to the river, like myself, need to realize that there are guys that have been fishing there for their entire lives, and we should give everyone a little respect and try not to crowd them so much. If a run looks crowded, I wont even bother going near it. I'll either find one that isnt, or if i cant, I'll watch for a while and call it a day, and chalk it up to not getting up early enough. Too many people think its their "right" to a spot and show complete disregard to those around them. If everyone did that and showed a little respect, you'd find that you can still have a good time without pissing people off. Its nice just to be at the river....with time, some people figure this out.
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Marmot, you are bang on... Respect is in order, and don't try and jam into a spot just because you roll in at 8am... Go where there is space. This is why I fish in the afternoon, I need space. And most people are fine to let me have it, especially when I'm using the spey rod...
The odd character makes an excecutive decision on how much space I need or steps below me, and I tell them I'm stepping through the lie and to start above me... I tell them I'm going to be 10 more minutes and they can have the whole run when I'm done. They're nomally fine with this, and they apologise and fish above me until i'm done.
The odd one does not, and I make a point of some really close calls, and act like I don't know what I'm doing... And usually accompany it with, "you might get hurt, watch out" and usually their perception of damage from some unknowing girl is enough to back off.
I particularly enjoy swinging a nice wide cast right by someone's ear with my gear rod, it very quickly clears space :)
Cheers,
Nicole
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As Marmont says..Respect for each other goes a LONG way...only problem I have had while fishing was suicide creek last year..on a hole that would be crowded with four guys..fourteen tried to fish it...I won't go into details but it wasn't fun...
On the Vedder I have walked into runs and seen the older guys turn and look at you like...God another one ?.....I have found that when you stop and talk to them and even "ASK" where they'd like you to fish...you'll find some pretty decent guys, good stories and future friends in some regards...
I have had the same thing happen to me in return..(guess i'm not that young anymore either)...Young guy, big guy too walks up the run, looking it over....kind of guy you'd think would just butt in???.... Nope, walked up to me, asked how the fishing was, laughted when I told him what I was trying to do...and asked if I minded him starting above me?.....Things like that make your day, instead of ruining them!!!
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The odd one does not, and I make a point of some really close calls, and act like I don't know what I'm doing... And usually accompany it with, "you might get hurt, watch out" and usually their perception of damage from some unknowing girl is enough to back off.
I particularly enjoy swinging a nice wide cast right by someone's ear with my gear rod, it very quickly clears space :)
Cheers,
Nicole
I hear ya Nicole. I do the same thing. ;)
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As Marmont says..Respect for each other goes a LONG way...only problem I have had while fishing was suicide creek last year..on a hole that would be crowded with four guys..fourteen tried to fish it...I won't go into details but it wasn't fun...
On the Vedder I have walked into runs and seen the older guys turn and look at you like...God another one ?.....I have found that when you stop and talk to them and even "ASK" where they'd like you to fish...you'll find some pretty decent guys, good stories and future friends in some regards...
I have had the same thing happen to me in return..(guess i'm not that young anymore either)...Young guy, big guy too walks up the run, looking it over....kind of guy you'd think would just butt in???.... Nope, walked up to me, asked how the fishing was, laughted when I told him what I was trying to do...and asked if I minded him starting above me?.....Things like that make your day, instead of ruining them!!!
Very good points golfman. I always make a point of asking other people if I can slip in above them. Usually most are very nice and don't seem to mind. Of course that could be because I won't ask unless it is a large opening. I've even had people wondering why I'm asking to step in, like its a completly foreign concept to ask before butting in. I've also had people completly blow up in my face for asking to fish near them. I can hardly imagine the reaction I would have gotten had I just started casting.
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Well it's not such a big deal to have someone upstream, 15-20 feet is fine... But the big thing is that in order to roll the line out to perform the single or double spey cast, you generally need around 50 feet downstream to properly work the line.
In Addition, when flyfishers work the water on or near the hangdown (end of their swing nearest the shore), this water takes a bit of time to 'calm down' and have fish move back into it. I find people tend to wade too far out, and this spooks the fish out into deeper water.
Gear anglers have a tough time working this water, as they normally focus on the deeper stuff, so it's frustrating when you've waited for a piece of water to settle down and you're getting to the best part, working your way downstream, and some guy walks below you and wades in... At that point its not even worth yelling, the opportunity has already been lost and it's better to move on.
I hope I've made sense...
Nicole
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Just show up looking like you did in the gun shots nicole...that will scare the hell out of anyone..