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[Fish Assassin]

I must say I was really concerned with some shore fly fishermen. During back cast, their lines and flies crossed right into the walkway where many people including children walked or ran by. Sometimes, these fly guys didn't even look back before they casted. It is a time bomb ready to explode any moment. Some eye balls or ears of some innocent park users are going to be victims of friendly fires any given day. Fisheries authority should do something to stop this potential hazard there. Guys wishing to take the trout with fly lines should be in a boat or a tube, or at least wade out further enough to make sure their back casts don't hit the walkway.

I agree. Fly fishermen from shore should be more cognizant of the pedestrian traffic.

[HOOK]

well being a shore fly fisherman at a different lake i will tell you 2 things here.

1 - YES, guys fishing should look behind them before EVERY cast.
2 - people walking should also watch for the fly lines because i have had tons of people jsut walk into my line when i started casting before they even got there, it only takes a few seconds to cast, JUST WAIT!!! its not going to kill you.

[OGrady]

i think some of the more regular park users get pretty ticket off by this. ive seen them argue things like that there is a sign that says no fly fishing from shore ect (not true). i think a select few have gone to some pretty far lengths just to stop it. ive heard some fairly loud arguments when ive been out in the boat.

[Coho Cody]

this has to be the stupidest thing, it takes common sense for the fly fisherman, and common sense for the other park users to be aware. heck, there are signs saying "fisherman beware of backcasts and park users"

[Steelhawk]

I disagree that pedestrians have to watch for fishing missles crossing into their walkway. To be fair, as park users, each group should have their own space to enjoy the park safely. For the walkway, it is supposed to be a safe path for walkers and runners to use the park. Don't forget there are children who don't even know what hazards may await them when they are running ahead of their parents. For Lafarge on the east side (opposite to the beach side), fly guys are actually casting among openings in bushes/trees. Unsusepecting pedestrians will just walk right into the path of these fishing missles as even the fly guys cannot be seen from a distance concealed by the trees. The beach side is more open and people can see those lines easier, but there are way more pedestrians on that side.

I personally had confronted a fly guy on the east side and reminded him that his cast is dangerous to the pedestrians. The guy just ignored me and continued. I don't know what fisheries authority will do regarding stocking the lake if some people get hurt, either by possible fights between fishermen and park users, or by injuries substained by park users when some one loses an eye. Will they stop stocking the lakes to avoid public pressure put on them?

It is for the benefits of both user groups to make sure such injuiries or fights do not happen so all can continue to enjoy this popular lake.

[HOOK]

so what your basically saying is that anyone fly fishing should be condemned to being in a boat?? you do realize that not everyone can afford these things right 

the lake i fish at (from shore) it is very wide open and people still walk right into your cast regardless, its like they are blind!! I do look behind me before i cast unless i know there is noone around.

[oddjob]

All they need is a few caution signs for the park users and a little common sense on the fishermens part .

[EZ_Rolling]

OK guys we all love to fish but it is your responsibility to be sure you do not hurt someone if you catch a kid with that hook see how fast someone tries to sue you.

its fun to play but play safe.

[Steelhawk]

Every body is free to choose how he/she fish unless forbidden by law. But sometimes, an unsuitable location to pursue your pleasure can have bad consequence. I am a fly fisherman too. There is nothing better to have a fish on without weights.  But in crowded or unsuitable locations, I prefer to fish with other methods.

Yes, a lawsuit from some victim for losing an eye, particularly that of a child, is going to bankrupt a fisherman. How much potential loss of income and pain of partially blind for life is worth?  Fly tossers from shore will just have to realize the hazards when they choose to pursuit their pleasure in an unsafe manner. I am sure you are a careful one, Hook. But not every one is careful. Just go over there and watch in Lafarge. They don't turn their heads in every cast. Even if they are careful, there are bound to be moments in a few hours of fishing that the attention is off and they cast without looking back. Perhaps they should do roll cast only. But they try to get the distance, so most are going back casts.

I did not imply in my original post that flyfishers have to be in a boat. There are shallow spots they can wade out to the lake and cast without reaching the walkway. In fact I have seen many fly tossers doing just that in past years, wading out from the beach side. But currently, some of the guys just want to be easy and therefore putting others at risk by their action.

The purpose of my thread is to inform these folks, if they read this thread at all, that their action can lead to tragic accident of grave consequence for both the victims and themselves. But for those of us who fish the lake, there is also the possible consequence that the lake will not be stocked in the future to avoid such accidents after some one is injured.

[Coho Cody]

so what your basically saying is that anyone fly fishing should be condemned to being in a boat?? you do realize that not everyone can afford these things right 

the lake i fish at (from shore) it is very wide open and people still walk right into your cast regardless, its like they are blind!! I do look behind me before i cast unless i know there is noone around.

exactly my point HOOK.

is is the choice of the pedestrian to put themselves in that position whether it sounds stupid or not, or whether they know it or not. Common sense would realize somebodies long back cast

[bbronswyk2000]

I agree with Steelhawk. Its your responsibility as a caster to watch behind you. Its not the responsibility of the people walking on the walkway. Just wade out further so your back cast is not in range of the walkway. Imagine your casting and a 3 year old is walking by. Your fly hits him in the eye. You going to go up to his parents and say he should have been watching? Kids are always running around there. It has nothing to do with buying a boat. Pick a spot where your not hitting the walkway, wade out further or if your that stuburn go somewhere else to fish.

[HOOK]

think about what you just said for a second  at Lafarge this "wade further" thing just isnt going to work because just like most lakes it drops off. the lake i fish regularly you are NOT allowed to wade into the water therefore you cross the path no matter what you do. It is both parties responsibility to look at whats going on around them. and of course ALWAYS keep an eye out for children because they have no idea. Everyone can co exist if both parties pay attention however to just blindly cast or walk then your the one at blame. (children not included)

how about when your even in a boat and someone goes behind you in their boat while your casting  I have snagged a couple people that have done this to me or they anchor right in my backcasting room!!! now would you not agree this is plain ignorance? people walking do this ALOT. they stop to watch but dont even think that when they saw you cast minutes earlier that your line is going exactly where they have now decided to stop  of course politely asking them to move a few feet is the norm but some people freak out which is not cool in any way to say the least.


its just plain common sense to pay attention to whats going on around you regardless of where you happen to be. I think we can all agree with that cant we?

[Rodney]

What appears to be common sense to one individual is not necessarily the case for another.

Regarding conflicts between anglers and other user groups, not just as Lafarge Lake, but at any public park: If the City receives complaints from users regarding possible danger caused by anglers, it will look for options to resolve the issue. The cheapest and easiest option is to close angling. The possibility of an individual being injured by a hook while an angler is casting would be taken very seriously by the City, because it becomes a liability issue. The City does not want to be sued for not warning the public regarding being hooked while walking in a park.

As anglers, we should be putting ourselves in other recreational users' shoes when sharing the same facility. Individuals who have no prior fishing knowledge would not be aware of the amount of backcasting room a flyfisherman needs, which is "common sense" to anglers. To a non-fisher, spincasting, baitfishing, flyfishing are simply fishing. The different techniques are often not recognized. Why would they be, if a person has never fished before?

Extra consideration should be given to your surroundings when given the privelege to utilize a service. It'd be pretty pointless to blame others on your own doings when that privelege is taken away.

[bbronswyk2000]

What appears to be common sense to one individual is not necessarily the case for another.

Regarding conflicts between anglers and other user groups, not just as Lafarge Lake, but at any public park: If the City receives complaints from users regarding possible danger caused by anglers, it will look for options to resolve the issue. The cheapest and easiest option is to close angling. The possibility of an individual being injured by a hook while an angler is casting would be taken very seriously by the City, because it becomes a liability issue. The City does not want to be sued for not warning the public regarding being hooked while walking in a park.

As anglers, we should be putting ourselves in other recreational users' shoes when sharing the same facility. Individuals who have no prior fishing knowledge would not be aware of the amount of backcasting room a flyfisherman needs, which is "common sense" to anglers. To a non-fisher, spincasting, baitfishing, flyfishing are simply fishing. The different techniques are often not recognized. Why would they be, if a person has never fished before?

Extra consideration should be given to your surroundings when given the privelege to utilize a service. It'd be pretty pointless to blame others on your own doings when that privelege is taken away.

Exactly!!!

Hook your way out to lunch on this one.

Comparing hitting another angler in a boat to a pedestrian who has no clue are like comparing apples to oranges. BTW in all my years I have never hit another angler when in my boat. I am always looking around when in my boat and never have even come close to hitting another angler in another boat.

[Steelhawk]

Rodney hits it on the nail when he says the city, for fear of liability, may just elect to close the fishery as the cheapest way to solve the problem. Remember, compared to the non-fishing public, the anglers are simply the minority. When words get out that an innocent kid or unsuspecting park walker just got his eye rip off by a fly hook while enjoying a leisure walk, what do you think the reaction of the public will be? They will be all over the city to shut out the fishermen so they can feel safe to let their kids run around in the park. They can simply stop the stocking and fishermen will be out of luck and who is to blame?

You also hit it right on the nail, Hook, when you say 'excluding the children'. But can we really exclude any one? In a lawsuit, there is no such thing. When a fisher's action can potentially harm a child, that action will be stopped, and when the action has caused harm with permenent damage, a lawsuit will follow and you cannot claim innocence that a kid should watch out for his own safety.

Even if the city or fishery posts a sign that says 'BEWARE of FLIES!!!' ( ), a child, even a non-fishing adult, will not know what it is all about. Will a 3 year old read it and understand it? Will a non-fisher know that there is a hook at the end of that line which goes back and forth along the walkway? I doubt it. Perhaps that is the reason why they walk right into it as if they were blind, as you stated, Hook.

So shore flyfishermen should take the proper action to protect themselves from potential lawsuits and to protect unsuspecting pedestrians. The last thing we want is city/fishery closing down stocking of urban lakes because of some careless shore fly tossers.