Confrontation at Shoshone

[stuntmansteve]

Originally Posted by FrankC

Wow what is it with Coloradoand water? My father has a house on a creek in New Jersey. All the fishermen and landowners could care less. They just wave and smile as you paddle by.

Its not just Colorado. We got flack from local fishermen on two consecutive days near the Rio Grande racecourse in Northern New Mexico a few years ago. Of course they tend not to like anyone who's not a local around there. Haven't bothered going back even though we've been boating there for years.

[thogan]

Ive always given fishers a wide berth when paddling thru. Most of the shorehuggers i have encountered are a-holes. some are cool and even wave or say hi. I usually just laugh at the a-holes and it pisses em off. Sounds like dad needed a good ass whoopin and the kids would learn to keep their mouths shut.

[tellutwurp]

angry people are angry people, they're fucking everywhere. I might be on of em. He's just mad he's got children to take care of and not enough disposable income to float and fish. So he's tuck fishing of the side of an interstate?

[lmyers]

It genuinely sounds like these people were out of line and in a rather negative state of mind. You could have taken the same path as them and pulled over and confronted them, but I think you made the appropriate choice by continuing on and taking it to a ranger.

I encounter both bank fishermen and float fishermen almost every time I boat, but very rarely will I have anyone not wave and smile back. I give them as much space as possible, sometimes on Numbers it's not too much room....but everyone seems to be cool if you are polite (baring the random assholes like the ones you ran into).

[teletoes]

Originally Posted by FrankC

Wow what is it with Coloradoand water?

Whiskey's for drinkin'. Water's for fightin'.

[Nessy]

Something similar happened to a group I paddled Parkdale with earlier this year. A group of fishermen were fishing on the Parkdale boat launch and told us that we were disturbing their fishing after we took out. They were very reasonable and the confrontation didn't involve name calling, it was just a misunderstanding. I've also had kids throw rocks at me before from the river bank, but it turned out they were French so I just assumed it was their way of saying hello.

[bldrmorgan]

I was paddling on this trip. It's tough to grit your teeth when people act out like this and not go pound someone's face for throwing rocks and saying things they did.

But the right choice was made. And beside's these weren't real fisherman. Father & two sons were sitting on the banks with their spinner reels and kswiss. Just some idiots quick to pick a fight.

Way to go, this guy wins Dad of the year.

[yetigonecrazy]

bummer it happened. sounds like you handled in a reasonable matter, good on ya.

however, your claim that it "is the only river in all of Colorado running right now" is incorrect. i can think of several right off the top of my head that are good to go....

not being a dick, just saying that you can find less crowds and decent water elsewhere if you are willing to look.

[bldrmorgan]

Yeah, and with it being a low water year there are bound to more folks out on the banks. This has been my first incident with a "fisherman" Never had a prob with the folks who at least looked like they knew what they were doing.

[gringo pescador]

I'm a fisherman and unfortunately I see this often - for some reason some of these people think by standing on the bank, they have claim to all water and river bank within and beyond casting distance. I've seen guys cast 2oz lead weights at fishing boats on the river because they were within thier casting distance. It can get ugly fast. I have even had people go off on me for fishing too close to them on the bank.

What they don't get is that the boaters are actually helping them out - the boats will move the fish closer to the shore. If they just sit down and have a beer while the fish calm down they will not have to cast out to the middle of the river to get em.
As far as confrontation - you did the right thing. A lot of times these fine folks are carrying. I am a little guy and I always carry when bank fishing alone in remote places, just for protection from these guys (and bears, and crackheads).