I used to be a wade fisher. A wade angler. A bankie.
I have been boat fishing for over 15 years so my vision has been skewed. But I hold the bank angler close to my heart. I love the wade fisherman. His mission is different from the boat angler. One narrow focus with very different methods employed to achieve the same goal. Catch trout on the Missouri.
The boat angler can move readily with his floating craft. The wade angler cannot. He is the lone foot soldier. He drives to a spot, gets out, and marches to the fishing location of choice.
Back to the plight of the bank angler. Let’s review some rules that all bank anglers follow.
The Voice of a Wade Angler
Rules to live by…
The farther you walk, the better the fishing? True.
When you find the kills, do not tell a soul how to get there. Truth. Certainly not that crafty trout bum at Joe’s Bar. You gotta tell jut one feller, and it is over. Especially if it is a dyno-mite PMD or Trico spot…
Don’t trespass. Trespassers are disrespecting property. Funny how trespassers act differently if they are trespassed against?
Great wade fish spots include an easy walk, without trespassing, a few different types of water including a nymphing shelf and a dry fly flat. Although one or the other will suffice depending on the time of year, or your fly fishing mood. And secretive.
One of the finest qualities of the Missouri River is the vast opportunities to wade fish and access points. It really is a great river for the wade angler. Small gravel and very few spots with dangerous rocks, slippery bowling balls, and rapidly moving waters.
Don’t low-hole your fishing buddy. Or the angler you do not know, yet. Don’t be a dick. Lead by example.
The Voice of a Wade Angler
How Boat Anglers should approach the Wade Angler
One of the worst things to happen to the wade fisherman is to have one of those yahoo’s in drift boats, tubes, pontoon boats, rafts…float in and through his water. That is worst case scenario. I see it all the time. Will the fish come back? Yeah, sometimes. It is a big huge gigantic river, with room for all. Respect the water of the bank angler. The feller casting into that riffle, he is fishing that riffle. He has walked in and he is actively fishing. Yep, he is thinking to himself…
“Hey bud, open your freaking eyes…I’m right here. I’m fishing here. Please do not run over my water. Hey boat dude, I’m right here.”
Angler in boat after crashing into and getting stuck on the riffle bar that wade angler feller is fishing says something like…
“Havin’ any luck?”
When wade angler says something along the lines of
“Hey man, I’m kinda fishing this shallow riffle here.”
Boat angler responds with
” I didn’t see you man.”
Nearly daily we encounter situation where we must make a decisions. All of us, including me, need to give a wide berth for the bank angler. Guides are at fault too. It is generally a recreational boater, rental boat, or those who must not care about the plight of others which there are plenty of out there on the Montana rivers…Commercial outfits need to give these anglers a ton of water. Bottom line. The rest of the population as well. Give the bank angler a wide berth. Give him that riffle he is standing in. Do it. You got a boat and your responsibilty is to use it. Move onwards and learn some new waters if that needs to be the case. Honor the hike-in fisher feller.
And if he is not casting for the moment, it does not mean he is not fishing. Resting the water is a common practice and we need to see that. Keep you eyes open.
The Voice of a Wade Angler
I need to be heard, and seen.
Education is the key. But how do we educate those who do not know or follow the rules of the river? Videos? Blogs? Bars? Educating by example? Yelling at those fellows exhibiting bad river behaviors?
I can tell you from experience that yelling education into folks generally does not win the fight. But I cannot say with any certainty that leading by example is any more effective.
Grassroots is the answer. Along with making an effort at all levels. Acting appropriately and with the other angler in mind has to be the way. Boats have to yield to wade anglers. Wade anglers have to understand that there are behavior standards for the wade angler as well. Follow the Golden Rule. Do unto others as…
Hey bud, look out for me. I have as much right to fish these waters as you do boat-man. I usually don’t fool with you, so give me some slack, respect my water, and back off once in a while.
Who knows, it may come back at you. It may come full circle. You may get some karmic rewards for giving the bank angler some space…
7 Comments.
As a life long Bankie I much appreciate your comments. I think this the second time this spring you have highlighted this issue. Maybe you’re hearing a lot more complaints from my fellow bank huggers. I’ve runned into(over) this while fishing the late afternoon BWO hatch. Most of the boats are still drift nymphing and just aren’t paying any attention to me, guides included. Their focus is all on their clients. Maybe if the sports could be educated they would tell the guides to back off more.
If I could afford it I would own a boat, I can not and have never had a guided fishing experience.
I do not begrudge others because they can and I can’t. I do not post my opinions online EVER but this problem is getting worse in my opinion related to increased river traffic. Less boats meant more space for everyone.
Other opinions and comments would be greatly appreciated. As a long time lurker I just want to note my appreciation for this web site and the education the posters provide, which is invaluable. I’ve become a better angler for it. thank you.
Thank Rob. Appreciate the comment(s)!
I sit quietly on a bank with no Agenda nor to do list, disconnected from the noise of everyday life, yet more fully alert and alive than the night of my first real date…a voice … in fact the voice, is with me at all times and it whispers a reoccurring verse … what have you done to find this bank overlooking a ribbon of blue rapped like a blanket by a beautiful mountain with a ceiling as blue as your wife’s forgiving eyes…you have found what most know not to seek… peace and calm…with a penthouse view of a play likely but not guaranteed to start … a rise causing a heartbeat to simultaneously stop and accelerate …
I have found the boat traffic and wade army on the Missouri to be the most consistent polite and giving river stewards than any river out west I have been blessed to share… peace calm … grateful to all you all
We all inevitably experience (have experienced) the worst of society and faceinstabooktoctic on the river… it is not what any of us deserve … no where more important than a riverbank to not let others speed us up ✊
Great points, so true. People are selfish and get lost in the excitement of fishing. Yes, wake up and give the angler his/her space.
Patrolled the bank yesterday. Was a boat show out there but all were respectful.
Nice post Mark – do unto others definitely applies here. Sterling channel gets a bit tight but have never had issues with dumb shit rowers – have always slipped in behind me as needed. Wade angling, no questions asked, is much tougher than firing from a boat. Waders become better anglers faster than drifters. More things to manage simultaneously and tougher to read water because one is lower to the water. Do Love the hike and Wade game on the MO. Rarely Wade more than mid thigh – start close and work out or in depending – the fish are there if you know what to look for – right under your nose!
Thanks Mark.
Can you post this at every launch on the river?
Feel like it should be required reading. On ALL rivers actually.
Regards