Etiquette is probably the most confusing and misunderstood subject in the fly fishing culture. Probably because no two situations are ever the same. So every decision must be made by balancing all of the factors that make fly fishing "the quiet sport."

What is considered good manners and appropriate behavior on a stocked stream where the truck has just dumped 50 or 150 fish into one pool is never going to be considered good manners on a piece of wild trout water in a forest where you have just hiked two miles to enjoy solitude and a chance to commune with nature.

When the stocking truck leaves, elbow to elbow is OK, just don't cross your line over anyone else's line. And don't forget to lift your line out if a hooked fish comes your way. Would these rules ever apply on a small National Forest stream, or on any wild trout waters. Unequivocally, NO! So who makes the rules? You do.

Let's see if we can create a common sense approach to fishing etiquette. After much thought on the subject and much rule making that had no universal application I think I have a suggestion that "goes back to the basics." Let's apply the golden rule to our fishing situations. "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." It works! If you have just hiked into a stream where solitude is important, but so is stealth and caution in not spooking trout, then any intrusion could spoil your day. Let's say you have just begun to fish, when here comes another angler. What should he/she do? Walk around , well away from the water, and continue up the watershed allowing enough space for at least an hour of fishing between the two of you.

Is it hard to break trail and stay away from the stream so as not to spook fish? You bet it is. But would you want that fisherman to do it for you? You bet you would.

If the stream encounter between fisherman is a little more open and coming close enough for conversation is an option, then try a little communication. Ask the angler, "Are you fishing up or down?" Often wet flies are fished down and dries usually up stream, so it is a legitimate question. The answer may put everyone at ease and take away the tension that often creeps into the day when you feel you are being crowded. Sometimes the dialogue will give you the information that you need to make a good ethical judgment about how to fish without infringing on this other fisherman's rights.

There are a few common sense rules of thumb which I think could be applied to most situations. The number one rule might be, "The further you hiked to fish, the more space you deserve to have." If you jump out of the car and walk a few hundred feet to a stream, it might be obvious that this is a popular, easy spot to reach and lots of people will use it. You had better expect some company.

On the other hand, if you have just hiked several miles to a secluded piece of stream and happen upon another angler, it just makes sense that you would not crowd in upon him/her. The possible exception to this might be in our very popular National Parks where walking miles and finding many fisherman may not be what you had hoped for, but it is that way since our sport has become so popular. In these cases apply that golden rule. At the very least do not fish the same run or pool but give that person the whole section they are working. As for myself I work a run upstream on the near side to the middle of the currant. When I reach the top of the run I fish the far current drifting the fly downstream in the far side edge which is slow using mends to keep it there. If someone were to step into a run I was working at either the upper or lower end the plan I had for fishing it would be ruined. When in doubt ask.

Fishing in different parts of the country poses a unique set of circumstances and sometime you need to ask the "locals" just what is the proper etiquette. In Michigan, for instance, many of the rivers run through boggy areas where walking along the shore is impossible. It is the local policy to get into the stream and fish up stream for several miles to a bridge or place you can get out and walk the road back to your car. It is considered a day of fishing from Point A to Point B. Now this is a tough one!

If you are fishing or entering a stream and you see another angler up stream ahead of you a few hundred yards, what do you do? You can't go out around him as the land is not suitable for walking, to wade past him and go ahead would spook his fish, and it's a tough day of fishing to follow him for the whole day. This one may require that you go find another place to fish. Tough but true.

Every part of the country has its ethical and proper protocol. None of us can know all of it. In the West there is the row versus wade dispute. If a drift boat comes by a wading angler, who fishes the water? The answer is so clear. The person that was there first, of course. Hard to believe that it is even a question, but you will repeatedly see fisherman cast from a boat into the area that can be reached by a wading fisherman. Just one thou ghtless indiscretion can ruin a lovely day of fishing and the ambiance of the outdoors. Don't let it happen to you. Be prepared to deal kindly with the poor judgment or selfishness of others, but most importantly YOU make the effort to see that you apply the "golden rule" to all of your interactions with fellow fisherman. It can be contagious. Indeed, maybe many people may have never given this much thought, and your good example may start someone else on the road to better fly fishing etiquette.