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May 4, 2025 By Ben Moyer 5 min read

Nuggets of goodness show up where you least expect.

For months I’ve gotten unsolicited emails from a person who is apparently in a leadership role in a fishing organization. These are invitations to fly-tying sessions, guest speaker events, or group outings — all in Connecticut.

I don’t know how this person got my address. I’ve replied many times, thanking them for the invites but making it clear I’m unlikely to travel to New England to hear about someone’s fishing trip. Each time, I’ve requested deletion from the list of recipients.

And each time, the phantom emailer assured me that my address would be nixed. But it never happens. The notices keep coming. We must resign ourselves, it seems, to accept that it’s easier to hit that “send” button than to comb through a hundred addresses to extend personal courtesy to an unseen human being who declines receipt.

Frustration with this mysterious sender is mounting, but civility, I believe, is always appropriate. Still, I’m goaded by an impulse to launch a keyboard tirade.

Then came the most recent electronic “message in a bottle.” Glancing at the subject, I warmed a bit toward the sender. “Here’s something of value,” I mouthed aloud.

Instead of a request to attend some meeting in Connecticut, the email stated, “Fishing etiquette ensures a respectful and enjoyable experience for all anglers and the environment. Here are some key points to remember.”

Especially at this time of year, fishing’s annual peak, these suggestions are worth sharing. So, from Connecticut via Farmington, Pa., here they are:

1. Respect other anglers. Maintain a reasonable distance from others.

Most anglers still adhere to this tenet. But increasingly, unenlightened or uncaring louts will push right into a spot on the stream you’re already fishing, especially if they saw you catch a fish there. Such boorish behavior is plain rude but, sadly, not surprising considering the example set at the highest level of national life these days.

2. Keep noise levels down. Use headphones instead of speakers when listening to music.

I don’t know why anyone would listen to music in the presence of birdsong along a trout stream, but it’s on the list. Maybe that’s “a thing” in New England.

3. Consider sharing fishing spots, especially if you’ve had success and you know someone nearby has not.

This actually happens. A young man on a steelhead stream at Erie had already caught several big trout. I was passing behind him to fish downstream when he invited me to take his spot. What class!

4. Boat etiquette: If fishing from a boat, be mindful of other craft, avoid making wakes, and don’t crowd others.

This is the same common sense as Number 1 above, but in boats.

5. Safe casting: Be aware of your surroundings and avoid casting lines in a way that could hook or endanger others.

Good idea, but not a concern if everyone follows Number 1.

6. Respect the environment: Leave no trace. Always pack out everything you pack in, including trash and discarded hunks of fishing line.

This one should be ingrained in anyone who values the outdoors. Consider picking up other people’s litter that marred your experience. You’ll leave it better for the next angler.

7. Respect wildlife. Avoid disturbing their nests and habitat.

8. Protect water quality.

9. Respect private property: Obtain permission before fishing on private land.

10. Follow fishing regulations. Familiarize yourself with local rules including minimum size, creel limits, and any specific restrictions.

This one is frequently violated in our area. Certain stream sections, on Meadow Run and Dunbar Creek for example, are under “Special Regulation.” These rules expand opportunities for everyone. But when they’re ignored, everyone’s experience is diminished. Know and heed “special regulations” like catch-and-release or tackle restrictions.

11. Fish safely. Wear life jackets in boats, use a wading staff in fast water, use sunscreen, and be aware of changing water levels and weather conditions.

12. Fish handling. Handle fish with care and release them gently if they are not to be kept.

13. General courtesy. Greet fellow anglers with a friendly wave or a “hello” when passing or fishing near them.

14. Share knowledge. Be willing to share your fishing knowledge and tips with others.

This has happened to me too, and it’s heart-warming. A stranger who has been catching fish on a certain fly might approach and say, “Try this,” offering you one of the very flies that brought success. That’s something to remember and pass on.

15. In a nutshell, be courteous and kind, respect others, pick up after yourself (and others) and leave the resource better than you found it.

We’re fortunate to have diverse options for good fishing in our region. Days on our streams and rivers are enhanced by following these rules of fishing etiquette.

(Ben Moyer is a member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association and the Outdoor Writers Association of America.)