In Webster’s New World Dictionary, the word etiquette is defined as follows: “The forms, manners, and ceremonies established by convention as acceptable or required in society, or in a profession.” After reading this definition you would hope that fly fishers would have no problems with each other, that acceptable manner comes very natural to most fly fishers and, therefore, seldom would there be any clash between them.
Fly fishing etiquette should be nothing more than common sense, and that the best way to define etiquette is: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
All anglers should have manners and common sense, and they should not cause problems, either on or off the water. But, alas, it’s not always the case. For there are those few, who either by deeds, words or both, show that they have no manners or common sense, thus creating problems for themselves and anglers around them.
It is now more critical than ever, that the members of New Mexico Trout practice manners and etiquette both on and off the water.
We can list a bunch of rules for anglers to follow, including keeping a reasonable distance from your fellow angler and keeping you opinions of various fishing methods to yourself. However, lists and rules to live by tend to fracture and fail over time.
However, there is are guidelines for us to follow. Go back and read the two definitions of Etiquette, and if you use those two definitions as guidelines, seldom if ever would you run afoul of your fellow anglers.
We must lead by example; be kind and enjoy fly fishing!