The River Dick

As our sport grows in popularity it’s worth considering the finer points of river and on-water etiquette.

Years ago, when I was writing regularly for Field & Stream magazine and Anthony Licata was my editor, we hatched an idea for a story on “ethics in fly fishing” and we jokingly called it, “The River Dick.” You know, how not to be the “dick” on the river who does all the wrong things.

We never quite pulled that story off and I’m not sure why. I guess Field & Stream might not have been ready to use “dick” in a story, and I might not have been comfortable pointing fingers, having been a dick myself had anyone called me on any of it.

But I think there’s still some value in pointing out where the ethical boundaries are between just fly fishing, and being a total dick as you go about your business on the water and interacting with others.

After all, most newbies who commit party fouls don’t realize they’re being dicks at all. If there’s no blatant intent, is there a foul? Of course not. But they’re still perceived as being dicks, even if all they really wanted to do, at the end of the day, was get out there and catch a fish or two.