How close is too close

You know there is a story to follow. I feel a minimum of 2 to 3 pole lengths and that cutting it close. In a crowded place if someone comes in 2 pole lengths  from me  I would grumble but be ok......... if there was water around I would expect more of course.

Wish I knew what ya'll are talkin' about, but I can guess if it trolls up Ohio, it must be LFZ!
 
 A lot of the "fly fishermen" in the LFZ require the same amount of room as the old time lifters.  Welcome to PacManistan! 

Old time has become the new.  When there was actual steel in numbers, Wayne and I did well fishing next to each other and timing casts and drifts within a rod's  length, but that takes  focus  and is hard to do with strangers.  I've fished very close with HT, too.  I think Clint and I fished the upper rock timing drifts and casts.  My usual gauge is distance  to  mid-river or fishable seam, measured downstream. In the LFZ, 30  feet or 3 rod lengths will do it.  I agree inside 2 is too close, Clint. 

So I get there at 0430 second guy there. I ad alot of rigging to do so I was busy under my light for an hour.  0615 rolls (15 before fishing time) and some guy rolls in and stands pretty much in front of me. I jump down and say nicely '' I'm setting up here''. He says ''that's ok I'm right here''  Like he was giving ME permission. He was literally 10.5 feet away (I  have a 10 foot rod ).  The guy above me even came over and said in a loud voice '' you got here at 040 and he jumps in''.  There was plenty of space on the bank where his buddy was fishing.  I asked him if he thought he was to close and he said '' no I just time it with you''. He was down from me limiting my drift.  I then told him " stay if you want, but l'm left handed and I a hit you or snag you its on you AND since I was here first I would in no circumstance adjust my casting and drifting. He just said ok.  I literally hit him twice and snagged his coat once, never moved. All my drifts were held extra  time he either waited or just casted over.  Lines were snagged several time too.  Sorry thing is as he was not acting like an azzhat, he just had no clue.  He had plenty off good spots open too. 
 
On a side note the guy just before the undercut was having a stellar day. He snagged the guy across from him on the rock and as he untangled   he yelled over. "your illegal your weight is SIX FEET above your hook. He just said ''i measured it last night''  Being he was 30 feet from me (azzhat was between) def saw he was above  and had too much. 

There was no timing on my part, I was a complete azz about it.

Azz hats are now common place on the river these days not that I have fished a lot lately but got a float in 2 Mondays ago and the scene hasn't changed much except a lot more spey guys, and the beads and floats are still the craze. Clint in my experience the getting there 2 hours before light is only necessary during salmon season unless your fishing the zones, for steel I don't mind hitting the water till about 9ish with a nice cold day and a big bright sun! As  far as distance between fisherman I can remember touching elbows with guys on either side of me, I don't fish the zones so during steel if not plugging I try to find spots where the nearest fisherman is 50 yards away can be difficult at times but last float saw a lot of nice open water and also saw guys all jammed up when they didn't need to be. Restaurant closed on turkey day so the plug rods will be thumping about 830;) Happy Holidays to all! 3 out peace

If it made you happy Clint I'll say nicely done.
 
But don't ever let someone elses apsehat ruin your pleasure.
They are not worth getting upset over!
 
For me in the LFZ you have to learn to deal with lots of crap.
That is just the way it is.
 
Just do what makes you happy!
 
Tough year.
My only bite was on the wall from a domestic rainbow
 

Good luck tonight and tomorrow 3 man as well as all that venture out on thanksgiving day.
Thanks to all here who have given to me the pleasure of sharing water and more .
Peace & Tuna

I like walking on and in water where I don't stand 3 ' or 300 yards from other folks .
BTDT ..

hot tuna
Just a resurface.
Nothing to do with the original thread but I find it strange reading a recent report elsewhere.
Kiddie pool and church hole.
Dredging is dirty . Swinging a long pole with a weighted fly and leader using a big belly is clean . Bobbers suck.
But yet it's the draw of fish in a concentrated area that brought anglers .
Oh Yea a plug will steal their face .
What type of fishing on the river is acceptable ?

Ice fishing makes the choice and all the worries behind.

I prefer to swing wet flies for Steelhead.  If I have a long belly in the line, I am not effectively swinging, and I don't tie weighted flies except Intruders and I find them nearly impossible to cast.  Versi tip leaders get a fly down on a straight line with little mending and a lot less stress on my back then casting shot.  That said they are not good for dead drift nymphing and since all the reports indicated that stonefly nymphs and small egg patterns were the ticket, I switched to a standard tapered leader and a couple of bb's mid way through Tuesday, then switched back when we fished better swing water in Pineville.  If I want to watch a bobber, I'll spin fish with eggs.  When people are dredging with in excess of 1/8 ounce of weight and getting a twitch every time the drift starts coning up, they are snagging, but without the twitch I have no problem with bottom bouncers.  The attraction of LFZ was both the reported concentration of fish and the relative ease of access. With so few lots plowed and long, icy walks to any water other than Altmar, Ellis or Pineville, our choices were limited.  Even then the stairs at LFZ were treacherous on Tuesday, and it was even difficult to access the wall above the bridge when it opened up.  The concentration of people was in Altmar as virtually nothing else was accessible unless you were in a boat or stayed in the water, and you are not travelling far in the water up there.  
 
I've heard some folks allege that jigging for Lakers has its Dark side, too.

hot tuna
Just a resurface.
Nothing to do with the original thread but I find it strange reading a recent report elsewhere.
Kiddie pool and church hole.
Dredging is dirty . Swinging a long pole with a weighted fly and leader using a big belly is clean . Bobbers suck.
But yet it's the draw of fish in a concentrated area that brought anglers .
Oh Yea a plug will steal their face .
What type of fishing on the river is acceptable ?

Ice fishing makes the choice and all the worries behind.

Was that a recent report?
I was fishing the Church hole a couple days ago and there was nobody there fishing with a big belly in their line.
As a matter of fact for a while I was the only person on the south side and nobody was on the north side.
Hope their day went better than mine.
 
PS--- if any real SR anglers are fishing soon be real carefull .
Refrosen melt topped by a bit of freezing rain= slippery as snot.