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.

Fly fisherman need a bit more room.

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! 

Yes it was the LFZ. Since most of my reports won't be complete without a rant it will come later.

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. 

Had a guy cast over my shoulder on Elk Creek in Erie.

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. 

That's to bad Clint and one of the things that discourage me from fishing the river .
I don't like getting to a spot where nobody is and then have someone jump in my pocket . I don't like timing my casts with someone I don't know and getting to the river at O ' dark thirty is about over for me .

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

Welll-- know getting in early is great for fish but gotta admit- when living part time up there slept in and fished when I got there and wherever was left open.
If an azzhat showed up - left quick for an open place- -the quality of which meant little- just happy to be there and avoided idiots for my own pleasures.
Had all the time in the world to be on the river and numbers never mean squat anymore. 
 
Noticed right away on my last trip- first without my place there in years- that the whole thing changed- was up early and on the river quick.
 
Clint - understand what happened to ya and frankly woulda moved off somepalce- idiots just aint worth the effort of being upset.
Whoever they are they aint important enough to ruin my day- and am too darned old to ruin theirs anymore.
( now and then some idiot really tempts me though)