Am I in the Wrong here???

[Tillamook Born]

Well, I started off the day fishing at a pretty popular spot on a coastal river. I was walking down this trail to get to the river. As I am getting closer to the spot to fish, I see a guy on the shore about 10 yards away from me. I keep walking and get to the bottom of the trail, and this gentlemen's rod is laying across the trail. I didn't want me and my fishing buddy to step on it, so I yell that I'm going to move it to the side of the trail so I don't step on it. As I am moving it, this man freaks out on me about how he had a swivel on the end of his line and that I should never touch another man's tackle. I am a little shocked, b/c I thought that I was helping this guy out. Needless to say he kept yelling at me cussing me out and so forth. I offered to replace the swivel that I had lost, but he didn't want to have anything to do with me. I promptly left and moved downriver to another spot. I fished for about 30 mintues and decided to call it quits. So on my way back up to my truck, I decide that I am going to try and apologize for losing his swivel, touching his tackle etc. I went down to the man and politely said that I was sorry. He then leashed into me again cursing again, I turned my back and walked off.
My question is was I in the wrong for trying to move his rod off of the trail??

[Angler of Repose]

No, the guy sounds like a jerk.

[Pilar]

His bad ...

BTW you are most likely to become a saltwater angler. The bar sorts out the riff raff and days on big blue are almost always idiot free.

[Stz ll]

Next time step on it and break it. :grin:

[DF]

heck no!
I would want my rod moved rather than accidently stepped on!

some people just need to cool it. Id'e tell him that you don't appreciate him talking to you like that and you hope he has a nice day, and smile and walk off :smile:

Seems like you made more than enough effort to apologize

[lost_sailor]

I never go that close to people.

I certainly wouldn't touch their gear. Some folks are crazy.

Really your only mistake was going back for another helping.

[Fishfeet]

Next time accidently step on it.(If it is the same guy). FF.

[jr sherwood]

Tillamook born, You Got Class!!! He doesn't. jr

[Mello-Yello]

I don't think there is a right or wrong...it'll always depend on existing conditions. If it were my pole, I'd appreciate your good intentions...but that's me. Obviously,this guy (who deperately needs anger management) saw it differently.

In situations like this, you never know if there were underlying circumstances that threw him over the edge.

It's possible that last week his wife was sitting on that same trail...in someone's way.

:shocked:

[ANDYCOHO]

Sounds like you did the right thing!! It even sounds like you went out of your way to do the right thing!

Just chock it up to the guy having a bad day, or just being a jerk.

I would fish next to you anyday :grin:

[Blue Tip Spinner]

i like your thought there Mello-Yello . otherwise i would have probably done the same thing, but if he would have freaked out like he did, i would have put his rod down and stepped on it to show him by example. some people need to be shown by example how things happen in life.

[Fishalot]

He must have been using Sampo swivels :shocked: . Please don't refer to this guy as a gentlemen, because that is what he is not . When you leave gear laying around people are going to step on it or move it.
I would not lose any sleep over it you did the right thing and sound like a good guy [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] .


Fishalot

[Rakkasan]

Ahhhhh...the joys of our fine Oregon anglers sometimes

Look at it this way, some day he is going to do that same thing to another person who is just a ****ed off as he is...I am sure you can guess the rest :shocked:

[ 02-12-2004, 06:08 PM: Message edited by: DSRods ]

[FishFearMe]

Thats the funniest thing I have ever heard. You did nothing wrong I would have done the same thing.

[Boat Monkey]

It's unfortunate but also inevateable... There always seems to be the psychotic 3% who seem to be looking for a fight. The only solis is that you had a peaceful morning (besides jerkus-erectus) and the rest of his life is probably like your brief interaction. [img]graemlins/icon_argue.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

[blacktail]

Maybe instead he would have appreciated you helping him go for a swim?

Mike

[Bait O' Eggs]

Pilar said:

BTW you are most likely to become a saltwater angler. The bar sorts out the riff raff and days on big blue are almost always idiot free.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Amen

I love to springer fish, but dont look forward to the losers that crawl out from under their rock and show up at Oregon City in the spring. [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]

[The Bad Fish]

what kind of idiot/moron leaves their gear in the trail,, too bad you had to run into a whiny crankshaft on a nice day like today..

[dampainter]

T.B. .....if it had been me, after his little hissy fit I would have laid that rod back down on the trail smashed it real good and than ask the jerk if he would rather have that happen than to have someone politely move his crap!! where do these kind of people come from???

[175]

you were fine, if it were me i'd stand right next to him and hope i caught more fish than him.

[DanS]

Dude flipped about a guy looking out for his rod and a SWIVEL???

I bet he has a wife that yells at him all the time. :grin:

[Jennie@ifish]

Dampainter? Why act as badly as the other guy? What does that prove? That you are both unable to handle problems?

Sounds like that guy really needed to be alone. You never know. This guy could have just lost a son in the military, or gone through a divorce, or for heavens sake, you just never know.

You did right, and were very honorable. Just let it go, and know that the other guy was having a real bad day.

Try to feel a little sympathy for him. It's his loss to be so miserable. I hope he found a smile on the river. Look at the trouble he caused you. If he found a smile after you left, maybe next time he'll share that with you, instead of his pain.

Jen

[BUGLEMAN]

Sounds like to me he was employing a little psycological game. Seems like to me that laying his rod accross the trail is making a statement. THIS IS MY HOLE. His actions reinforce that IMO. What do you think?

[Jerry Dove]

Hey, Tillamook Born. I sure hope this fellow was not a Tillamook person, that would go against my grain. Let me tell you a little story about my first job. I was about 14 years old and the local gas station was looking for a kid to pump gas. (1952) I needed a job so went down and got in line with about 25 other kids. He took each one in and asked a few questions. I think I was about number 15 or so. As I walked in his office, I noticed a broom laying on the floor. Now I could step over it or pick it up. I choose to pick it up. I still remember the owner Mr. Erine Rudeen, saying (your hired). All the others had stepped over the broom, I picked it up. The moral to the story is I would have picked up the guys rod and moved it, just like you did. You did the right thing. To this day if I am in a store and I find somthing on the floor I still pick it up and I am not looking for a job. Jerry

[Wood N' Fish]

Tillamook Born-------Don,t Sweat The small Stuff! OKAY? Treat everyone as you would like to be treated! :tongue:

[jokester]

Sounds like this guy got up on the wrong side of the bed [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img] I see nothing wrong with what you did. As others have said already, i'd rather have someone move my tackle/rod for me as to step on it! Just my .02 :grin:

-jokester

[Green Willie]

Always take the high road. Damaging the rod, on purpose, would be a crime (malicious mischief). And if the rod was a Loomis, it would be a felony. You never know, you may run in to him someday and he'll apologize. I trust you looked for his rig so you'd know to avoid this guy. I would dare say that we all have acted in ways that we later regretted. You did exactly right here. Shrug it off and enjoy this great sport of ours.

JN

[night stocker]

If I left my rod across the trail,then I would half expect it to be stepped on.Therefore,it would be my fault that it became broken.I wouldn't say a thing .To put the rod back down and break it on purpose,you better get your wallet out,buddy.

[HANDLINER]

YOU DID RIGHT I WOULD WANT SOMEONE TO TELL ME ABOUT MY ROD ,BUT I WOULD SAY I WAS SORRY FOR HAVING IN THE WAY. STICK TO YOUR GUNS!

[dampainter]

jen,....well, o.k.....bad call on my part, instead of taking his rod and stepping on it maybe just throw it in the water :grin: I`m kidding!
I do though have a hard time dealing with rude behavior.

[ 02-14-2004, 07:03 AM: Message edited by: dampainter ]

[Full Freezer]

Humans.

[Raven1]

I completely agree with your actions. I agree with what Jennie said as well. Who knows what would have happened if you didn't move it, and accidently stepped on his rod.

[float2ber]

That's one of many reasons I avoid contact with all other humans. May this be a lesson to you.

[mallardboyy]

This is not a flame so please dont take it that way.

I have meet alot of Tillamook people like that. Not that there all like that, but most of them act as though we Portland folk dont belong in there county. [img]graemlins/icon_argue.gif[/img]

[CATCH AND EAT]

Did you offer swiming lessons to this person? :shocked: Crusty garbage like this is an unfortunate part of rivers and so called hot spots. Just sounds like a guy that is plain mad at the world for not apparent reason. Folks like this are best avoided. Besides, who the heck lays their rod across a trail. [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

REallly, you did the right thing and exactly what I would have done. No need to be a jerk yourself. Well done.

[hustlerrjim]

this is a rarey ,but more reason to pack the old 357.

[Abalone]

That was his river and you were on it.

He knows that if he intimidates you, you will not come back. You handled yourself
perfectly and are the better man for it.


The first time I fished the Wilson I was camped out on the Gravel bar right next to the river. When I woke up in the morning there was an old guy there fishing for summers. He was obviously a local. He caught two steelhead right in front of me. I didn't try to fish I just watched. When he got done he handed me a handful of hooks and some crawdad tails and said " Here you try it " I never fished for steelhead before. All I had was a Johnny hooker extension rod made of fiberglass for trout. I rigged up tossed my bait and Bahm. FISH ON. That rod exploded and I lost the fish. I have been back to that spot hundreds of times and caught Salmon and Steelhead. Sometimes Seven Steelhead in a row. I don't know who that guy was but I would sure like to shake his hand.

Too bad about your experience. Don't worry he probably has a miserable life going around like that. You tried to show kindness and got sour grapes instead.

It takes all kinds to make a world.

[ 02-14-2004, 08:14 AM: Message edited by: Abalone ]

[Sore Back]

After you moved the rod, passed by then got cussed at, you probably should have turned around, layed the rod back into the trail and stepped on it on the way back to your vehicle.

No, better not. Nice thought but that would have put you in the came class as him.

You did the right thing.

Sore Back

[lost_sailor]

Smash his rod, throw him in the river, shoot him ... what a bunch of angry violent people you guys sound like.

"Blessed are the peacemakers..." - Jesus

[PBR-AOK]

You were the real man in the situation T.B. I think that the guy was just one of those really grumpy local guys and not a whole lot is going to change his behaivor towards people who are truly kind.
J-MO