Is Carrying A Gun On The Water Ever The Right Thing To Do?

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I honestly had no idea what a hot button issue this was.

Until I posted a link on Facebook the other day to the new Fishpond sling pack and commented that it was designed to carry a pistol. Man, did that post ever light up. The discussion got pretty heated with anglers on both sides of the issue having very strong opinions. It made me think a little harder about my own views and I thought it was worth opening the topic here.

I’m not looking to start a gun control debate. Let’s save that conversation for another forum. I just want to address the idea of carrying a gun while fishing. In the interest of disclosure, I will say that I own a fair number of guns. Handguns, shotguns and rifles. I strongly believe in the right to own them and I believe that the vast majority of gun owners are quite responsible. I also do not carry a weapon, other than to and from shooting it.

The reason I don’t carry a gun is simple. I don’t want to shoot anyone. I don’t want it on my conscience and I don’t want to deal with the ramifications. I generally don’t believe in the unnecessary taking of life. By leaving my guns at home I greatly reduce the chances of having to make hard decisions under pressure. Come in my house uninvited while my wife and I are in bed and we’ll have a very different discussion.

I should also say that these are my personal decisions and I do not judge others who make different choices. I just ask, very politely, that they not shoot me or my loved ones and I try not to give them reason.

These choices are in no way academic or untested. I’ll not go into the stories here but I have found myself looking down the barrel of a gun on almost a half dozen occasions, knowing that the person on the other end had no problem, or every intention of, pulling the trigger. So far I have a pretty good track record with crisis management.

I have, on two occasions however, carried a gun when fishing.

Once was for protection from animals. I am an animal attack magnet. I’ve been attacked by just about everything with fur and one day while fishing a favorite stream I was attacked by an otter. It’s not a story you can tell with a sense of macho pride. Otters are the cutest animals in the forest. It’s like being mauled by a Care Bear. Still, they are about forty pounds and vicious as hell. It chewed through my gravel guards and ripped my boot open before I could stomp it off of me.

I was on a trail when the otter incident occurred. On the drive home I spent a lot of time thinking about how that would have played out if I’d been balls deep in the otter’s favorite pool. Next time I went up there I carried a pistol. A .380 Beretta automatic which fit nicely in the front of my waders. I never saw the otter again.

Several folks commented on that Facebook post saying they carried a gun for bears. I do feel compelled to say this. The odds of killing a bear with a sidearm are damned slim. Much slimmer than I like and I’m good with a gum. Bear spray is very effective and the best protection against bears. So effective I carry it in my car in Atlanta to use on meth heads. They are worse than bears. Be safe. Carry bear spray.

You can read some statistics that the US Fish and Wildlife Service put together HERE.

The other occasion when I decided to arm myself was a little more unsettling.

The south is an interesting place and many of the best trout streams are tucked well away in dark and ancient hemlock forests where city-dwelling fly fisherman are not always understood or welcome. I was fishing one of these streams one day. Well back in the woods where it’s not common to see anyone else. I’d fished until almost dark and made my way back to the truck in twilight. When I got to the truck I reached down into my waders to my pants pocket, where my key was, but the key slipped out of my fingers and fell all the way to my boot, inside my waders.

As I set down my rod, took off my vest and started to shuck off my waders I noticed headlights coming up the forest service road. An old green pickup pulled up beside me. The fellow in the truck asked me something, I don’t remember what, but I stopped what I was doing to answer. He didn’t seem threatening at first but it was clear he wasn’t right. Just some sideways old hillbilly who hadn’t bathed in a while and slurred his words.

I could see inside the truck. It was a disaster. Food wrappers, uneaten bits of god knows what all over the seat and floorboard. I couldn’t even see the seat but I could see the gun sitting next to him on top of an old fast food bag.

“Where you from?” He asked me.

His tone was agitated. I’m sure he had already seen my license plate and knew the answer. Even if he hadn’t, the fly rod and waders were enough to say I was nowhere near home.

“Atlanta,” I answered.

“Well let me ask you something son,” he continued without acknowledging my response. The pitch and volume of his voice raising with every word.

“You ever suck a dick? ‘Cause you look to me like the kind of guy who’d suck a dick!”

It was almost dark and I was way out in the middle of nowhere, on a forest service road that sees very little traffic. I was five feet from the hillbilly’s pickup and thirty feet from my own. My truck key was at my ankle, inside my waders.

I’ll ask you again. Is Carrying A Gun On The Water Ever The Right Thing To Do?

I immediately moved to the window of the pickup where I could get my hands on the crazy son of a bitch. We had a very load and heated discussion over, among other things, all the horrible shit I was going to do if he reached for that gun. In the end, he backed down and drove away. I drove away too, with my waders still around my ankles.

For several years I always carried a gun when I fished that creek. I’ve been in a lot of tight spots. I’ve worked in war zones and I live in a pretty tough part of town. I have plenty of good reasons to carry a gun and don’t, but something about that encounter unnerved me. I had no intention of going out like Ned Beatty in Deliverance.

That’s my story. Hit up the comment section and tell yours. No judgment, whichever side of the issue you fall on. All I ask is that you keep it civil and respect one another.

Have at it!

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60 thoughts on “Is Carrying A Gun On The Water Ever The Right Thing To Do?

  1. We have a state statute that authorizes those fishing and hunting to carry a firearm while in pursuit of those activities, or while going to and from them.
    I interpret this latter point to mean while hiking in or out, not stopping at the 7-11 to grab some beer and Fritos on the way.
    This is also a concealed permit state, meaning you can obtain said permit if you wish and carry a firearm concealed.
    Now, with all that, I don’t carry while fishing. I’ve never felt the need to have a gun with me, and I don’t want to lug the thing around.

    • I’ve said a hundred times, if I’d had a gun pointed at that chimp, and the hammer back, I’d have never gotten a shot off. They are that fast. My assistant had a gun, he always does, and he said there was no way he could have hit them. He’d have ended up shooting me. Seriously, never expose yourself to chimp. I don’t care what you’ve seen on some TV show or YouTube video. They are extremely dangerous and unpredictable. I was very luck to survive.

    • Bob, your totally right, having both is the way to go. Black bears can be even more problematic. A couple years ago, a friend of mine was doing an environmental assessment on land owned by the Pogo Mine when they were attacked by a black bear. They ended up spraying the bear, but that didn’t stop it from coming back. A gun would have been helpful in this situation. My friend ended up being okay, but her co-worker was killed. Even up here in Alaska, bear attacks are extremely rare. You’re much more likely to get killed in a car accident on your way to fish than being mauled by a bear.

      By the way, I’m a big fan of your tying.

      • Stephen, Im sorry to hear that story man. Glad your friend is ok. Nature is a powerful element. Thank you so much for the kind words about my tying. I really appreciate it.

  2. A very similar thing happened to me the last time I fished alone in a somewhat remote area. Three drunk a holes approached me as I was taking my waders off at my truck. I had a loaded pistol inside my truck, but not on my person. Thankfully I was able to talk myself out of the situation. I will never fish alone in a remote area without a sidearm on me

  3. The remote wilderness has always been a safe haven for criminals on the run. You are responsible for your own safety. Don’t let the opinions of others put you in danger.

  4. My 2 cents: I carry every day so why would I “not” carry while fishing.
    My other 2 cents: Bear spray “and” a side arm, of a proper caliber, with which you have practiced and are comfortable and capable.

  5. Your story reminds me that it’s not wildlife we need to be most concerned about. Well except maybe a rabid otter 🙂 It’s our fellow man. Great article .

  6. Funny, otter got my boot too. Same thoughts after that. I now carry. Not a fan of it due to added weight, but you never know when you will need it.

      • Agreed, I carry a 10mm. Having worked for the guy, he is a master of his trade and the results prove that in the right hands it is sufficient. A big bore gun is doesn’t make a bad shot a good one. Often times quite the opposite.

  7. I don’t think the majority of people who carry want to shoot anyone – want that on their conscience (or the civil lawsuit, trama, ect) but things do not always play out the way we picture them. I carry everywhere the law allows. I also have children that depend on me. If they end up in a situation where they may be being taken or victimized I’d rather have the attacker’s death on my conscience than theirs. Because I have the ability and tools to stop it I also believe I have the responsibility to make the effort. We can’t really plan how an incident will play out. Both myself and mother in law were able to de escalate what certainly would have been violent encounters with only the presence of a carried firearm – no shots fired. Some situations can be de escalated using the right words but this usually requires the right temperament, the right understanding of how to deal with people under pressure which lot everyone has, and the physicality to back up your words. As for bears – it’s just having the right tool for the job. I’d prefer the spray.

  8. I don’t have an otter story, but I did have a weasel run across my boot toe (to check out an 8 lb chum salmon I had thrashing in the shallows) once. Probably would have lost a couple of toes if I had had time to unholster the 44.
    I carry the 44 for bear protection. The only time I had to use it was once to scare a bear away from my raft. BUT it gives me confidence that I’m able to defend myself, if needed. Animals (of all sorts) can sense when you are hesitant or wary of the situation you are in. They can also sense when you think you’re a bad ass and just waiting for a chance to prove it. I’ve read about bear spray and know that though it can work on browns/grizzlies, its effect on black bears has mixed reviews. (See Stephen S’s post above.) The 44 has an impact on my subconscious and its quite visible to any meth-heads or drunks I may encounter; both are seen as frequently, when fishing, as bears here in AK.

  9. With all due respect, this article does nothing to engender support to the great sport of fly fishing. Throughout the comments, and the article, the implicit conclusion is that we need to live in fear of our fellow man. The deep irony, as may of the 2nd amendments supporters in this thread clearly exemplify, is the desire to live in 1950’s black and white, small town America, yet consciously and daily act as though the world is inherently evil. The hypocrisy is insufferable. I really liked this blog, but to dabble in identify politics as these comments show (none of the other G&G articles get nearly this many comments) substantially diminishes the positive thoughts I had about this blog. If you want to be taken seriously, post something and use the platform to raise awareness to climate change, and devastating mining projects being implemented across the USA. Those are far more dangerous than drunks in the woods.

    Please don’t moderate my comment and make quick assumptions about any political sphere I occupy. To write an article like this, you must be willing to accept my criticism. I welcome any comments to my post, and am willing to make my opinion clear in the most cogent, respectful manner should people reply to my post.

      • Louis – where is the “like” button?

        David – if anyone tried to “politicize” this article, it would have been you. Thanks for nothing.

        • You’re clearly wrong. This was a implicitly politicized article from the start. One can only be shocked that if this topic created as much vitriol on facebook, that the comments have been much more subdued on this platform, and how anyone could think this would be a good topic amongst a plethora of others much more relevant to fly fishing. My point was the arguments about guns and needing to fear other people in the reader comments (see time stamps please) are the tropes used to support the worst demagoguery of gun ownership rights.

          • Certainly disappointing that you guys seem to live in such fear. I grew up in Northern Ireland -a child of the troubles- Flyfishing in the fairly remote what you folk might call “hillbilly” country. There was an element of fear in the border country when you would come across men out of place at dusk etc. But a gun would be the last thing on ones mind to protect you. It would be to talk your out of the situation as most flyfishers can do with some deferential eloquence. I love America and support the right to hunt and bears arms for protection against bears and mountain lions etc but find it sad that the country has got itself into a situation where the place is so awash with guns you feel you need one yourself for protection. Should fly fishers visiting the US go on gun training and certification courses in advance? Or just take the risk? Now let me think….

      • Exactly, and if you try to please everyone, you just end up getting everyone to hate you. But my criticism endures, I can’t see how this is a relevant topic. No sane person would oppose carrying guns with concern to bear populations. However, when this topic is posted, and then everyone chimes in how they always carry due to the threat of their fellow man, that becomes problematic.

        For all the great fly fishing topics, why aren’t you using your large platform to write about topics like ocean acidification due to the consumption of fossil fuels? It has been clearly shown that increased ocean acidification impairs crustaceans ability to grow their shells. This has dire implications for people like Louis Cahill and I, who probably have different political opinions, but can agree that wading the flats for bonefish is one of the most exhilarating experiences in life.

        Or how about the most recent reports about how insect life is increasingly imperiled, including aquatic bugs like mayflies and caddisflies. Here is the link: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/02/insect-apocalypse-really-upon-us/583018/ These are topics much more relevant to everyone who reads this blog, and would do much more to build coalitions of people, though we might have different thoughts on certain topics, to come together to share our concerns and ensure that the next generation can still hook bonefish on the flats or spend a peaceful evening fishing a sulfur hatch for rising trout. I’m no polemicist, but I don’t see enough of this in the fly fishing world.

        • Buy yourself a calendar. Write 1000 words for every open space. Shoot a photo and maybe a video for every space. Upload it all to the web. Approve every comment and block every Russian spammer. Answer 10 emails every day about which fly rod someone should buy. Try to stay in touch with your advertisers. Run a photography business and renovate 2 houses at the same time. Try to take a few minutes to walk the dog and kiss your wife good night. If you get a day off, go fishing. Then you’ll understand how much time I have to care about comment threads like this.

    • He was very respectful in this post, he’s not taking sides. I would consider myself VERY liberal but it’s people like you that make me embarassed to claim any political party.

    • If you don’t like the article title then skip it and don’t read it. Simple as that. I happened to find the article thoughtful and well written and applicable.

      • Ditto! I cant believe all the negativity being churned up here! I thought it was a neutral and fair article stated from experience and truth….
        When I fish alone in Rural areas, I carry.

    • David water and air pollution are currently exponentially more problematic currently then climate change. The largest carbon user by far is China, and we have no control over that user. It may turn out that climate change is as important as anything ever discussed, there are certainly enough dystopic movies stating it, however, my feeling is that technology will eventually remove fossil fuels. The new Green Deal is ridiculous on the face of it, but I’m not going to turn Louis’s discussion political. I will say though as an ex cop with lots of training I carry on occasion, especially in remote areas like the Everglades, fortunately my state is a conceal carry permit state, and many seniors here do carry. I’d caution anyone to only carry if you’re prepared to use it in a life death situation. It could become a weapon against you. However, where there is a probability of serious bear or deadly animal attack do carry.

    • That’s a lot of words to not say much. David asks us not to make assumptions about him, yet he assumed so much about the other commenters, “with all due respect.” It’s far past time for us to learn to respect & celebrate that different people think differently. I have friends who love guns as well as friends who despise them, and we all get along.
      That being said, I typically only carry bear spray when I’m on a day trip, and both a pistol & spray when I’m backpacking. I know too many people who have had close encounters with bears, lions, and moose to not be prepared. I’d rather be frowned upon and judged by a person hundreds of miles away than be caught unprepared in a sudden life/death situation.

    • I didn’t really get that from the post. Though, I admit, I live in Montana, and we have unique views of guns across the political spectrum because of the prevalence of hunting for food and also just wilderness sports generally with people carrying guns for generations. I suspect some others commenting have been brought up in similar environments.

      I own a couple of rifles for hunting. I would never want to carry (nor own) a handgun. I can’t see any scenario where I would want to use it. I’m kind of a pacifist, I suppose. However, I know many people who do. I wouldn’t exactly say they live in fear (any more than I do, at least) of other people.

      I would agree that the affects of climate change are a bigger concern to my angling.

    • It stemmed from the fishpond sling pack that was designed to carry a sidearm. From there, it went to “do you carry and why”. At this moment I’ve read the 40 comments that have been posted so far and only your comment and the few in response to your comment have been political and provoking. You can talk about the use of guns in a fishing situation and a piece of fishing equipment designed to carry a gun without bringing your obviously strong feelings into the discussion. In the future, possibly keep things cordial and comment on what was asked; not on your own conjecture from your highly emotional political stance. “Tight lines”

      -Gun owner who doesn’t carry on or off the water

    • You use a plethora of ten dollar words castigating a man for writing an article about gun use. I neither read nor arrived at the conclusion that Louis was a proponent or antagonist where gun control is an issue. Its a simple peice talking about the ifs and if nots. Lighten up! I personally carry a 40 with me when I fish alongside of my bear spray. I live in Yellowstone country and would rather die with an empty clip knowing I attempted to save my and my friend’s lives than to not have one and have someone die because guns are dangerous.

  10. I never carry when i fish but every now and then i think about it. I crappie fish alot with jigs around tree stumps in hip waders. I always worry about running up on a gator. I have run into river otters before but never felt threatened and give them a wide berth. I’m with you on carrying daily never felt the need and i feel it can turn a bad situation into a worse one.

  11. Such an interesting debate. In Canada we have a very strict gun policy and while I have brought a rifle with me in g-bear country, Bear bangers/spray have worked faster than the rifle. That being said, I had a young client a number of years ago who was fishing with me and we fished all day without seeing another person. There was a tree planter’s camp down the road and one of their trucks crossed the bridge from where we were, stopped and watched. 30 minutes later, two man bun toting hippies came down the bank and my client looked at me and asked if they were safe. I remarked on the man buns and tree planters truck and validated him that we were probably very okay. They asked how we were, asked how the fishing was, and kindly asked if they could jump in behind us. All very polite, all proper etiquette on the river. And then client turns to me and whispers “it’s just situations like this where I wish I had a gun on me”. This floored me- what situation were we in? I’ve been in ‘situations’ and two hippies with man buns were not a situation. I questioned him half joking why the need for s hand gun, and if he would have been prepared to shoot these two men. He seemed to think it was still an appropriate situation to have a gun. Different cultures I suppose. obviously this one person doesn’t generalize the whole pro gun culture though- it was just an interesting perspective to have, and made me wonder what would have happened elsewhere where guns were allowed.

    • Agreed. The thought of carrying on the river in Canada has never even crossed me. If I had to carry a handgun out of fear of other people, well that kind of defeats the purpose of being out there in the first place.

  12. I’ve been in plenty of places and situations that were sketchy with backwoods good ole’ boys (and we sit and wonder why we can’t get more females into this sport?). I’ve received warning shots from locals who didn’t like that I was close to the bank (in a state where it’s legal to be in the water on private property). And I was even shot at with a potato gun while floating a remote stretch of river.

    Never have I felt a firearm was going to help. I’ll never carry and I won’t fish with people that do.

  13. Bear country and mountain lion country (Colorado) to get into remote areas to get to rivers or lakes is when I carry my .40, and when camping as well. I’ve had a few run-ins with some strange folks in undesignated camp sites that I was glad to have it on me just in case. Its fair to say that a lot of the folks who don’t want to be bothered/disturbed find themselves out in the wilderness, both with good AND bad intentions – something to keep in mind is all.

    Have and not need is much better than need and not have is the stance I take, and my opinion is that Louis was warranted to carry in that specific area where he’d already had trouble with folks who weren’t too happy he was there, despite having a right to be (assuming not private property!). Take that for a grain of salt, doesn’t matter to me.

    I don’t see this article as a fear-mongering sales pitch by G&G to encourage folks to carry or not. I think David makes unfair assumptions that this is the case, Louis just stated when he thought it was appropriate, and polled his audience to see what they thought.

    I can say I carry maybe 5% of the time I’m out fishing, under certain conditions. I think most people can agree with that, feel free to agree or disagree, that’s what makes this country great – that we can have discussions like this one.

  14. I’ve encountered Grizzly Bear, Black Bear, Elk, Pronghorn, Beaver, Minx and other critters on the water or in the wilderness. Luckily, I never had a bad encounter. Unfortunately, I have with a few humans. I carry when I deem the situation appropriate, city or Forrest and if I can carry legally. I make sure I can before I enter a different State. That being said regardless of the encounter my first reaction is always to deescalate the situation….with humans in particular. In the woods and on the water, if you are alone, have your head on a swivel.

  15. Ny nickel . . . I’ve only emptied a can of bear spray once (in a road rage incident) and it is extremely effective. I also carry a pistol with good stopping power in my pack — but it’s more about people than critters.
    Sometimes overlooked is the ability to signal location when injured in the high country — and that worked well for me with the pistol last year.

  16. Never felt the need to carry a gun anywhere. I suppose there are situations where it’s the right thing to do but I find most people who feel they need to always carry live in a fantasy world where perceived “threats” are everywhere. Almost like little kids playing a grown-up version of cops and robbers.

    BTW, Ned Beatty didn’t die in Deliverance.

    • Fantasy world? You obviously have not been out running bird dogs and stumbled on a meth lab or found some hyper aggressive “off the grid” people living on state land. That’s not a fantasy.That wasn’t a perceived threat. That’s a modern reality.
      It is really shame it has got to that point.

  17. “The south is an interesting place”
    no kidding. I came from S. Africa to NC, had carried guns in war zones, and at roadblocks looking for gun runners.
    When my wife and I were backpacking in the Smokies one holiday weekend, every other guy we met had a giant .45 or so prominent on their hips. I had no idea what they needed these for, spooked the hell out of us. Gun culture is just very strange if you didn’t grow up with it.

    I was also stupid enough to go backpacking in deer season. There’s no public hunting in S. Africa so it never occurred to me the woods would be full of heavily-armed men, most carrying a handgun as well as the hunting rifle. Only did that once.. the river was utterly gorgeous in its fall colors, still think about it and regret not fishing it more in that season..

  18. I always carry when fishing. I have run into plenty of sketchy cooters, but never come remotely close to needing it, thankfully. I find I am 100 times more mindful to avoid and de-escalate a bad situation when I carry.

    I have used a .40 in a bear encounter in MT, however. My wife and I were on a 4 day back country pack trip. On day 2 we had a big black bear on the trail ahead of us, and we couldn’t scare it off. We backed up, and it kept coming toward us. It closed in to about 25 yards, and I fired a round into the meadow next to us. The report was enough to get it to move about 15 yards off the trail. It held there, and wouldn’t leave. After another 10 minutes, we decided to inch past it with bear spray in our hands… that sucked! At that range though, I figured I was a better shot with the spray. It could have closed that gap in an instant, and I’d hate to miss or possibly shoot one of us by accident.

  19. Interesting article. As a gun owner myself I’ve never given it a thought until now. Carry on the water if you must, but if I see you coming I’m going to turn and walk the other way: I don’t know you. By carrying out here in the woods you’re advertising your implied distrust, even dislike, of people you don’t know and I want no part of your inherent paranoia. I guess I get it, you don’t know me either. That’s fine, your comforts are your own and necessary for the days enjoyment. Firearms aren’t lanyard accessories, they say something unmistakable about us when they’re displayed. If you like being perceived as a swingin’ dick who takes no shit then by all means carry away. It’s your right to do so. Unfortunately, for both of us, we won’t be sharing the fellowship of a stream side twig fire and the natural camaraderie that being fly fishers should bring.

  20. Hmm, it appears I’ve been blessed as in 60+ years of hitch hiking, drinking, bumming around, fishing, hunting or anything other legal or not stupid episode I’ve never needed a gun to protect myself from harm. To me it is just one more thing to carry. Beware of cognitive distortions.

    However, I’ve never encountered a grizzly bear either.

  21. Another one of my hobbies is railfanning. What it has in common with flyfishing is that it entails carrying expensive, easily saleable equipment with you in off the beaten track areas. Equipment that can easily exceed $1000. Easy place for a crime of opportunity. There’s a lot of people out there with mental issues. The 2nd Amendment is a right. It’s still honored as a such in a lot of places. There are many states with reciprocal carry agreements. It’s only a political issue for the ‘It’s not fascism when we’re trampling your rights’ crowd.

  22. Wow. I’m reading this from Europe and honestly, this is all pretty scary. Fellow anglers carrying guns to protect themselves from people they meet while fishing? How crazy is that.

    I really appreciate the tight gun control laws we have here and the fact that I do not need to wonder whether the next person I encounter by the river may for some reason consider me a threat and pull out a gun.

    I understand it is fully legal to carry guns in the US but it is actually quite sad. It may have been justified 150 years ago in the lawless areas of the Wild West but I was hoping those days are long gone.

  23. I liked reading the story of the drunken hillbilly. I also liked reading the stories in the comments. It entertained me. I’m pretty sure that was the goal. After reading you can sit there and click your gears either way. I think that also was a goal? It’s a free country. Read whatever blog posts you want..

  24. Honestly, I think it is a bit silly to wait until an issue happens at a specific spot on a specific river to start carrying a firearm whenever you go there again. That would be similar to getting in a car accident at a certain intersection so you only wear your seatbelt when you pass through that intersection. I would rather not wait for a bad experience to happen before I start carrying on that particular spot. Besides, I carry everywhere else, why not on the river as well? I have had a few run-ins with people and animals while fishing, I was carrying and didn’t need to even touch my gun. Just because you are carrying doesn’t mean you need to use it at every drop of the hat, but if you are not carrying and come into a situation where you need it, you will be sorry. And BTW, there is a typon in this article. You spelled “gun” with an “m”.

  25. As a woman, I do my best to never fly fish or kayak alone. Several of my fishing buddies carry pistols regularly. We always make sure that we have one firearm amongst us. We have had locals make us feel uncomfortable when we were fishing some small creeks. Nothing actually happened but we were afraid that we might get robbed or worse…
    All this after a female guide friend of mine had a naked, babbling meth head come out of the woods and approach her one day when she was out with a client. It’s not safe out there for us gals.

  26. I recognize this post is well over a year old, so don’t even bother to inform me. This topic came up recently and quite by accident I came upon this post and all the talk about politics that ensued. To be honest I sensed zero politics until David’s post. Anyway, in the heart of Rochester NY is the Genesee River Gorge. I began fishing there in the early morning hours. Once I mentioned this to folks who know the area, almost every comment was, “hope your armed when you fish down there”, “don’t go down there alone”, etc. Once mid morning hits you begin to see shady people performing questionable behavior. Yes, all I think is good thing I am armed! The utility company has razor wire and cameras. My gear while fishing includes S&W and I don’t give a shot about your political views on my decision.

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