Pack some patience in your tackle box

Patience always has been a significant part of fishing, and despite modern technology, it probably always will be. But there are times when the need for patience extends well beyond waiting for a fish to take your bait. Sometimes you have to be patient with the people who share your local fishing hole

Here’s an example:

It seems that Richard Corley, a 39-year-old angler from Fort Pierce, Fla., was fishing for sharks from a bridge near his hometown this month when a boater decided to drop anchor where Corley had been fishing. Corley and several others asked the boater to move, but evidently the boater didn’t respond fast enough. According to a report published in the Fort Pierce Tribune, Corley launched a fish at the uncooperative boater, hitting him in the head.

Despite his apologies, Corley was arrested and booked into jail for chucking what onlookers described as a 4- to 5-inch piece of blue fish the angler was using as bait. Of course, the 8-ounce lead weight still attached to the line didn’t help his case. Corley faces a felony charge for throwing a missile into a vehicle and a misdemeanor charge for battery. That’s a hefty price tag for the brief moment of satisfaction such retribution might give.

This situation reminded me of an incident that occurred near Laughlin some years back. A personal watercraft operator felt compelled to harass an angler who was fishing for stripers along the Colorado River. After having his line cut, the angler tied a Bomber Long A onto his line and used the big lure with big hooks to bring the ongoing harassment to a rather abrupt end. The next time he zipped by within casting distance of the angler, the watercraft operator felt the sharp pain of guilt as he was yanked from his vessel.

I have to admit that just thinking about that boater hitting the water brings a smile to my face and gives me a sense of satisfaction-by-proxy, especially since I had a similar experience while fly fishing in a small lagoon near Laughlin. But I wouldn’t want to face the legal battles that came with the resulting assault charges filed against the avenging angler. Nor can I condone behavior that would purposely injure another.

While both these incidents involve boater-angler conflicts, sometimes such conflicts take place between folks who share the shoreline. During a recent fishing trip to Lake Mead, my friends and I were surprised when a woman in the group next to us began tossing large rocks in the water where we had cast our baited hooks. One of my friends expressed his displeasure, but that only made the woman bolder, and she stepped up her barrage. Each time the woman threw a rock, she waited for a response.

A verbal confrontation ensued, but luckily, cooler heads prevailed.

With the economy in the doldrums, we undoubtedly will see an increase in the number of people who share our favorite outdoor getaways as people stay close to home. This means we also will see an increase in user conflicts. We all need to exercise patience with those who don’t care enough to do so.

• MULE DEER FOUNDATION BANQUET — The Southern Nevada Chapter of the Mule Deer Foundation is having its annual fundraising banquet May 9 at the Gold Coast. Doors will open at 5 p.m.

Money raised will be used to fund conservation projects benefiting mule deer and their habitat. Contact Oly Flach at 702-375-6656.

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His “In the Outdoors” column, published Thursday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions he states in his column are his own. He can be reached at doug@takinitoutside.com.