Encounter and Proximity Norms for Salmon Anglers in California and New Zealand

Abstract

Abstract To provide high-quality salmon fishing experiences, it is important to understand what social characteristics are involved. With increasing demand for salmon fishing, there are often higher concentrations of anglers at accessible rivers and, subsequently, increased potential for encounters. Surveys of salmon anglers in northern California and New Zealand were conducted to collect data on encounter norms. Tolerance for encounters with other anglers and the structure of encounter norms are compared between groups. Results indicate that social contacts may be less important for the salmon fishing experience than for other types of fishing (e.g., trout fishing) or other types of recreational activities, such as river running or backcountry hiking. In addition, it appears that salmon anglers have less normative agreement concerning tolerable encounters in higher-density fishing situations. The study indicates that contacts have an impact on the salmon fishing experience, and that there is an identifia...