Walking with the rod behind you/God Fly Fishes

(Couldn't decide on the subject title, you pick)
Walking with the rod behind you. I always thought this was a good idea. That way you don't dig the tip in the dirt, break it off, get it stuck in the trees and bushes, etc.
Well, after tomorrow I may change my opinion a little bit. I was making my way back to my truck after a long, slow afternoon on the river. The banks of this river at this stretch are very overgrown and thick. I was making my way downstream, then saw another angler. I decided to try to leave him some water to fish and walk down through the bushes and trees, rod tip behind me.

When I got about 200 yds away from the truck I looked down and realized I was holding half a rod. Needless to say, I freaked out. I knew that I would never find a 4 foot, thin stick in a forest of sticks and twigs. I backtracked, searching franctically for 20 minutes. Now, I am convinced that God is a fly fisherman because I finally asked for a littl help to find the tip half of my favorite rod. I finally made my way back down stream, my heart in my boots to where I got back in the water. To my amazement there was one green vine in the entire forest where everything else was dead. This green caught my attention and...holy crap, stuck to that one green vine was the top half of my rod!! While trying not to be religious, I am convinced that God totally understood how important that rod is. I think he must spend a fair amount of time on the water.

Wild one;
God was truely with you that day. I never unstring my rod when leaving the river, that way I can follow the backing back to the errant tip!
See you at the Michigan Fish-In!

Havent you heard the one that goes like
"God watches out for foolish anglers and little children" ?
Im figuring that you are over 12? :)
I can use this quote 'cause as another phrase goes
"Been there an done that " too. :lol:

That quote probably applies to me, in both cases. Yea, my driver's liscnece says I'm over 12, but in my head...that may be another story. :lol:

You are lucky.

In spite of your story I will continue to walk with the rod behind me adding a second rule. If the rod not strung, I will break it down to carry it.

In "The Movie" Brad Pitt is hop,skipping and jumping down the trail to the river, and you guessed it...the rod tip is in front of him....it hurtss to watch that segment.

You did it all right - except you have to have it strung for that very reason!

Another point in having it behind you is where you walk up to a stream, first thing that appears over water is the rod tip. I have spooked a few that way, so behind is definitely best.

OH the memories!!! PA still has the tip of one of my rods. Had to fish the morning my plane left, ran out of time to look for it.

Unstrung NEVER again.

been there done that :oops:

One day my dad took me to the shooting range and... well my brother shot way to close to my ears, and i wasn't wearing ear plugs. When i got back home i decieded that i wanted to go fishing. after a short but succesful trip, i pointed my rod back behind me, and started walking back through the woods. for some reason i always leave just a little line out...

When i got to the woods, i glanced back to see about half my line and backing...

Now, i always keep my line in.

JZ

JZ, I've had a similar experience and I wasn't even deaf at the time :oops:

On the older metal ferruled rods have you ever not checked the join carefully as you should and flung the tip into the water. (luckily I was able to reel it in when the hook caught one of the guides )

Gnu Bee, never had that experience, but it is pretty funny to picture! :lol:

I lost the tip of my favorite rod to a sweeper while floating the bitterroot a couple of years ago.
The next morning I took the same run again.As I skirted the sweeper I found the rod tip had wedged into a split in the log guides facing out.I beached the Toon and very happily rescued my trophy.I don't remember what I caught for fish that day but I know I was very happy.

I will always walk with the rod behind me for the above mentioned reasons. And i will always keep it strung for the same ones mentioned above, and for one other reason. I returned to my truck with the rod broken down, and reel in the back of my vest after a great day on a small river. Too bad, cause the caddis hatch had really taken off on the walk back to my truck. While i only missed out on 5 extra minutes of fishing on that last 20 minutes of twilight, those 5 extra minutes to re rig seemed to take twice as long. It is hard to concentrate on the knots and fly selection while you hear fish rising all around you!

Have fun, Jeff

I've seen this a million times discussed...and I still have to go with Joe Humphries in his video for fishing tight brush...and always keep my rod pointing ahead of me with the leader in my other hand so I can "Lead" the tip through....

I took a fall in water up to my knee that was moving fast. I had a wading staff which I hung on to but my rod/reel was velcroed to my vest and it took a dive. I looked for about 20 min. and asked 3 rafters for help and got no response. I started walking downstream and looked for about another 20 min. without much luck. Finally 50 yds downstream I got back into the water out of desperation and waded for 5 ft and noticed something out of the ordinary- my 4 wt rig was in calf deep water! I guess thinking knee deep is a no brainer got the best of me. I try to never take anything for granted anymore...