Man Overboard

[CaseyP]

yesterday we went fishing for shad in the Potomac at Washington, D. C. the shad were biting, so the day was going well. then my Best Fishing Buddy fell overboard, out of our small Portabot. the river is deep and swift, and he could not get back to the boat against the flow, even though he is a very good swimmer. he had a PFD, and there were plenty of other boats around, so death was not imminent. one of them picked him up and helped us reunite. then we had to go home.

Lessons Learned:

Even if the boat is unsinkable, you can fall out.

When your fishing partner holds your fly rod out to you, and it separates (of course!) do not throw it back with a curse. hold onto the reel--she has the line, and the rod pieces won't go anywhere. #6 fly line is very strong.

Teach your fishing partner how to operate the motor well enough to actually make it work in an emergency.

Keep a length of rope at the back of the boat so it can be thrown out quickly.

Keep a spare pair of sandals or shoes in the car so you don't have to walk 100 yards barefoot on the gravel and sticks at the put-in. dry clothes and a towel would be nice too.

And most important: realize you really might go overboard. (If he'd been able to get back into the boat, it would have been a lot less dramatic and embarrassing. If there'd been dry clothes, we might have kept fishing.)

my FAOL buddies must have some other hints. let's hear them!

[GrayGhost]

in the past I alway had a dufful in the car/truck with me in it was a dry set of clothing it easer and a lot more fun when you take a header, wading/form a boat to have dry cloths at hand.
Ghost.

[James Smith]

My wife likes to make fun of my "survival" box I keep in the back of my 4-Runner. Among other things, it includes a complete change of clothing, including socks and shoes, a space blanket and a strike stick in case I need to make a fire. Thankfully, I've never needed any of it and the few times I've used folding entrenching tool and rope were to help other folks out. It sounds like you've learned several lessons and thankfully no one was injured or lost. Thanks for sharing your experience. It helps keep all of us more aware and with a little luck some of the folks reading your story will become better prepared for potential incidents like yours.

Thanks again for sharing.

Jim Smith