Safe Wading Tips

[randyflycaster]

http://www.orvisnews.com/en/FlyFishi...ishing+Blog%29

Randy

[Nighthawk]

if you have issues with your balance or loosing the feeling in your legs the just don't do it, period. not only are you a hazard to yourself but aslo to the persons who have to recover your body if you drown.

[Uncle Jesse]

I know when wading I move with all the grace and poise of an elephant in a mouse hatchery. There is nothing like a shot of 40 degree water down the waders to wake you up for sure. I have thought if I could find one of the old ski belts I would camo it and wear it for a wading belt.

[Gigmaster]

My best safety tip: Visit the restroom before putting on your waders......... And avoid drinking a lot of coffee before hitting the water. You'll thank yourself later.

It's sort of like diving (I still dive). You nose will always start to itch about 2 minutes after putting on your face mask, and getting to depth.

[oldfrat]

When the video started with the guy not using a wading staff, I thought it was a parody of some kind. He then brought one out and I relaxed, but I'm still not sure I agree with it all. For example, I consider it far more dangerous to wade in shallow water where you can break a bone or be knocked unconscious than in deep water where I think you have much more chance of escaping unharmed.

Here's a technique I'll test out on you folks. I learned it by watching a very experienced fly fisher wade a tricky spot. I was used to using my staff in one hand on the downstream side as the video suggests. But this guy held his staff in two hands straight out in front of him so that he had a tripod stance in some fairly strong current. When I tried it I felt much more stable.

[cmcculloch]

It looked to me that Rosenbauer was recommending using the wading staff DOWNSTREAM, bu actually using it UPSTEAM in order to lean into it. Did I get this wrong? Which is the safefest way to use the stsaff, up or down stream?

Thanks for your help!

[sandfly]

I have always waded across and down, to me try to wade across and up is more tiring, just look for shallow water downstream to cross to. I always wear studs when fishing.

[randyflycaster]

I certainly agree with the tripod stance. I always put my wading stick ahead of where I'm going to step.
Randy

[hap]

I absolutely disagree with the statement he made about rubber soles with studs being as good as felt. I have the Simm's version and on slick rock they are not even close to felt.

Across and upstream crossing unknown water is very good advice. Getting flushed down into deeper water could be a real probability and problem.

[John Rhoades]

I absolutely disagree with the statement he made about rubber soles with studs being as good as felt. I have the Simm's version and on slick rock they are not even close to felt.

Simms tried to say the same thing a couple years ago about their rubber soles without studs being as good as felt. Not any place I've ever waded, unless it's wading on sand.