Wading tip

[countrygent36]

If your buddy losses his/her footing and goes for a dip, don't try to follow them to help. You'll only end up in the same predictament. Head for shore, you can get down stream much safer and quicker on dry land. Thats where the branches and possibly rope will be to throw out to them to stop their drift. Make sure they stay aware of their bearings if possible, and always keep their feet downstream from their head. Much better to break a leg than your neck. My Simms came with a sinch belt, if I'm gonna be in deep water, I keep in on to prevent my waders from filling up with water.

Anyone care to add more, feel free.......

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If flyfishing were a sin, I'de be the devil's right hand man.

[FIREMAN]

I would like to add something. I had a near death experience about 5 years ago and it has made me a much safer wader. Always stand in current sideways if possible it creates a smaller profile and less water surface. Field and Stream had a great article on wading in last months issue. I think it should be a must read there were alot of safe wading aspects. I would also do a search here too.

Seege

[ducksterman]

"I would like to add something."....me too...I've never forgotten as a young man wading the Deschutes with my wading belt cinched...slipped over my head...the waders apparently had air in them that was trapped and caused my legs to go higher than my head...I was able to get my head up and as my waders gradually filled with water my feet dropped and reached bottom at a level where I could stand. I'm not sure what the lesson is about wader belts but I know one lesson is to stay calm with your wits about you.

Two years ago; below the dam on "The Holy Water" of the Rogue River, I took a nasty slip in belly button high turbulent water. For about a 100 yards I was slammed up aginst river bottom and rocks along the way. 63 year old folk have no business being as foolish as me that day. I now wear an inflatable life vest in turbulant water when I'm knee high; as goofy as it looks, with my "extras" either in my shirt pockets or in my wader pocket! I wish that one of the major vest manufacturers like Simms or Orvis would make a combined vest and inflatable life vest.
Tip: The brain of a 65 year old knows exactly what the body of a 35 year old is supposed to do; but, the wiring of that old brain to that "young" body is a "little" out of date.

[Jed]

For spring fishing and threatening waters I have an SOS inflatable life jacket and a wading staff. I feel a heck of a lot safer now that I carry both.

jed

[ducksterman]

Pearl,
I'm not going to search out the details....[I have to go do the dishes , take out the garbage...oh did I say I don't do toilets but do do windows]....but anyway JC in some recent thread gave a link to a FAOL evaluation of just what you may be looking for.

[soggy]

Last yr in NY on Johnsons creek I was wading ,my son was walking the bank.I attempted to climb up the bank,fell backwards and landed on my back,but somehow quickly ended up on my stomach,like Ducksterman my feet ended up higher than my head and I couldn't right myself,drowning was a real possibilty,lucky for me my son jumped in and grabbed my vest and held my head up,depth of water was waist deep.I was wearing neoprenes w/belt.

Mike

[ducksterman]

Mike,
You just jogged my memory...it wasn't air in my waders.... I too was wearing neoprenes and it was the buoyancy of the neoprenes that raised my lower body....actually if I hadn't had a belt the water would have gotten in faster and I would have gone upright sooner.

[countrygent36]

Good point on the belt issue. I've been upside down in neoprenes, but they were tight enough that no water came in. But had no trouble in regaining my feet. Body weight might play a big part in that too. Might just leave the belt at home though, the Simms do hold alot of air.

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If flyfishing were a sin, I'de be the devil's right hand man.

[LadyFisher]

The fly fishing vest with the built in life saving is here: [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/prorevw/stormyseas.html:1fe43]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/prorevw/stormyseas.html[/url:1fe43]

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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL