Wading tip

[billknepp]

everyone should always take care and be careful,90% of all human beings float upright reguardless of proportions...swimming pools are a good way to find out exactly how ones natural floation position may be...Neoprene adds a tremendous amout of bouyancy.and I know I'll never wear a belt with mine,not that any of them ever came with one.Ya'll just be safe and happy,My one suggestion is this "take your time and work through the fast/deep/turbid stuff Slowly" If you "have"to be in that type of water.

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"I've often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before" A.K.Best

"Wish ya great fishing"

[countrygent36]

I'm glad I started this thread. Theres been alot of great info posted. I know I certainly learned a thing or two. One other thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is boot size. I lost my footing and went swimming in the winter too because of too large of boot. I borrowed my buddys waders for duck hunting. Too large, your foot moves around and you lose all dexterity. I lifted my foot but the boot didn't lift enough to clear a log and tripped me. Kept my shotgun out of the water but I know for a FACT, that I will never wear a loose fitting boot again.

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

[ELKHUNTER]

I have taken a few dips in my time.When I bought my waders the salesman gave me a good piece of advice.He said anytime you fall in and are going with the flow to try and get you feet pointed upstream.If your feet are pointed downstream the water will push into your waders like air into a parachute and you will have to try twice as hard to get free of the current.

[John Cameron]

Always use a wading staff, even if the water is shallow and not moving very fast. Walking over round slick rocks is a lot easier and safer with a staff. Use your staff to lean on while one foot is on the bottom and the other is looking for a place to step down. Standing on one foot in your living room is hard enough, without rocks shifting under your feet and a current trying to push you down.

The last time I fell, I fell on my staff and broke it. Obviously, it wasn't being used, but was traing behind on a tether. Did I mention that a staff is of little use if you don't use it?

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Live long and die with your (wading) boots on.

[oldfrat]

Elk, I'm not sure that was really good advice.

If your feet are pointed upstream, your head is pointed downstream. As such, it or your neck or back will be the first thing to ram into any rocks as you are swept downsteam.

I'd far rather deal with the situation with water in my waders than while unconscious or paralyzed.

For me it is FD3:

FD1=Feet downstream ASAP.

D2= Drop your rod if you can't swim with it well enough to get to shore fast. Ain't a rod made that is worth more than my life.

D3=drop the tops of you waders as you reach shore. Water doesn't weigh more than water so you waders won't drage you down while you are swimming. But water weighs a whole lot more than air and will keep you from climbing out when you reach the shallows and don't let the water out of your waders.

Just one person's opinion so don't sue me if you drown by following this approach!

[namekagon]

Hi ELKHUNTER
I've read you should point your feet downstream to avoid banging your head against a rock. I don't know...seems more logical than waders filling with water.

You beat me to it you oldfrat... and it makes sense...believe you're right.

nam


[This message has been edited by namekagon (edited 05 May 2005).]

[This message has been edited by namekagon (edited 05 May 2005).]

[perfectloop]

i don't get the opportunity to fish big rivers unless i'm willing to drive far. every river i did wade was wet wade, tho, so i didn't worry about the wader issue. i do take caution when going to the coast. here, it's rare you can see bottom when you get past knee deep so dropoffs can come up in one step. i had that happen while wading some flats. i think it was just a small hole, but that feeling of, 'i'm falling in and don't know where i'm going', along with the water filling the waders is crappy. surf wading is almost the same. get into waist deep water and when a big wave comes and lifts you off your feet, it's that, 'oh ****', feeling again. i don't have any advice except to learn where the cuts are and take a spinning rod because it will be windy and it makes for a good probe to wade unknown waters.

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take him fishing

[mmarkey]

I'm new on this board but I've got a question on this topic.

I do use a wading staff, but when I fish many times I typically let it float behind or stick it into the riverbed if possible to keep it handy when I move again.

This may be a bad approach. Do yall usually fold it up and put it away or do what I do?

Mike

[Bamboozle]

Mine hangs beside me although if I plan to hang in a spot for awhile with moving much I may fold it up.

It does get on my nerves at times hanging there in swift current but I like to have easily at hand in case I need to club another angler who gets too close.

[Justfishin]

It pays to know the flow you're going to be in also.My rule of thumb is to not go past my thighs in over 1000cfs. [url=http://www.americanwhitewater.org/rivers/:5af78]http://www.americanwhitewater.org/rivers/[/url:5af78]
is a good place to get the info.
I allways have a wading staff with me-if nothing else I can probe th water ahead of me so I don't get a dunkin'.