Severe weather fishing--be aware (waterspout pics)

[danbob]

Everyone here in Colorado knows that tornadoes only hit the plains in our state, and never in the high mountains. Mountain tornadoes are so rare as to be almost mythical--maybe once every 10 or 20 years.

NOT!

These are not my photos, they are from a cool new website here in Colorado, http://www.fishexplorer.com, dedicated to lake fishing of all types (not just flyfishing). I'm a volunteer 'lake skipper' for these folks, keeping the lake conditions updated for my lake.

I've crosslinked to one of the pictures, go to the thread on Fishexplorer for the rest. This high altitude mountain waterspout occurred a week and half ago, on August 23, on ElevenMile Reservoir in South Park.

Some things to think about -- the folks in the motorized pontoon boat in the photo, and the photographer in the boat from which the photo was taken, are lucky to be alive.

If someone had been in a float tube or personal pontoon boat at the wrong spot, they would have been DEAD, with no way to move the boat fast enough to get out of the way. Anyone in a hand-propelled craft (very common on this lake, it's a trophy flyfishing destination) should have been off of this lake and having lunch on shore at LEAST an hour before this event happened--probably even earlier, because of lightning danger.

When you are in a small boat on a lake, do NOT ever make assumptions like "it'll blow over soon" or "the thunderstorm is too far away to affect us" or even "I haven't heard any thunder yet, we'll be fine."

Here's the whole thread with more pics, from a couple different folks:
http://www.fishexplorer.com/fx/fxrfo...=det&pid=20133

DANBOB

[DShock]

danbob,
That is an amazing photo! I'm so glad that I wasn't there!
Doug

[Pete Hiatt]

That other boat doesn't appear to be moving. Must be at a good spot.

[Eight Thumbs]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 8T

[modocdan]

WOW !! That makes me know that I've hung out on a few lakes way too long into a squall...............I won't do it again..................ModocDan

[Jeremy]

That other boat doesn't appear to be moving. Must be at a good spot.

ROTFLMAO!!!

[Big Bad Wulff]

I guess the advantage you have on water is the fact you can go go just about any direction to avoid such a thing. On land(in a car) you can go the direction the road goes or the opposite direction and that is about it.

[gutbomb]

We have people that are every bit as foolish up here on Lake Erie. Some people think the ocean is the only body of water that can kill.

[dubbinfly]

We have people that are every bit as foolish up here on Lake Erie. Some people think the ocean is the only body of water that can kill.

Yep, I agree about Erie for sure.

Have a good'n, Jesse

[ridgeliner]

A few weeks ago there were quite a few water spouts on Lake Erie. I'm not aware of anyone injured by them. I know that a few people had to change their shorts when they got back to the boat launch. Buffalo TV stations had some good pictures on the news programs that were taken by the people out fishing on the lake.