If 40 degree mornings are forecasted with warmer water temps, then wear a fleece and an overcoat or something.
If you wear two coats, don’t put your keys in the pocket of the coat that you are going to take off and stow in your trunk because it warmed up significantly while you were fishing.
I did that this morning, and I learned from my mistake. Locked my keys in my car for the second time in a week.
But wait, there’s more! I learned how to open a car without paying a locksmith, and without damaging the car. Take a minute and google “How to open a car door with a coat hanger.”
I did that once a long, long time ago when I changed the pants I was going to wear that day and threw them in the trunk of the car ( a '79 Camaro ). About the time the trunk lid closed, it occured to me what I had done. Panic does no good at that point.
Ever since, and especially when I am in a remote place by myself, I won’t close the car door until I check for my keys. Its one thing to do it when the car is in the driveway, its another thing when you are miles and miles from pavement and there is no one else around.
What an awful thing to happen! Normally, when we first started fishing, the hub would carry the keys … and if/when we separated on the stream, I was locked out of the car. Took to wearing a big carabiniere with my set of keys on it, hooked to the loop on my jeans. Can always get in when needed now! Keep it on a loop the entire time were gone from home so I don’t have to remember to take it out of my purse streamside.
if you are a member of AAA or whatever the auto club in your area is…
they make a key attached to a credit card sized piece of plastic for emergency entry into your car. they make it from your key. Not sure it is free or what, but it has saved my derriere more than once. fits into the CC slots in your wallet…
Rather than worrying about what pocket you put your keys in; here’s the way I do it. I get a spare key for my truck and loop it to an old long shoelace and a clip to attach to the D ring on my waders, and the key gets tucked into the pocket of the waders. I fish the surf and haven’t had a problem yet, plus the key is readily available for when I want to move to another spot. My regular keys go in the pocket of my jeans but while fishing I use the spare and keep it attached to my waders so it doesn’t get forgottn in a lock. Just my $.02 Ron
They do make magnetic boxes you use to put a spare key and hide under your vehicle somewhere, they work very well… also, if someone else uses your vehicle and locks them selves out and they call you, you can tell them where the key is…
Put your cell phone and camera in waterproof ziplock bags before you stick them in your vest pocket.
Zip your vest pockets back up after you open them.
Everybody catches their flies in tree branches, even Lefty. Don’t feel like an idiot when you do.
Don’t crowd someone else who’s already on the water.
Before you wade out into the middle of the current, fish the water you’re about to wade through. The fish may be tight up against your bank rather than the far one.
