Only broke ....

FAOL Community Fly Anglers Online
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… a couple bones this year.

Climbing back up to the road from the Lochsa River, I got onto some seriously tilted terrain and hit a patch of very loose, coarse sand. Not good footing. Whereas on starting to slip I would normally just lean into the bank and expect to slide a bit, for some reason I decided to reach for some vegetation to catch my balance. Don’t really know what happened next, except that I was going over backwards, rolling over, sliding, bouncing off downed tree limbs and some rocks, and coming to rest about ten feet below where my fall started - prone, and a bit bloodied, but not broken.

Well, not much broken, anyway. Within a week it was pretty clear that at least one bone in my right hand ( pinky area ) was broken. Probably two. Four months later, I have occasional pain in that area when gripping tightly or in certain ways. Not a problem, just a bit annoying. ( And a reminder of an absolutely beautiful trout stream and several good days fishing there !! )

Considering some of the terrain I covered this year getting to and from some very interesting fishing places and some of the water I waded ( without a wading staff, of course ), I figure I did pretty well.

So how did you all do ??

John

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John,

I hope that doesn’t impact your career as a concert pianist. I have done a good many training classes to teach hotel staffs to reduce slips, trips and falls. I have alway blamed Sir Issac Newton saying their is no history of serious falls before he discovered gravity, which is the most reliable force I know of, it works everytime.

I didn’t break anything but at the spot I frequently launch to fish the Chattahoochee I remember acquiring a muddy skid mark on the outside of my jeans. What was really irritating is I knew the mud there was/is about as slick as any place of earth and still busted my ample backside. I have noticed since becoming a senior citizen (you can’t deny being a senior citizen when your little brother turns 60) that down is lower than it used to be but that it rises quicker than it used to when you slip.

Overall I guess I did pretty good, muddy skid marks, no permanent damage, broken bones or fishing rods.

Good luck in 2010.

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Hey, buddy. I know you don’t want to hear it, but I’ll say it again - W A D I N G - S T A F F !!! it has saved my bacon more than I can count, and the one time I forgot it was when I hit the Big Elk for the one and only time of the season and seriously damaged my ankle in the process when I slipped and went down hard mid-stream - the very ankle I just had surgery on to rebuild it - torn and shredded ligaments and tendons, 3 bone fragments, etc., etc. I used to take regular dunkings, especially at my favorite winter haunt - the Vernon Bridge stretch of the lower Henry’s Fork, but this past year I didn’t go in once because I had my staff with me. I tether the sucker with a fairly long leash for when I’m walking and then use a caribiner to fasten it to my wading belt when I stop to fish - keeps it close to hand without being in the way, plus it collapses down to about a foot long when I’m not using it. Well, I’m done preaching, but I not only wouldn’t be caught out without mine, I can’t be out without it anymore in the future - too much pain and damage as a result of forgetting the dang thing. Yes, it’s a bit of a nuiscance, but I’m willing to put up with it to keep me stable and a bit safer.
I’m sure the staff can’t guarantee I won’t go in in the future, but I am assured that regular dunkings will and have been fewer and much further between.
A few years ago my brother-in-law and I were fishing the Provo River in Utah during the Christmas break. As we walked up the snow and ice-covered trail to the truck I slipped and went down hard on my elbow, man did it hurt. Next day my arm had swelled like a football and it turned a deep purplish-black color for about two weeks. Still didn’t have a staff then, and it would have saved the day then and numerous times since. It took far too many mishaps before my head had some sense knocked into it and I realized the value of a good staff
And yes, I am also interested in other’s mishaps; maybe more to learn from them and laugh (or commiserate) with them than to laugh at them.
John, don’t take this personal, it’s not directed at you, and I appreciate you starting this thread. It will be interesting to hear what others have experienced in the past.

Kelly.

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Bummer on the hand John.!

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…but because i use a wading staff, both falls that could have been disastrous turned into laughable ‘oops’ sorta events. I do admit freely though that both minor falls were caused by hurrying on something slippery, be it wet mossy rocks in or out of the water, that and very wet mud whilst moving up or down hill.

John, kelly, Uncle Jesse…how do i stave off the excitement that causes an otherwise very cautious and safety minded person to throw caution to the wind when i see a promising looking stretch of water or oh man, a steelhead surfacing for a giant stonefly?

Cheers and be careful,
we’re not invincible afterall !

MontanaMoose

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John
Sorry to hear about your hand, I did a pretty simular one a few years ago ( I know just the bones you’re talking about! ) and I still feel them on cold days when I grab something. Just be glad you didn’t land on your rod, those never heal ! Nothing that memorable ( in a negative sense ) this year.

51BC

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Montana Moose,

Just think how uncomfortable those wet clothes are going to be until you get that steelhead on, once you get it on you will forget the wet clothes. Think about how much longer you will fish with dry clothes on rather than wet. Think about your wife selling your rods for $5 at a garage sale if you drown.

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Oh thanks Uncle Jesse…yeah, the thought and image of the 'yardsale of all his junk ‘cause he drowned’ will slow my excitement for sure…i think i’ll make a tag with ‘Yardsale’ in big letters and put it on the top of my reelseat…maybe even sharpie it on the toes of my boots so i can read it as i walk…well, if i ever take my eyes off’n the stream that is…heh, heh…

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

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Was fishing a small creek, step on a log I fell on my AXX. Got up, checked everything out and it seemed OK. On the drive home my rear got sorer & sorer. That soreness lasted for two weeks. The first couple of days “ouch” and then it slowly abated. Right at the end of the spine. I must be more careful…
Tim

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That little triangular-shaped bone at the end of your spine, the coccis, is supposedly the remnant of a tail. (Only believed by Darwinians who think we descended from apes.) That said, it can break and is very painful. There, aren’t you glad you read this?:lol:

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Thanks Lady Fisher - Brings back some sharp painful memories (lol).

Tim

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Beautiful picture John. Looks a lot like water I used to wade. (Without a staff) I did get wet several times, but have never broken a bone. The worst falls that I have taken, were the ones that happened after approaching the shore, after letting my guard down, and hurrying to get out. Or walking in the shallows, without doing due diligence. Falling in shallow water is worse than falling in thigh or waist deep water. Further to fall, and not as much cushion. My knees, elbows, fingers and cameras have paid the price on several occasions. We’d ought to apply that same due diligence until we get our feet on stable ground as well. A half-second of inattention or complacency can change your life for a long time, or forever. Be safe out there troops.

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Uh…did you see a Doctor?

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That looks a lot like the “green” sign hole, at least the top of it. I have only fallen there once, and not too badly. So far.

No major falls this year. So far.

got a nasty cold so it is unlikely I will have another opportunity to fall down this year, but next…

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No - it was only a simple fracture or two. I could tell there wasn’t any serious damage. I thought it would heal completely with no residual effects at all. Seeing a Doctor would not, I believe, have changed the outcome.

As to a wading staff, they are fine for those who want or need to use them. I don’t knock them, I just won’t use one. I travel light and try to keep things simple. A wading staff runs counter to that approach. In the hundreds of days I’ve spent wade fishing moving water from streams you can step across to the edges of the South Fork of the Snake at peak summer irrigation flows, I’ve only gotten wet a few times, and only had a couple minor injuries.

I have had several more significant injuries while on fishing outings. But they were on dry land. And in situations where a staff of any kind probably would not have made any difference.

An interesting anecdote from my hiking days. Greg, the president of the Las Vegas Mountaineer Club was relating his experience with hiking poles, which he had used for a year or so, during one of our discussions. Yes, they did take a bit of stress off the lower back and limbs by transferring some weight to the upper limbs and poles. Yes, they did help with balance and provide a small margin of safety in some situations. Yes, they were noisy. Yes, they were cumbersome. Yes, you did have to remember them, take care of them, not lose them, pay attention to them, and not hit other people with them. Yes, they got in the way, and sometimes at the worst of times.

NO, they were not worth the trouble. Also, after he stopped using them, it took Greg some time to get back the lower body strength and conditioning he had before he started using the poles. Not all that big a deal for him - he was an animal, for sure - since he only used them for a relatively short time. But it would be a bigger deal for someone less conditioned who used them for a longer time.

A crutch is a crutch is a crutch. Whether you call it a hiking pole or a wading staff. I’m not saying crutches are bad ( or good ) - just that I won’t use one.

John

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John…We are NOT as young as we once were. Check out the Folstaf…the holster goes on your belt, so you can STLL be a “minimalist”, albeit a safer one.

Deanna…In Army x-ray school, it seems to me we were told the coccyx (tailbone) was either the hardest bone in the body to break, or one of the hardest…it is also VERY painful when taking a direct hit.
Mike

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John,

Sorry to hear about the hand. My biggest problem this last year was tearing the medial meniscus in my left knee while… jogging… so I could get into shape for hiking into high mountain streams! Doh!

Ironically, I never use a wading staff (go ahead and insert flame here), but I do use “trekking poles” while hiking. Since I always hike alone, I started bringing the poles as 1) a measure of safety to protect the knees (I tore the ACL in the other knee as a teen), and 2) to serve as tent/fly supports in the event I can’t find trees or rocks from which to hang my hammock. I’m always thinking multi-purpose.

FWIW, I’ve found the more I run the more I’m prepared to hike AND wade. That doesn’t mean I’ve never fallen. I have a rod and reel that will testify to that fact. It just means overall, I feel I’m in better shape to deal with the unknowns while on my own.

John

These are the poles I use:
http://www.pacerpole.com/

And I also use the “SmartCoach” program at RunnersWorld to help me prepare for long distance hiking:
http://runnersworld.com/

BTW, the river is gorgeous! Reminds of a couple of spots near here.

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The most important elements of wilderness safety are ( pick your order ) fitness, awareness, and caution. For myself, I put fitness first. The same elements apply to wading safety. And again, I put fitness first.

For me, a wading staff would reduce my fitness and might lead me to be less aware and less cautious. For me, a wading staff would increase the likelihood of getting in trouble, falling, or worse, and getting injured, or worse.

For others, a wading staff ( or those clinky, clinky, clinky hiking poles ) can and perhaps do serve a useful and positive purpose. But I don’t believe they should be preached as gospel, and I do believe that we should rely on ourselves to the fullest, and fittest, extent possible.

John

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There’s always the shower !!

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There’s always the shower …