The photo below is in the middle of my most frequent trout fishing trips. The white water is caused by a foot and half or so drop creating the small rapids shown. I have gone through every section of this in several float tubes, probably hundreds of times with no problems. Yesterday I floated though it again and at the bottom of the small falls found myself stuck pushed against the drop wall by an eddy current. I had gone through feet first, which I have been told was safer than feet following, so my swim fins were pointed downstream, in the wrong direction. When I moved to get into the current, in a heartbeat, my Fishcat was flipped. I found myself tied to the tube by the casting apron, which also seemed to prevent me from finding the inflation tag for my pfd. The water is not deep, but is fairly swift. What followed was probably no more than several intense seconds, maybe minutes of kicking and clawing. Damage to the body restricted to a scratch on the back of my hand, sore spots on my knees and shins and sore muscles. More serious damage, two flyrods, of course they were my favorites, somewhere in the river. My TFO 3 wt. and a less expensive 5 wt. On a warm summer day, there may have been some wading in the current, sans waders, searching for them but not yesterday. Maybe when it quits raining I will go chunk a diving plug an hope the rods are in an eddy current, I’'m not counting on it. I?m alive, the heart is apparently in pretty good shape, it got a pretty intense stress test.
Lessons learned; 1) Respect the water, it did not take much of a flow to flip a 4 ft. wide float tube and a 230 lb. fisherman. 2) Keep the inflation tag on my pfd where I can find it in an emergency. 3) Rethink the casting apron, it kept me attached to my float tube but I was under it. It was difficult to get free when I finally crawled up on the rock at the edge of the pool. If I continue to use the apron there will be a quick release feature added. 4) Feet follow going down the rapids, so I can propel myself downstream. 5) You are never too old to screw up.
UJ…
Glad it was not worse!
Re: the apron…out of laziness I guess I started to just drape my casting apron over my lap …only attached on one side…it works quite well…may depend on what apron …mine is quit firm.
Glad you’re OK! That is scary stuff…I was pinned underwater in a PFD for longer than comfortable once while water skiing. “Your life passes before your eyes” is no joke.
Reminds me of the time I got caught in the river current and went tippy-toeing down river with it into a nice deep hole which rapidly filled the waders with such cold refreshing water! Had it not been for a tree branch, might have been in a whole bunch more serious trouble.
Anyway, Uncle Jesse, here’s a pic taken on the Soque River there in ne Georgia that should get those vital juices flowing again!
I’m thinking God’s not through with you either. I don’t know what else He has planned for us but it must be something worthy of be investigated further. And the Soque, there’s only five or six hundred reasons why I haven’t been fishing up there $$. I have a business acquaintenance who has a place on the Soque. I tried to shame him into inviting me up to fish but it not going to happen. Ted Turner and the other multi-zillionaires have to have somewhere to go so they don’t have to mix with the masses. It’s good for the economy and the Lord knows the local economy needs all the help it can get at the moment.
Len, to steal a quote from the movie, and maybe the book, Jaws - “You’re going to need a bigger boat!” Outcast makes FishCat models rated for 300 lbs. I know and I think some of the other manufacturers have models up to 350 lbs.
