[mayfly]

Today me and my uncle set out to find some chrome. We hit a smaller river with are waders on and thought we would try to find some water we have not fished before. The first section of water we crossed was about waist deep and a fair current, the second was i little shallower but more swift. My uncle is a little smaller then I about 5'6'' 150lbs but VERY fit for his age. I went across first and waited for him, as he started in you could tell that he was having trouble with his footing. The section was about 15-20 foot wide and as he was almost half way he lost his footing and started to get swept away. I saw him start to get swept down river and started sloshing through the thigh deep water and got a hold of his Filson wader jacket. He was on all fours with water up to his kneck with no way to stand up while his waders filled with cold water. As I tryed to keep my footing and hold onto him he said there was no way he could get up and his right hand was going numb from the water. I thought it was going to be impossible to help him stand up so I slowly tryed to pull him to the bank. I clinched 800 dollors worth of fishing poles in my left hand after talking him in to letting go of his loomis. I slowly back steped to the bank pulling him about 10 to 12 feet till we were in water he could get up in. After he could stand we took a few moments to rest, as he was freezing and my knuckles where black and blue from griping his jacket so tight. After about 10 mins of resting we hiked through a farmers feild back to are rigs. My uncle got the water out of his waders, put on some new socks, and off we went to try to catch a fish. We fished for 2 hours and only got one nice bright coho hen then headed back to get warm.

The reason I post this story is to warn all of you of the dangers we all somtimes put in the back seat. It was a eye opening experiance, and a reminder not to cross rivers alone....

 

[TRAUT]

Glad this story had a happy ending.

 

[Big O]

Im glad it worked out for you two Tup: I have had a close call before but not that close. I try not to get above my thighs in water because of this. Wading a river to catch a fish is not worth a fish to me. Once again glad everything worked out for you two.
Omar

 

[zvic733]

Thanks for the reminder. We all sometimes forget how dangerous it is out there.
Glad your story hasa good ending.

 

[wolverine]

Been there - done that. The older I get, the shallower I wade. I once tried to cross a side channel that was only thigh deep but fast. The current caught me and swept my feet along the bottom to near where the channel dumped back into the main river. I stopped moving a few feet before I would have had to drop my gear and go swimming. I was only a few feet from shore but I couldn't move as I knew that I would lose my footing if I did. A guy thats on my Christmas card list since then grabbed a big stick and extended it out to me and pulled me in to the shore. Now my waders are more for rain gear than for deep wading.

 

[Red Neckersom]

I once fell off of a 15 foot cliff in the middle of winter with hip waders on, into 15 feet of water and then my damn dog(black lab, go figure) jumped in after me and just about drowned me, while he thought I was going for a nice swim or something. He kept batting me with his paws, he was having a blast. I got back to the edge of the cliff and held onto it and walked my way down with my arms holding me up while gripping the wall until I got to a part I could pull myself up on. Luckily, I float like a bobber. :lol:

BTW, its true. Hip waders fill up fast with water and its hard to get them off in that cold of water.

 

[mayfly]

I once fell off of a 15 foot cliff in the middle of winter with hip waders on, into 15 feet of water and then my damn dog(black lab, go figure) jumped in after me and just about drowned me, while he thought I was going for a nice swim or something. He kept batting me with his paws, he was having a blast. I got back to the edge of the cliff and held onto it and walked my way down with my arms holding me up while gripping the wall until I got to a part I could pull myself up on. Luckily, I float like a bobber. :lol:

ROFLAO :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Red Neckersom]

Im glad you guys were ok Aaron. I think after so many trips, every once in a while everyone has a close call and wakes them up.

I know its funny huh, my buddy on the shore was laughing so hard he didn't even help.

 

[srchn4salmon]

Yikes, scares the [email protected]# out of me. I've feel twice, once on rocks and could have easily broken a leg or knocked myself out if I would have not cought my self. Another wading down stream with the sun at my face and could not see where I was going, next thing, the bottom dropped out on me. I had just gone up the same stretch be could see the holes much easier with the sun at my back. I was able to get my arms under me to grab the sides of the hole and push myself to the side of it and get my legs under me again. I don't think the hole was that deep but I hate to think what would have happened if it was.

Glad you guys were able to make it out safely. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[fish hunter]

Mayfly, you did wear a wader belt? Did your uncle? Helps to ALWAYS wear one. Mostly if you are actually wading!!1 Tup:

 

[mayfly]

Mayfly, you did wear a wader belt? Did your uncle? Helps to ALWAYS wear one. Mostly if you are actually wading!!1 Tup:

I wear one when I fish eggs, but not always. We both had neoprenes on.. Idont think he ownes one.

Good point.

 

[crop duster]

i was on the tolt one time with only crotch high waders on and crossed the river in about knee deep water to get to a good hole. after i got my fish i was hiking out and by the time i reached the area where i crossed, the setting sun was so low i couldnt see the river bottom and could not tell how deep it was. but i had to cross so i started picking my way across the river when the bottom dropped out. friggen scary, i was by my self and had maybe twenty feet so i swam like a mo fo as fast as i could until my knees hit bottom and stood up to get the "H" outta there. didnt loose my gear and didnt loose my fish but that was almost as scary as almost drowning in the columbia river. thats another story. i was knee boarding on the columbia in the middle of summer when i wiped out. the slippery foam rubber vest i had on went inverted pinning both my arms straight up , so the vest was above my head, my hands and wrists were above the surface but the vest was holding my head under water about 20 inches. i could see the surface but was struggeling to get my face above water to take a breath. i was friggen flipping out, i thought well this is it...i started to try to unbuckle the damn vest and it seemed futile, when all of a sudden i got one unbuckled, and then the other one...i broke surface just in time to see the boat cavitating to get back to me as the dude that owned the boat was in mid dive off the bow to rescue me. i dont know why i didnt have to scrape out the back of my swim trunks. never been so scared in my life...over and out...

 

[fishgitter]

Mayfly, you did wear a wader belt? Did your uncle? Helps to ALWAYS wear one. Mostly if you are actually wading!!1 Tup:

I wear one when I fish eggs, but not always. We both had neoprenes on.. Idont think he ownes one.

Good point.

Mayfly , I don't mean to be a smart [email protected]# but the eggs are not going to help you float. You should always wear a wading belt no matter what. I have went down a couple of times and was very glad I had it wink: All that being said glad you and your uncle are ok.

 

[netboy]

Glad it all worked out.A good reminder!

 

[mayfly]

Mayfly, you did wear a wader belt? Did your uncle? Helps to ALWAYS wear one. Mostly if you are actually wading!!1 Tup:

I wear one when I fish eggs, but not always. We both had neoprenes on.. Idont think he ownes one.

Good point.

Mayfly , I don't mean to be a smart [email protected]# but the eggs are not going to help you float. You should always wear a wading belt no matter what. I have went down a couple of times and was very glad I had it wink: All that being said glad you and your uncle are ok.

LOL, I will from now on Tup:

 

[lockdown]

Good that everything turned out alright. Tup:

 

[Chuck S]

I dont find any humor in this story at all.

May - glad nobody got hurt. Wear a PFD.

 

[Big Worm]

Glad you were able to scoop him out. I believe the river sport fisherman is about the most skill and under educated river crosser there is, and we like to wear gear such as waders that can take you down. If you think about it it's a little crazy. Here's a little tip I learned during Naval SAR training.

It all depends on the group size and the height of each person. If it is two of you, the taller person will be the lead person. In fact this is always the case in any size group. The tallest will lead with a stick that is about as tall as they are. The shorter person follows in a sideways crab walk facing and leaning slightly up river. The lead person will lead since the taller person has more upper leverage than shorter people. With the stick the lead person will crab walk as well leaning on the stick about 4 feet in front of them. The shorter person will be protected by a back eddy created from the above river lead person. The shorter person will crab walk about 5 feet behind the lead person. You can build a pyrimd as the group grows. Tallest to shortest, front to back.

 

[ontheedge]

I dont find any humor in this story at all.

May - this is why I own a boat. I dont get wet for nobody. Period.

Sportjet I'm saying this would happen to but, I want to use this as a reminder to all of us.

No one is save when it comes to water, case in point. I was at the satsop launch waiting for the truck and trailer, when another db came down river to the launch,and as the oarsman got the boat close to the ramp one of the passengers decided to jump out of the boat to help land the boat,not sure why but he did,anyway when his feet hit the slippery concrete ramp down he went and almost went under the boat before I grabbed him and pulled him out.If I had not been there I would hate to think what may have happened as he had no pfd on.So whether we are in a boat or wading a river we must all take precautions to protect ourselfs and others around us.

IMO if you are crossing a river you should face downstream. Less water gets into your jacket, and its easier to float until you get your footing back.
Mayfly0013: Glad eveything turned out as well as it did! Not to mention how dedicated a fisherman your uncle is to stay there and fish more.

 

[eddie]

2 things that I know:

1. I always use some sort of extra traction on my wading boots. The best I have found is a rubber overshoe that Kaufman's sells that has aluminum cleats and felt. Much better than felts alone and corkers. And infinitely better than just the rubber sole.

2. I will no longer wade in water higher than my crotch. If I can't see light between my legs, I don't go.