How to kill yourself while wading alone. FACT !!

[Bankbeater]

I have enough problems walking on rip rap.  No wading for me. 

[PigFarmer]

I still wade creeks and rivers but only with my 18” rubber boots. So generally no more than shin deep. Even then I try to be really cautious cause I usually fish alone. If it limits my reach, so be it. 

[schplurg]

Wow thanks for the stories guys. I've never really waded but I've heard of the dangers. I'm scared just reading this.

 

Would a manually inflatable CO2 PDF help? I don't think I'd trust one as my normal PFD, but for wading...seems like it could help in an emergency.

[MGF]

I do a lot of wading. I guess I had some "mishaps" when I was young because I was careless or didn't know better but nothing life threatening.

 

Once the water warms and level comes down in our local river my wife and I wade a LOT. I didn't do any fishing this year after Oct, 1 but I haven't had the boat or canoe out since August. Even when the water is low I like to use the boat just to cover more water. This year I didn't need to cover water. The honey holes were in easy walking distance from where I park the truck.

 

25 years of wading this particular river with the wife and even the kids (when they were kids) and not a single mishap.

[MGF]

I don't have the equipment to wade in cold water so I don't. When we take the canoe out in cold water/weather I pack a dry bag with everything I need to get warn...assuming I make it out of the water. Again this is something we only do when river conditions are right.

 

When I first got the canoe years ago we did flip it once in December so I got to use the contents of the dry bag...but the water was shallow and we just stood up, got out of the water, changed clothes, started a fire and made a nice dinner. No real big deal.

[cyclops2]

One more ALMOST got me.

 

Started  walking out on the flat ledges that are 1 piece 1/2 mile long across the river. 2" or river water going over them. flat & 20' wide.  WHAAM  I am on my back.  Looking straight up at blue sky. I can not inhale at all.

I do not want to move either. I want to breathe. I can not.  Hurting  hurting more .  I want to breath. I can not. Eyes are filling up with tears.  BREATH BREATH.  Finally  I get little sips of air.  Seems like a long time. I turn my head downstream. My shoulder is inches from the edge . If I had rolled and slid over the edge . Into  3 to 4' of water.

Did not see the slime.  BROWN SLIME.  Oh well.

[flyfisher]

2 hours ago, cyclops2 said:

One more ALMOST got me.

 

Started  walking out on the flat ledges that are 1 piece 1/2 mile long across the river. 2" or river water going over them. flat & 20' wide.  WHAAM  I am on my back.  Looking straight up at blue sky. I can not inhale at all.

I do not want to move either. I want to breathe. I can not.  Hurting  hurting more .  I want to breath. I can not. Eyes are filling up with tears.  BREATH BREATH.  Finally  I get little sips of air.  Seems like a long time. I turn my head downstream. My shoulder is inches from the edge . If I had rolled and slid over the edge . Into  3 to 4' of water.

Did not see the slime.  BROWN SLIME.  Oh well.

Man, I think you need to stop wading lol. I am glad you are ok again though.  

[cyclops2]

My parents told me I was Polish. 

40 years later. I am Hungarian decent. Among others. ?

[MassBass]

I don't wade my local river because of heroin/fentanyl/some other drug needles. I have skipped over spots because there are just too many needles. 

 

If you are going waist high in any kind of tidal current you are asking for trouble.  

[cyclops2]

Thank you Mass Bass.

I have not waded the Delaware River in decades. I never thought of the new dangers of wading with soft sneakers.  or soft foot waders.    Oh well  I will stay in the boats.

 

 

[Kirtley Howe]

On 12/12/2021 at 1:46 AM, schplurg said:

Wow thanks for the stories guys. I've never really waded but I've heard of the dangers. I'm scared just reading this.

 

Would a manually inflatable CO2 PDF help? I don't think I'd trust one as my normal PFD, but for wading...seems like it could help in an emergency.

For sure.

[cyclops2]

If the CO2 fails. You can inflate it manually. Buy ONLY a USA BRAND.  Your life depends on it working.

 

I have always bought directly from the company.  All work fine. I always triggered the CO2 to be sure it inflated & held at for at least 1 full day.  I bought a replacement CO2 with the jacket  /  suspender type for fishing. 

 

Edit Chack that it inflates manually...........Your life could depend on it.

[redmeansdistortion]

On 12/8/2021 at 9:48 AM, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve done a whole lot of wading, even for a living as a trout guide, and never been in a bad situation. You can have all kind of things that you think might save you, I prefer to use my brain and stay out of these scenarios 

Well said.  There's an unwritten rule when it comes to wading.  Just because you can wade doesn't mean you should wade.  I'm in waders most of the time I'm fishing.  A lot of that time, I'm casting from the bank and will only enter the water to retrieve a snagged lure, bypass a blocked trail, cross the river, or cast to a target I can't hit from the bank.  One thing I always have is a wading staff, it helps me negotiate difficult terrain and lets me feel the river bottom so I know where I'm stepping.  It's very helpful having that third leg, you have much better balance as well as leverage to navigate obstacles.  A wading staff can be just about anything; a large tree branch, a modified ski pole or trekking pole, or a proper wading staff sold by any of the fly fishing outfitters.

[cyclops2]

In wading. Luck is a must.  If alone a lot.  

 

But I have learned that I never step on boulder covered bottoms.  True Russian Roulette. 

ALWAYS have my ski pole STRAPPED to my left hand before I leave the car trunk.

[geo g]

You are a lucky man.  I don’t wade in Florida for two reasons.  Gators and snakes!  I have been close to both many times just fishing from the bank.  One time a seven footer quietly moved up behind me to within 6 feet before I turned and spotted him.  They can be very stealth!

[cyclops2]

Who teaches the DANGERS,   to being alone,   in the outdoors,   to new people ????  Not me.

I can still see my aunts daughter floating in the icy creek at lunchtime. Face down right in front of the steps she might have tried to reach.  Very painful to see what happened to a child left alone to play in the winter snow BESIDE A small harmless creek. It is hurts after 70 years.

 

I am wandering.

[AManWearingAHat]

Wade in wisconsin a fair bit but only in the shallower slow moving streams. Generally know where all the holes are. Only close call I had was on the White river in Arkansas. Almost swept off my feet. 

[FishTank]

I haven't fished my usual creeks in a long time but when I was teenager I was wading in about two feet of water, fishing for whatever would bite. I had swim trucks and flip flops on, my usual summer clothes. I was standing on what I thought was firm ground and the next thing I know, the bottom gives way in the water. I was sucked into an under water cavern. Luckily walking the path next to me was a group of college kids, one them was a lifeguard.  He jumped in and pulled me out.  Saved my life. Crazy but lucky once again. 

[TnRiver46]

46 minutes ago, FishTank said:

I fished my usual creeks in a long time but when I was teenager I was wading in about two feet of water, fishing for whatever would bite. I had swim trucks and flip flops on, my usual summer clothes. I was standing on what I thought was firm ground and the next thing I know, the bottom gives way in the water. I was sucked into an under water cavern. Luckily walking the path next to me was a group of college kids, one them was a lifeguard.  He jumped in and pulled me out.  Saved my life. Crazy but lucky once again. 

That lifeguard was a guardian angel!  

[JWall14]

Waders can easily fill if you fall. When I can i wade in swim trunks which obviously is a lot better. That being said always have a plan if you are near deep water. Most drownings happen because of panicking!

[cyclops2]

Or in my case. I tried to pick up the most quarters at the bottom of a motel pool.  During a adult contest. I almost passed out on the bottom

 

Cyclops saying     Luck beats skill.

[MGF]

On 2/8/2022 at 7:09 PM, AManWearingAHat said:

Wade in wisconsin a fair bit but only in the shallower slow moving streams. Generally know where all the holes are. Only close call I had was on the White river in Arkansas. Almost swept off my feet. 

Depending on where you are on the river you might only have a few minutes to get to higher ground when they open the gates to run more generators.  My cousin lives on the white and I want to say that water can come up about 10 ft in a short time. I've been wading out there many times when we had to beat it for shore.

 

That said, if I didn't make it out in time it would be embarrassing and inconvenient but unlikely to kill me. 

 

Once when my son was just a little guy we took the canoe to the other side of the river to fish along the bank. The river started coming up and we headed back as fast as I could. I needed to go pretty much straight across the river. I crossed that river paddling as hard as I could upstream to hold my position and just inching across. I'm not sure I could do that today (that was 30 years ago).

 

Today I'd probably make shore down stream a ways. Again, inconvenient but unlikely to cause any real harm.

[Dye99]

Yea we had TWO fly fishing anglers die last summer here in a slow moving stream due to waders. Husband slipped and went under, wife went after him. Both drowned.

 

[cyclops2]

At about 67 ?    I started wearing my light weight foam vest.  I fish alone a lot. I also tie myself to the boat.  Running or stopped.   In the boat.      ?

[Dinger0306]

I wade a lot but am super careful. Never wade for any distance in waist deep water. I stick to the outskirts in shin to knee deep water and cast in the deeper holes. If it's slippery large rocks and fast moving water I won't go in. Limits the areas I fish but not taking any chances. Thinking about getting a PDF/fishing vest to ease my mind a little more