Me too. I can swim ok, but swimming itself especially for leisure would be at the bottom of “fun“ activities for me.
Here is my Puget Sound freighter waves nightmare……
SF
Basic Survival Skills for a Flyfisherman Just Learning to Swim
- Thread starter speedbird
- Start date
Me too. I can swim ok, but swimming itself especially for leisure would be at the bottom of “fun“ activities for me.
Here is my Puget Sound freighter waves nightmare……
SF
A few years ago I took small boat sailing lessons and a prerequisite was getting checked by a lifeguard for the ability to float for a couple of minutes fully clothed, then putting on a life jacket while treading water. I wonder if the pools that do these certifications would allow me to jump in with waders and boots on? Might be helpful?
Not a bad idea at all. I've done this in Westport a couple of times. Just in the marina. It is much more difficult to bring someone back onboard than I would have thought.
I should do this more often myself.
We practice this a lot in sailing, even in small boats. Super hard to lift somebody soaking wet and in gear out of the water.
For river situations a PFD is more important than swimming abilities:
Defensive Swim Position
If you get pulled right back in the boat, which is what almost always happens, great! If not, recall what the guide said about swimming during the pre-trip safety talk.
1. Float on your back
2. Feet downstream and feet up
Use arm strokes to position yourself properly. Get feet up to minimize the risk of foot entrapment. Position feet downstream, toes at the surface and use your heels as radar to feel for and push off rocks. Be careful when you sit up to see what’s coming because you maybe lowering your feet our tailbone too much. Lay flat and arch your back to protect your tailbone in shallow water. Keep your feet pointed downstream and use your arms to angle your body to the current and backstroke to maneuver right or left. Keep your body long and streamlined to maneuver smoothly and efficiently. Good defensive swim technique minimizes your risk of getting unlucky once you are already in the water. The goal is to not get hurt and conserve energy to self rescue.
Surviving A Whitewater Swim - Montana River Guides
You are on a spring whitewater rafting trip, paddling hard, when the raft hits a huge wave and the “unsinkable” happens; you are swimming unintentionally in the middle of a rapid. Swimming is not really the right word for is happening at first, it’s more like the rapid is chewing on you...
montanariverguides.com
Once on a trapeze on an International 14, got swept off, my weight then pulled the 14 over on a windward dump - Scared shitless the the thing turn turtle and the trapeze pull me under, so I quickly unhooked - one hellova time getting back to the boat - we also used to practice dumping and staying dry, ie, boat dumps but you'er over the gunnel and onto the centerboard without ever being in the water, then back in the boat before she's fully rited, that way not struggling to get into the boat from the water, with no one aboard, that can be quite a challenge.
Miss those youngster days.
cheers
Last edited:
When I fished rivers, I was what you'd call an "aggressive" wader. This means I would try to wade across rivers or streams that I had no business attempting to wade. Many times I'd end up floating/swimming downstream after the flow swept me off my feet. I got so I'd check out the lay of the land below my crossing point to determine where I'd come to shore if I didn't make it across.
This was before digital, waterproof cameras so I can't tell you how many range finder field cameras that were killed by my aquatic mishaps.
I probably stopped fishing rivers just in time because there is no way my legs could handle much of any crossing at my age. I once tried using a wading staff and tripped over it so many times I gave it up. My wife, however has a nifty collapsable staff that she used with great success so you can't go by me in regards to wading rivers without going for a swim or using a wading staff.
This was before digital, waterproof cameras so I can't tell you how many range finder field cameras that were killed by my aquatic mishaps.
I probably stopped fishing rivers just in time because there is no way my legs could handle much of any crossing at my age. I once tried using a wading staff and tripped over it so many times I gave it up. My wife, however has a nifty collapsable staff that she used with great success so you can't go by me in regards to wading rivers without going for a swim or using a wading staff.
I don't think I saw it, but staying away from wood whether in our out of a boat is a pretty good safety rule.
Great Idea! @Kashf for taking swimming lessons to feel more comfortable around water. Several posts stood out to me as VERY wise advice, sometimes learned through a harrowing experience and graciously shared with us.
When floating anywhere I always wear a PFD, period.
*adding* In streams, I always use a wading staff, period. The @Herkileez Riverstick is bomber! Also as I've aged I get less adventurous in my wading, try to size up what's ahead, and have an escape plan.
One thing I didn't see mentioned was know as much as you can before you go.
I keep a log of my fishing trips on an Android phone app. Along with dates, places, temps, rods-reels, tackle, flies-lures, GPS coordinates of fish which can help my fishing, I use and log water level data and add comments on how it was for wading but can also help my fishing. I kinda geek out with the data. For freshwater I have another app; the "Riverflows.Net" ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riverflows) Android app that whitewater kayakers use with USGS and AHPS (Advanced Hydrological Prediction Service 4 day look ahead) stream gauge readings and create a "favorites database" to log river levels that are "too high-high-medium-low-too low" for fishing conditions and my wading skills. It displays the current stream CFS level in a simple graph format.
The light blue line in the graph is the look ahead CFS based on current streamflow and predicted rainfall. It's a nice tool for trip planning.
I referred to the app previously here...
pnwflyfishing.com
If I don't know the stream I initially set the levels with historical stream data using the median of the late spring "high level", early summer "mid level", summer "low level" and continually tweak the reference levels in the database as necessary. If the stream doesn't have a gauge I use the closest similar drainage that does as a general reference.
In saltwater I record the high-low tide data while I am fishing, for each fish encounter, and add a comment on tide level (un)suitability for a specific beach for wading, backcast room...
When floating anywhere I always wear a PFD, period.
*adding* In streams, I always use a wading staff, period. The @Herkileez Riverstick is bomber! Also as I've aged I get less adventurous in my wading, try to size up what's ahead, and have an escape plan.
One thing I didn't see mentioned was know as much as you can before you go.
I keep a log of my fishing trips on an Android phone app. Along with dates, places, temps, rods-reels, tackle, flies-lures, GPS coordinates of fish which can help my fishing, I use and log water level data and add comments on how it was for wading but can also help my fishing. I kinda geek out with the data. For freshwater I have another app; the "Riverflows.Net" ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riverflows) Android app that whitewater kayakers use with USGS and AHPS (Advanced Hydrological Prediction Service 4 day look ahead) stream gauge readings and create a "favorites database" to log river levels that are "too high-high-medium-low-too low" for fishing conditions and my wading skills. It displays the current stream CFS level in a simple graph format.
The light blue line in the graph is the look ahead CFS based on current streamflow and predicted rainfall. It's a nice tool for trip planning.
I referred to the app previously here...
New To Me Stream Flow Chart
I normally use the USGS charts but ran across this on another site and thought it was pretty informative. https://snoflo.org/flow Anything else that others are using?
pnwflyfishing.com
In saltwater I record the high-low tide data while I am fishing, for each fish encounter, and add a comment on tide level (un)suitability for a specific beach for wading, backcast room...
Last edited:
Jim in Anacortes
Steelhead
Lot's of good info here. The OP talks about swimming lessons. IMHO those lessons should be augmented with simply "horsing around" in the pool or a lake. Learning the breast stroke or side stroke is essential to swimming long distance on the surface, however the ability to jump off a diving board, and swim underwater with confidence is also a very valuable skill. We used to play a game called "shark" in the diving area of the pool. Essentially the "shark" would tread water at the center and the other players would attempt to cross the pool (underwater) without being touched by the shark. The skill it takes to hold your breath AND swim around underwater takes time to learn, but IMHO can sometimes be more useful than basic swimming strokes like the sidestroke. And it's more fun.
Reminds me of the old Keys adage about poling towers on skiffs. There are only two kinds, ones you have fallen off of and ones you haven't fallen off of yet.
Back to the idea of wearing a pfd. The belt inflatables are convenient, but they need to be deployed and then put over your head. Easy on a sup in calm waters, much harder getting swept down river fully dressed.
Either belt or horse collar , you end up with all the flotation in front of you. This makes it almost impossible to roll on your belly and swim aggressively to avoid a strainer. If I were to wear a pfd while wading, I’d wear a foam fishing pfd like the nrs chinook.
Either belt or horse collar , you end up with all the flotation in front of you. This makes it almost impossible to roll on your belly and swim aggressively to avoid a strainer. If I were to wear a pfd while wading, I’d wear a foam fishing pfd like the nrs chinook.
I'm not going to wear a pfd while I'm wading. At least, not for the streams and rivers I usually fish. I don't even wear one in my rowboat in calm water (it is right next to me, though). I do wear it in my float tube (always) and in my rowboat when things seem hairy (as in, on any moving water or chop).
I’d like to hear more about what happened. Sweeper or a big sauk standing wave?
Jim in Anacortes
Steelhead
Back to the OP wanting to learn to swim. In my opinion, learning to swim must be done in warm water or appropriate wet suits. This is paramount. If you are cold, that's going to be counter productive. If you are warm you will advance much faster. Some pools are cold. If you feel "cold" I suggest addressing this issue first off.
Zak - As I recall from pics of your rowboat, it has high sides so there's absolutely no way you could fall out of it when leaning over to net a fish, taking a leak, having a momentary loss of balance or some such clumsy moment, right? That pfd right next to you will prevent you from being a man overboard.
Sorry for the sarcasm as I don't know how many times my buddy Keith and I have had a similar discussion, he hangs his from the seat in his pram. He's tall and he's no youngster. His balance is suspect. I keep working on him to wear it. I'll shut up now! ;-)
Last edited:
I'm not wearing one wading in the river. However, I've changed a lot in the last few years otherwise. If it was warm I would run the canoe with the PFD on the floor. Almost never wore one when I wore shorts. Used to not wear one in the big boat, then a inflatable waist belt. I got the NRS for the tube, but it's so comfortable I wear it all the time in the big boat. I started wearing it bcause the kids have to wear one, now I feel naked without it. Plus, I like to go up front. My kid........... I can't force him.
Attachments
I never used to wear a PFD, in my boat or wading rivers. Rowed most stretches of all the OP rivers, lower Klickitat, all the usual Steelhead rivers, just good enough on the oars to be dangerous.Then I started to use a wading staff for spots I'd hike into, got it for use on the Thompson and figured it couldn't hurt on the Hoh, Calawah etc. A small inflatable PFD completed the safety gear for my now somewhat limited wading. I walk past places I used wade without a staff or PFD, and cross in safer places now that I am medicare age.
YMMV
YMMV
