Lessons Learned (or not)

[greywolf]

I always carry an extra set of car keys - both of them zipped into separate pockets in my vest.
Been FFing almost 50 years now, and have never lost a vest - at least not yet!

I usually dont carry my phone on the water with me - unless I'm meeting someone else, and need to be in touch with them to meet up.
Or fishing a new spot, where I need access to GPS
Other than that, I really dont mind being out of touch with the rest of the world for awhile.

As for the rod - once its strung up, I leave it together for the rest of the day.
Regardless if I move around a lot to try different spots.
Unless I need to go to a different size rod.

Rod allways gets taken down at the end the day though.
If it's hard to get the ferrules separated, leave it together.
Try again later, or even the next day
Leaving it sit overnight often does the trick

On warm days when ferrules lock it can help to submerge the ferrule in the cold stream for a few minutes or even get an ice cube out of your cooler and rub it along the ferrule. Has worked for me several times.

 

[greywolf]

We think alike. Keys always get tethered somehow in an interior (pocket within a pocket) pocket.

I consider boots the most important piece of gear I own. I’ll skimp on rods/reels/waders even/whatever, but I will buy Korkers with studs for life. May have saved my life already for all I know a couple spots I’ve found myself in. (Not recently.)

I almost always fish with waders and the truck keys go into a sealed inside pocket or pants pocket to prevent loss. Phone goes in a sealed inside wader pocket. So I look for a big sealed inside pocket in waders I buy.

 

[riverwhy]

Wading in Autumn with leaves on the ground is 100 times more dangerous than any other
Time. I ain’t down a few years ago on Penn’s just up from the washed out
Trestle bridge. Healthy gash and I had to go home early. Very innocuous paths can really surprise you .

 

[Shawn_H]

I was certainly hoping to hear (and learn from) other folks dumb moments - so keep them coming.

I’m not typically careless or clumsy - but something about fishing in a river seems to get me.

Regarding the rod - I think some are misunderstanding. The rod wasn’t stuck together - basically when it come apart of course there is some momentum and the pieces kind of swing. One time I was in a grove of pine trees packing up from tent camping - rod comes apart - tip smacks a tree branch - broken rod. The other time I was on a deck with another deck above and some outdoor lights - tip smacked a light - broken rod.

As I’ve been thinking about this I realize that I am breaking my rod down “wrong” and I plan to change that moving forward. I always just grab the junction closest to the reel first - which means that like 7ft of rod swings when it comes apart. So dumb. I should be taking the tip off first and working back down.

When I have some time I’ll tell the whole story of the keys - it’s a doozy.

 

[Cougarbaby]

Don't be wading on the Yough when they leave water out ,been there done that lost a Clearwater combo over it and swam 75 yds in chest waders

 

[GoldenRfly]

Never underestimate a stream embankment. A major arm injury requiring surgery occurred last year on a stream embankment. A great young surgeon and my diligent PT and exercise compliance led to an early discharge with fishing permission. I didn’t repeat the injury but hurt my hand (same arm) the first time out on another stream embankment. Cautious, cautious since.

Like others, I’ve fallen in the woods and my current motto is “Slow down … stay up.”
Any time I’ve fallen it’s because I was rushing.