Law of Unintended Consequences

Whilst fishing the river last night, which was carrying about .7 of metre over NSL, and reaching for the landing netto land yet another barbel. I knocked off the other rod from the rest. As I put the landing net in to net the fish, which powered away again, I notice a rather large part of a small tree passing me. Giving it no more thought until I was about to net the fish, I caught out of the corner of my eye the butt section of the rod leaving the bank for the river. Oh shit no what do I do now I shouted aloud!

A quick heave of the fish into the net and dropping everything on the bank in the vein hope of reaching the rodto retrieve it.The river by the way is about 5 ft deep under my feet and running fast, so no chance of jumping in to save it.

By the time I got to where it was, it’s was heading out at a 30 degree angle for the middle of the river like a rapier through the water, being dragged along by the part tree the line had become attached to. Not a catting hell’s chance of getting it back.

That image will haunt me for sometime to come I can assure you of that! Even more so, knowing it was my John Wilson, which I adored, and an Okuma Epix baitrunner. Total cost £140 of gear now residing somewhere between lower Ribchester and the Irish Sea.

Had the rod not dropped on the floor it would not have disengaged the baitrunner I’d clicked on whilst playing the fish and the lot wouldn’t have ended up in the drink. All it would have done is stripped line off the runner.

I suppose the hard lesion I’m trying to convey from my tail of woe, is make sure your baitrunners on, on your other rod when you’re playing a fish. Don’t drop your other rod to the ground when playing a fish just in case the runner disengages and you finish up losing the lot as I did.

watch out for logs, trees, and other objects coming down in the dark.

And believe me when I say, even the catching of a double didn’t make up for the loss of the rod and reel.

Bast***s! /forum/smilies/crying_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/crying_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/crying_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/crying_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/crying_smiley.gif

PS anyone finding the about Items. I’d like them back please!

I sympathise.

I similarly put a rod on the decking whilst turning away for a quick jimmy riddle in the bushes. Baitrunner was on but either I clicked it slightly off when I put the rod down or the fish taking the bait jerked it on the decking and clicked it on or it was set too strong, whatever. Next thing I knew I was watching the butt disappear accross the pond like there was a tarpon on the end. Followed by wading chest deep in the pond trying to find the rod with my toes in the mud. All thisin the less than balmy temperatures of last April. Brrrrrrrr.....

Did find the rod in the end, plus it was still attached to the fish ! Even with barbless hooks and all, so a damned good thing I did recover it.

It was cold tho - not so much in the water as the getting out in the stiff breeze. Took til August for my testicles to recover.

Phil, Unless I'm fishing one rod (which is most of the time) my baitrunners are always on & seta few clicksabove where the water pressure takes line. It's automatic now.Butmore than once I've had a rod dragged out of the rest on the take,even with the baitrunneron butthey've never got dragged right in. It just stayed on the bank with the spool spinningwith the fish heading for Preston.

I find loads of gearwashed upon the Ribble, I'll keep my eyes open for your rod./forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

Bad luck Phil - hope you get them back but I fear you'll be very very lucky to do so

Ouch, that hits you just where it hurts! Tough luck matey. AlthoughI do recall you don't have much luck with rods.

Remember losing the top few inches of a brand new Harrison on the Delph, first time out of the bag? I had to disappear under my brolly to avoid being one ofthe long line of things which were being kicked!

I never fish with two rods for this very reason. The unforeseen, the unusual situation, the thing that will never happen yet inevitablydoes all these things put me off using two rods, even moreso the thought of losing an expensive rod.

Much as I sympathise with you Phil and the loss of your favourite rod I bet you have said more than once that this would never happen to you because you take every precaution to prevent it happening and feel confident in using two rods safely. Hundreds do it I know and it isn't for me to say its wrong but I will stick to my one man one rod rule because accidents happen - frequently, even to the most experienced of anglers.

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What a bummer Phil!

Must get myself another baitrunner - I only have one.

NIce to here the barbel are around during the milder spells

After two dips in Trent this season,I only fish with one rod now,and bought myself a lifejacket!

Off down there now, if I can find where it starts!

I never fish two rods but have nearlt lost a rod the same way when sorting out my brolly with my back to the river.

A simple cord and a good tent peg might prevent future mishaps?

I never fish two rods but have nearlt lost a rod the same way when sorting out my brolly with my back to the river.

A simple cord and a good tent peg might prevent future mishaps? It's what I use to stop my brolly flying away.

Phil. I too sympathise with you. But mythis bea lesson to us all.

well if this had happened to me it would be no where near as funny

An old chap came running to my swim last year on the lake. He'd turned his back on his rod for two seconds and it had shot off, taken by a small carp.

He had another carp rod with a hook and weight tied to it in his hand, but said he couldn't cast out far enough to get the wayward rod now floatingon the surface. Fortunately, the first cast I tried hit the water just two feet past the tip and I got the line caught wit the hook of the spare rod.

I got it close enough to the bank to reach it, but then the line broke and his carp was off. Still, he was very thankful as the rod had been bought at Christmas by his daughter and this was it's first trip out.

Suggestion Phil - perhaps you can apply your mind to some rod locking rest that releases on an upward swing, a bit like those hooks that Bob Nudd uses on his pole. Bad luck, otherwise.

Why does anyone fish baitrunners with the baitrunner facility off?

Phil - I do sympathise with you but....

it is quite funny......./forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

Nigel the baitrunner was on when it was on the rest. It disengaged when it fell on the floor! Unknow to me!

The reason you don't on the Ribble fish with the baitrunner on all the time when its carrying a nearly a metre of water is because in that swim with the runner turned up to the tightest setting it strips line from it constantly. We are not talking bay p*** flows here, we're talking wild angry flows of a spate river.So you fish with it off and only click it on when you hook a fish on the other rod whilst playing the hooked fish. Inevitably when the runner is engaged you do get some stripping on the rod that's not in action, which generally means you have to recast both rods after the fish is landed.

Barney in 6 months I'll probably be able to laugh about it, but at the moment it's raw and I'mmouning for Wilson Okuma/forum/smilies/surprised_smiley.gif

Yes Phil, what rotten luck,i have waterproof address labels that i tie on mine with string, then if they get pulled in at least people can return them to me .

Bet you didn't have any on yours did you?. Get in touch with John Wilson somebody may return the rod to him if they find it.

John the Harrison not the only rod I've done it with, I did it with a Shimano Nexave Barbel Power rod on the Ribble 2 years ago chucking across the river.......Crack!...oops.. oh dear! "Power" my arse!

Phil, I see now.I have never fished with a baitrunner in anger hence the post thoughI make pop my cherry on the Thames on saturday night whenI suspect the same my apply.I certainly was not questioning your capabilities.

Only lost a rod once courtesy of a barbel on the swale.It got in a snag and the butt floated to the surface.I stripped off and managed to retrieve the rod whilst standing on the mid river snag!I remember the trail of bubbles from the handle as it shot under water to this day.

Phil,

Why didn't you go in after it ??