Last weekend for the second time in my 30 years plus angling I fell in, You would have thought at 40 years old I would have more sense than to make the same mistake twice.
I was fishing the pole on the cut and had my full seat box set up. I was deliberately as close to the side as possible - as it meant I could get away with using 1 less section. I knew the ground underneath the front feet wasnt very solid, but I suppose I had calculated the risk/benefit.
I had just netted a roach and had laid the pole down on the roller/spray bar. As I did this my pole slide off the bar and started to move into the water. I leant forwards to stop it. At this point I can clearly remember every single thought that went through my head -
"Dont grab at the pole step off your box and reach down for it carefully"
"Then I thought that the angle the pole was going in at could mean the whole thing would be submerged, so I better be quick"
"I better lean back quickly, the box is tipping forwards"
"surely not"
"****ng ####!" *splash*
I was fully submerged, and after a brief moment got my footing and hauled myself out of the canal. After a moments shock, I started to try and save as much of the gear I had lost as possible. I managed to recover some of the stuff that was either close by or floating on the surface. I looked up the bank and signaled to an old gent who was fishing 150 yards up the bank I was ok. He was probably wetting himself laughing, I know I would have been...
End result - broken pole section, lost mobile, lost several other bits of kit and sustained cuts and bruises.
I suppressed my anger at my stupidity and saw the funnyside fairly quickly. I packed up went home and spent a bit of time reflecting. I was actually quite lucky, there was any number of ways if circumstances were slightly different it could have been more serious. Any of you had any close calls?
I was fishing the pole on the cut and had my full seat box set up. I was deliberately as close to the side as possible - as it meant I could get away with using 1 less section. I knew the ground underneath the front feet wasnt very solid, but I suppose I had calculated the risk/benefit.
I had just netted a roach and had laid the pole down on the roller/spray bar. As I did this my pole slide off the bar and started to move into the water. I leant forwards to stop it. At this point I can clearly remember every single thought that went through my head -
"Dont grab at the pole step off your box and reach down for it carefully"
"Then I thought that the angle the pole was going in at could mean the whole thing would be submerged, so I better be quick"
"I better lean back quickly, the box is tipping forwards"
"surely not"
"****ng ####!" *splash*
I was fully submerged, and after a brief moment got my footing and hauled myself out of the canal. After a moments shock, I started to try and save as much of the gear I had lost as possible. I managed to recover some of the stuff that was either close by or floating on the surface. I looked up the bank and signaled to an old gent who was fishing 150 yards up the bank I was ok. He was probably wetting himself laughing, I know I would have been...
End result - broken pole section, lost mobile, lost several other bits of kit and sustained cuts and bruises.
I suppressed my anger at my stupidity and saw the funnyside fairly quickly. I packed up went home and spent a bit of time reflecting. I was actually quite lucky, there was any number of ways if circumstances were slightly different it could have been more serious. Any of you had any close calls?