Falling in

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?

oyster said:

... Any of you had any close calls?

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Apologies for having a laugh at your predicament - but you tell it too well!
Guess you won't be having any more 'close calls' - unless you're fishing that same peg and your submerged mobile is still working! mg:
Tight Lines - and stay safe!

No worries, it is an amusing predicament - I laughed at myself, after I supressed the urge to try and drop kick my seat box into the cut!

oyster said:

No worries, it is an amusing predicament - I laughed at myself, after I supressed the urge to try and drop kick my seat box into the cut!

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Just as well you supressed the urge - you probably would have broken your toe on it! mg:

As you say, it could have been a whole lot worse...Glad you're okay, though..

Gear is a small price to pay for your survival eh ?

Twice I have gone in.... both times wearing waders... The first time was at Rollesby Broad back in the 70's, I was wading along a gravel bar, when the gravel slid out from under my feet and I went down into about 15' of water.... I tells thee, wearing waders in that situation ain't fun... Fortunately I got them off and reached the surface... they are still there if anyone wants 'em

Second time was at West Meadow on the Cambs Ouse.. I was set up on a steep bank, got a bite, leaned forward to pick up my rod and then I was head first in the water with a waterlogged parka and waders .... The parka was acting like a weight, and the waders were full of air and I was bobbing along the river like an overgrown loaded waggler...

Only Stumpy Joe Skinner had the sense to snag me as I went past, and I managed to get out... Sadly it was late October and I was so cold, I had to go back to the coach ... The driver had a boiler suit that he wore for doing a bit of maintenance.... and I wore that, while my clothes were festooned on the various branches to dry off...

Pah ! At one time I could proudly say that I'd fallen in every river I'd ever fished...plus a couple of lakes and the GUC. I can no longer claim that I'm glad to say and I've not taken a ducking for a while now.

Which means I'm almost a nailed on cert to take a dive next time out ! Never hurt anything other than my pride nor broken anything either...but the Thames in flood in January wasn't a pleasant experience and I was quite lucky to emerge from that one unscathed albeit soaking wet. Fished all day in wet clothes too. Stupid boy !

S-Kippy said:

... Fished all day in wet clothes too. Stupid boy !

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But S-Kippy,
Didya catch?!
If so - then it was all worthwhile! mg:
Tight Lines, Dry socks and Warm Toes!

I can only remember 2 times when I accidentally ended up in the drink.

The first time was when I was about 7 or 8 years old fishing with my dad on the Thames, the overhanging bank I was sitting on gave way and collapsed into the river and my dad couldn't swim and as I was going down for the third time another angler dived in and dragged me to the bank.

I remember sitting with a transparent plastic Mac around me with all my clothes draped over the fence behind me and everyone on the boats going past laughing and cheering at me LOL.

The second time was when a mate had just taken my picture holding a nice Tench using an old bulb flash which temperarily blinded me; and I then went to step forward to release the Tench but the bank wasn't there and I stepped straight into the lake.

Keith

Fell in once on the Yorkshire Derwent, crossing a small bridge to an Island my bag/box slipped on my shoulder and the swinging weight pulled me over and 5 foot down into the water. Came up managed to find bottom and stand up . The lad had a big rope, for just such emergencies in his bag, threw it down and pulled me and my gear out. Drove home for a clothes change. River water stinks when wet clothing is in an enclosed space like a car.!

Few years earlier when first started fishing one guy with our group was a budding fly fisherman, was getting good as well. But he was into risky wading with the obvious result. He fell in regular. So much so, his mother despite his protests always put a bag with a spare set of clothes for him in one of the cars.
We would split up fishing different parts of the river, it was a regular comment when one saw smoke rising to look to who was fishing with you with the comment. He's done it again.! No other comment being made or received.

Had a chuckle at that Oyster.
So at 40 you think you should have learned better. Best of luck with that one.
At 66 I still do less than graceful flounders into wet plaices. (excuse the puns)
The last time I taught my mobile phone,car keys and wallet for a swimming lesson it was December.
"Oh bother" I exclaimed as the pirouette was performed.mg:

I have recounted this one before but here goes:



I was trotting a stick float on the River Dane in Cheshire and stood some 2ft or so from the river's edge. I happened to look down and see a crack appear in the soil. Like a dam going, the crack spread, at lightning speed, behind me and caused a half moon shaped island which I was now stood on.

The island then proceeded to float, for a few seconds, towards the middle of the river. Honestly, it was exactly like when the Roadrunner goes over a cliff and holds up his sign saying "Help". I managed to throw both my wallet and the rod, javelin like, onto the bank and awaited my by now certain fate. I didn't have to wait long. The island dissolved and I plummeted into cold water, lots of it.

I managed to paddle back to shore and haul myself out, wringing wet from head to toe. My mate was, by now, at my point of departure / entrance as was a lady dog walking passer-by, who kindly thought she'd help the situation by offering a hankie.

Neil (bless him) was almost as wet as me with laughter but, as luck would have it, by pure chance I had some spare clothing in the car and after a field bath and rub down among some bushes, I emerged redressed and carried on.

I remember it because I moved swims to a likely looking swim on a bend with a lovely bush opposite. I also managed to find a big, black slug which I stuck on a size 8 with a Shakespeare light feeder rod. The first fish from the new swim was a 4lb 2oz chub, the biggest I ever caught from the Dane before moving South.

Not sure it was worth it though.

At least everyone has survived their dunkings, that's the main thing.

Well, the ones who have posted have survived...

Great story oyster, that gave me a chuckle.

On your question of close calls that didn't result in a dunking I had two near misses on the river the weekend before last.

I had waded in to the margin of a very fast swim and could see where it dropped away sharply, I set myself up right on the edge of this drop off at knee depth and put banksticks in, only too aware that loose rocks were rolling over the edge into eight feet of water below.

It wasn't this that caused the problem though.

I always suffer from numb feet after a couple of hours in the water caused by the compression on the waders and as I turned around to wade back out I got my toes wedged firmly between some unmovable rocks but couldn't feel it and ended up chucking the rod to the bank as I was heading downwards face first and only saved myself from a full frontal by stretching my arms out and ending up in something that looked like a press up position.

Low and behold I did the same thing again later that day and despite the numb feet I could clearly feel a throbbing in my big toe which had taken the brunt of it and is now displaying some nice purple and blue colours...



Apologies to anyone enjoying their breakfast, just spare a thought for my long suffering mate who's been getting text picture updates of it in different locations three times a day for nigh on the last two weeks

Coming from Dorset, how come there's no webbing and only five toes???

It's amazing when you fall in.

Cold, crisp, wet and those shallow quick breaths that you really have to control quickly when its cold.

Twice for me, first time was the Canal as a young teenager,
Second time was Rudyard lake in Staffordshire.

I remember once crossing a small side stream, the leap was about 4ft and I reckoned if I did not make it the water could only be about 2ft at most, it was quite colored so I could not see the bottom. With my wellies on should be alright. I didn't make it and it was 5ft deep..The b******s, I hate fishing.

Just off to Foster's to pick up a replacement for the section I broke. I was going to dust off the rods and try the Severn, but it's arrived early so I am back in business. Besides - I figure I am safer on the cut!

Not quite falling in but many years ago a mate and I took another friend fishing. He was a novice carp fisherman and no doubt had dreams of pulling a firty from the local cut.

Anyway he sets himself up and starts fishing, 20 minutes later and I see him laid on his belly groping up to his shoulder in the margin. 'What's up' I ask.
"Dropped my phone in" came the reply "and I can't reach it"

So off I went to try and scoop it with the net, no joy. We could see it but it wouldn't be scooped.

'No option' says I 'strip off and swim for it'.

'No need' says the other lad. 'He's only small, I'll pick him up and dangle him by his feet head first so he can reach.'

So we did, me holding my mates belt so he wouldn't topple forward and the novice carper head down up to his thighs reaching for his phone.

Amazingly we had to repeat the feat an hour later when he dropped his zippo in.