Neville: You were lucky... Also, around here, Water Moccasins tend to stay
around trees like that.. I guess frogs and insects fall off the trees into
the water, and fish hang around the branches waiting for food. And, you're
right, those things can create a bad under tow, and sweep you right under
the tree..I live 7 miles from one of the biggest rivers that runs through
Alabama,(The Tallapoosa) and about 25 miles from the other, (The Coosa) and
I've heard of a lot of drownings from things like those trees..Or, around
here, those bass boats with twin 225 hp Motors, or Fast Jet skis that will
do about 70 mph round a bend and don't realize that a huge 100+ long pine
tree had JUST fallen in the water.. Don't take them long to turn loose of
those boats and/or Jet Skis.. Chuck
----- Original Message -----
From: "Neville Gosling" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2006 6:21 PM
Subject: [VFB] PFDs
I have a CO2 automatic PFD that will self inflate and turn the wearer face
up. It is similar to the S.O.S. Suspender style of PFD. Despite being as
compact as possible it is still bulky and I still find it a relief to take
it off and tend to put it on only when I am running some "dodgy" water.
That
is until last September: -
In September 2005, while fishing a river in the East Kootenay's with
fellow
VFB'er Mel Hocken with my Southfork pontoon boat I left it a bit too late
when approaching a sweeper (a tree that has fallen into the river but is
still anchored to the bank). With the sweeper coming up, I left it too
late
to move out of its way. I flicked my line behind me a placed my rod under
chin, pinning it there against my shoulder while I took to the oars. The
first stroke with the oars and I caught a crab (when the angle of the oar
is
incorrect and digs down). A second later, I was swept by the strong
current
into the tree - an extremely dangerous situation as a person can be swept
under water and trapped by the tree. I grabbed at braches of the tree only
to find that it had sharp spikes making it difficult to hold on. My rod (a
Hardy Gem with a Loop FW reel & Triangle taper fly line was pulled from me
and at the same time, I came off the pontoon boat seat and into the water.
I
grabbed onto one of the pontoons for all I was worth and shouted for help.
I
was swept along a high bank hanging on to the pontoon for dear life. I
noticed Mel on the other side of the river reeling in his rod. "You are
not
*XYZing helping me!" I shouted with some chagrin as I swept past. Some
considerable distance later, my feet touched bottom and I was able to get
ashore. Shortly after, Mel joined me and I told him that I had lost my rod
&
reel. Together, we made our way through the trees and bushes lining the
bank
towards the sweeper. As we came closer, I could see something white
dangling
from the tree into the water - it was my white triangle taper fly line!
Arriving at the sweeper, I could see my rod in the river just under to
surface moving up and down and side to side with the fast current. The
cork
handle was pointing downstream. Thank heavens that the drag was fairly
tight
and that the reel was very light. Mel found a long branch about 12 or 13
feet or more long and as he attempted to catch the white line, I leaned
out
over the undercut bank to grab the rod. It worked and I got my rod & reel
back losing just the fly.
I was not wearing my PFD when this happened. I was extremely fortunate.
Another of my nine lives gone!
Neville (Nev) Gosling
Greater Vancouver,
B.C. Canada
