Ho Ho Holdzit #3 "Drama in Reel Life"

[Jennie@ifish]

Read the rules on the new contest here, and find out the winner of the last contest! http://www.ifish.net/holdzit.html
This one is "Drama in Reel Life" Close fishing encounters, where you say...
"Thank God, I'm alive!" Should make for some good reading. Ever been almost sucked under on the river? Run into some problems on the bar? Grab your lifejackets and write!
Jen

[Fuzzybutt & Angel]

Jennie, I have been wanting to enter some of your contests, but up until now I havent had anything that fit into your topics. but this one I actualy have a few, but the most recent, I will submit as a contest entry.
Last March, my longtime steelheading partner and I had been chasing the big native steelies on the green river. we decided to give it a full-on effort of a full day of fishing. and decided to hike down into the gorge. we had long heard of a semi secret place that was very difficult to get to, but rumour had it, that this was THE spot.
upon arriving at the place to park, we noticed only one car parked near the trail.
we headed down into the gorge. after a 45 minute hike. we arrived at the most beautiful place I have ever seen, this side of Alaska! one perfect hole. water was very clear, and somewhat low. but the bottom was not visable in this spot, jade green, PERF! after fishing this hole for over an hour. I decided to explore a bit and to see if I could get across upstream. I tried to wade it, but it was too swift to cross upstream.if we wanted to fish more than that one hole, we had to cross either up or downstream. up, was out. so I told my partner I was going to go across at the tailout. he agreed and followed me down to the spot I was going to cross. without even giving it a second thought I started out across, below me was a class 4 series of waves, washing into a cliff face, halfway across and crotch deep, my next step, I felt no bottom, and immediately took another step to right myself. it didnt touch bottom either, and in neoprenes I up-ended and went under, as I scrambled to gain control I kept not finding bottom, as I flailed and half swam, I kept getting nearer to the wall of whitewater,churning into the cliff face, after what seemed like a lifetime I made it to the shallows just above the maelstrom. now, finding myself soaked, and freaked out. I turned to see my partner with mouth agape. now I was stuck on the other side of the river. and no way to get back. I contemplated casting my truck keys to my parnter, and having him go for help. but decided to head downstream, to see if I could find another way across. after walking downstream for 30 minutes I found the guy that was parked at the top, and told him my plight. he said he would help me back across, and that he weighed 225 and it wouldnt be a problem. turns out we had a very rough time getting back across, making it by merely feet above the first wave.( my partner took a picture of us)
to top all this off while I was suffering the ordeal on the other side of the river looking for a way out, my partner had caught a beatiful 10lb. native hen in the hole we pounded when we first got there. crazy fisherman that I am, we fished the rest of the day in other parts of the river, and I hooked four big steelhead, all of which came unhooked. the hole is now nicknamed "search and rescue".

[Deleted User]

During the early days of fishing Bouy 10 for salmon on the Columbia R. bar in the late 70's it used to get real choppy in the heavy boat traffic out near the line. Falling out of the boat wasn't a problem at all though because it was so jammed with boats that you just fell into another boat http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif . Our member SalmonShark, Dan B., and I used to go out there in my first sled, the small 15 footer with the riffle runner motor; the one I did the suprise 'wheelstand' in on the Clakamas River. Used just the one motor with a 6 gallon gas tank. One day we had fished our way to 5 fish, and sometimes that last fish can be so hard to get in. We were losing quite a few short striking silvers in the frustarion of wanting to get the boat limited with the last fish. Sooo, we hung in out there and fished into the out going tide. DON'T DO THAT! Especially with a small boat! We had figured we would be alright hovering in around bouy 14 and would pick off our last fish soon. Not. Wound up backtrolling against the strong outgoing current until we almost were to 10, and finally landed the 6th fish. Whew! "Let's get the ^%(* out of here". So I gunned it into the big swift oncoming rollers and found ourseves barely making headway; no faster than a slow walk. This was taking a long time and we were getting seriously worried about an all night drift to Hawaii. So I decided to gamble a bit by running over toward Satsop spit along the south side into water that wasn't running out as strong, to make faster headway. Of course I kept a weary eye toward those dangerous breakers along the spit there. I had heard the stories about boats getting too close and being pushed right into them and getting flipped in the big surf. All this time we hadn't even thought about the gas ... until I inadvertantly hit the tank with my foot and realized in horror that it was almost empty http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif ! YIKES. I picked up the 6 gal. can and there was about an inch or so of gas on the bottom. While continuing to make slow headway I moved back out toward the north so that when the tank emptied we would drift out to sea instead of hitting that dangerous surf, figuring we would likely get picked up by somebody or the Coast Guard. Well, I just kept at it slowly continuing to make progress with the throttle just off full now, to use less gas. We finally found ourselves all the way up past bouy 22 where I was able to work our way over near the south side into slower water, far enough inside of the spit by then. That would also enable us to use the oars to row over to the side when the motor conked out. I don't know how that thing ran as far as it did on seemingly just fumes, but it did ... until about a couple hudred yards short of the Hammond boat basin entrance. Fortunatlely, we were able to row the rest of the way up and into the docks. Wheeeeeew! And no immediate laundering needed either. Stupid! Lucky! EDUCATED! - RT

[happybrew]

This isn't really a story about white-knuckle danger, because at the time I was too young and stupid to realize the danger I put myself in. But years later, I realized just how stupid it was. When I was 16, I was backpacking in the Sierras. We had spent a day resting up after going hard for three days with very heavy packs. We decided to do some fishing. We were going up a stream that fed into the San Juaquin River. Working our way up the stream, we came to a spot where it went under some glacial moraine. Large boulders blocked the way. It looked like giants had been playing marbles there. The only way over was to get a boost up. I was the last guy, and had no one to boost me up. What was I going to do? Mind you, I was young and therefore invincible. And we were located days from any possible medical assistance. So what did I do? Decided to swim for it under the moraine. Dumb! So I go into the water, which is so cold it takes your breath away, and start swimming into the tunnel through the rocks. After several minutes, all I can see is a little speck of light behind me where I came in. I have no idea how many channels there are though the boulders, because I can't see a darned thing. Should have turned back. Didn't. I kept swimming more. I see a light in front of me! I head toward it. There is an opening in the rocks! I head toward it. It's an opening about 8 feet wide, and ten feet up with sheer rock all around. There is no way to swim forward, and I have no idea if I can get back. So I tread water and call to my buddies. Luckily, they can hear me, they are close by, and come to the hole. One of them asks how deep it is. Heck, I don't know, but I am young and invincible, so I dive down to find out. I went as far down as my lungs could take, and didn't hit the bottom. Luckily, the current didn't take me too far. Now, how to get out. Nobody has a rope. They find a fallen tree, drag it over to the hole, push it over the edge, and wedge it into the intersection between two boulders, and I climb out on that. By now, I'm approaching hypothermia because I'm swimming in snowmelt, but heck, I'm young and invincible. No big deal. At the time, no thought of my personal safety came to mind. I just did what I wanted to do, and assumed everything would be just fine. It wasn't until I was much older that I realized how easily I could have died. I fear the day when my kids are teen-agers, and do things like that.

I think a big part of maturity is learning to balance risk and reward. You don't want to be timid, but you don't want to be stupid either. When I was in the military, I was often rewarded for successfully taking risks to accomplish goals. That's why the military is usually a young man's game, with older people (sergeants) to put the brakes on when needed. Since we had kids, I no longer ride a motorcycle, and I don't wade past mid-thigh level when I fish. And I wear a lifejacket if I'm going to be wading even that deep. Call me a wimp, but now that there are others depending on me, no fish is worth any amount of risk. When I was a teen, they were. How stupid I was back then!

happybrew

[Shannon]

Take a deep breathe.

In 1998 I set out to fish Eagle Creek off of the Clackamas. My Native American neighbor, Manny wanted to join me. When I arrive at the creek just days after new years it looked like a roaring river. The daily temp was no more than 35-40 deg. Anybody else would have cracked a beer and called it a day, but not me. I donned my chest wadders and had my friend put on hip wadders. With the river high it pushes the fish into the tailout of this boiling back eddy. The creek had to be crossed because of the cliff. Manny had been drinking beer throughout the day and insisted on taking his back pack with beer in it. I explained to him just how to cross this tailout. As I led the way I looked back and Manny was in the middle of the creek calling my name. I turned to look and that man looked nearly pale white with fear. He said that he was slipping and every step was taking him further to where I said we did not want to go. I went back out to the middle of the creek and the force of the water was intense. As I approached him he had no facial expression and Manny said the water is getting colder. He had the frozen look of fear pasted on his face. As I looked down I now understood why he was getting colder, he was vastly taking in water. To make the situation worse he grabbed me and would not let go. The strength of the current was slowly dragging him down river and he was dragging me with. Manny had a surprise. He told me not to let go of him because he couldn't swim. Great, his hip wadders are now full, the current is dragging us to the gauntlet that lays below and he wont let go of me. I began to fear for my life being I had chest wadders on. I talked him into letting me go so I could take the gear and his back pack back to where we started. This trip was over. I needed to get us safely out of there before this became a tragedy. I took his back pack off and pulled his watters all the way down to relieve some of the force of the strong current. No more than 3 to 4 feet away from him with my back turned I heard him yell my name from down stream. I turned to look and he was gone. I saw his head pop up 30 yds down river and gasp for air. I launched the rods and pack on the shore and started to run towards the shore and slip and fell. My neoprenes were taking in water and I was moving down river. I was able to grab hold of roots and pull myself to shore. I was able to get the boots and wadders off. I looked and saw him bobbing up and down through this run. I was running down the shore line tearing off my clothes while keeping my eyes on him as best as I could. I finally made it down river to where he had finally surfaced. He was in the second tailout and was on the far shore area moving slowly threw the water exhausted. He needed to get to shore because the second run was littered with downed trees. Nearly out of breathe myself I yelled at him to stand up. That he did. It was a task due to the cramping in his legs. He would stand and collapse. He finally crawled up to safe ground. Now how was I going to get him over to other side of the stream. As I sat there catching my breathe in my wet under wear I looked up in disbelief. Two kayakers came to the rescue out of no where. He took off his clothes and ended up losing my wadders tumbling down river. They brought Manny back to the other side and I helped him up to the car and took him to the hospital. He was puking in my car and began to go into convulsions. I finally got him to the hospital. He had hypothermia and had to stay two days. I was really happy to see him still alive and kicking. The first thing he asked was were's my back pack. Is that all this guy thinks of.

He still owes me a pair of wadders. LOL

Shannon

This has not been edited!

[First Bite]

Some people have one incident in their lives that changes them forever. This is mine.

It was Father's Day 1995. I talked my Father-In-Law into joining my wife and kids for a day of fishing at the Wilson river. We arrived at one of my favorite fishing drifts and the river looked great. I helped my Father-In-Law get rigged up and we both started fishing. After awhile with no luck, I decided to cross the tailout and fish around the corner where there was a hole about eight feet deep that I had caught Steelhead before. I had on my neoprene chest waders with felt soled shoes. The tailout was about waist deep in the wide, slow section and gradually got shallower where the river narrowed. I've crossed this tailout numerous times and did so again with no problem. When I got to the deep hole, I saw a Steelhead finning there. I tied on a sand shrimp and cast about ten feet in front of the fish. I watched the shrimp all the way to the fish and saw the Steelhead move over and inhale it right as it was about to go past. I set the hook and after a fiesty battle a landed the fish. I was really pumped and crossed back over and showed everyone the fish. I told my Father-In-Law that there could be more fish in the hole and asked if he wanted to cross over with me and fish it. His reply was, "You bet, I'll follow you". He had on rubber chest waders that looked way too big even for his oversize build. I got to the wide, slow section of the tailout and started to cross. I was about halfway through the fifty foot tailout when I heard him yell. I looked back and saw that he had tried to cross where it was shallow but very fast. Instantly his chest waders were full of water and he became a sliding mass of weight heading directly into the eight foot hole where there were a mass of tangled branches underwater. My wife yelled, "Oh my God, Mark get him". I'm in the middle of the tailout in waist high water trying to move as fast as I can to get to the other side. All this time I see out of the corner of my eye my Father-In-Law slowly slipping closer to the deep hole. I knew his only chance was for me to reach him before he slipped into the deep water. He told me wife some time later that he was praying to God to please not take him in front of his kids. When I finally reached the other side, I threw down my pole, ripped off my vest and ran to the head of the pool. I waded in up to my chest, braced my footing and grabbed his outstretched hand as he was sliding by. To this day, I don't know how I did it, but with one hand I pulled him closer to the shore where he finally got a foot hold on a rock. While maintaining a vice grip on his hand. I slowly worked my way closer to the shallow water. When we got to the shore, my Father-In-Law and I had a long tearful embrace. He thanked me for saving his life and all I could do is just hug him.

It would be five years before he went bank fishing with me again. That next time was two weeks ago in mid November. He wore tennis shoes and we didn't cross any rivers. The highlight of the day...he caught his first Steelhead ever. We had a great time and he wants to know when we can get out again. I told him any time, just give me a call. We're going out again during Christmas break. Life is good. Enjoy everyday with the ones you love.
Mark

[This message has been edited by stlhdr (edited 12-13-2000).]

[Snagly]

These are great stories! I'm fortunate that I don't have anything remotely like these to share. At the risk of sounding like someone's Mom, let me put in a plug for low profile CO2 life vests and belts. I bought a belt one from SOSpenders (c/o Bass Pro) a year ago for $70 and am very happy with it -- so much so I wear it every time I get in the boat here in the tropics or pull on my waders in steelhead country. It's out of the way (sits below the vest in front at waist level -- like a fanny pack), and while it won't save you if you're unconscious it would handle most of the bad situations described above. (There are other brands that work just as well, I'm sure, and quite a few people I know have CO2 life jackets embedded in their fishing vests.) Wearing a wading belt cinched tight helps, too. Cheap life insurance!

[BUGLEMAN]

Snaggly I couldn't agree with you more. I have been thinking about getting one of those vests for myself. You know how fast things can go bad in the boat or on the bank. It is just been a matter of when. Does anyone know where a CO2 life jacket/fishing vest could be purchased ready to go?

As a side note: that is how the famous Jim Teeny lost his father as they both crossed the tail out below the big hole at Marmot Dam on the Sandy. Heard the story from Jim himself. He is a very nice outdoors man.

[First Bite]

Bugleman
I purchased a Stearns inflatable vest soon after the incident that I posted above happened. They are spendy ($120) but if you really need it once, it's a life saver. You can get the Stearns vest at GI Joe stores and I believe Fisherman's Marine carries them also.
Mark

[GutZ]

Stearns has very nice life vests. I have one of the CO2 kind, but much prefer one called the expedition (I think) Big Pockets, Zippered inside pocket, High collar, Belted. Warmest piece of clothing I own. Wouldn't get on the drift boat without it.
Guts.

[BUGLEMAN]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check out F.M. etc. I am hoping to find one that is light wt. with big pockets etc. Yet, not too hot for summer use. As I know I won't use something if it is big and bulky.

I rarely see people in drift boats with a life jacket on.

[Hookset]

This story just happened yesterday fishing the lower Nestucca in the wind and rain storm and in case your interested you didn't miss anything by staying at home.

First off, I was rowing and have years of experience and by no means consider myself a novice. And, I have never had one single mishap on the water until yesterday, read on.

We were drifting in 5 feet of water from an unknown put in to a unknow take out. This section has a number of rocky areas where the river runs a little shallow even at 5 feet. Of course I always manuver the boat to keep the person up front fishing in the inbetween water, like we were currently in. There were a number of rocks to manuver around with a series of 6 just below the water line and just below the boat. They were angled to the left, alomost forming a wall and evenly spaced at 3 feet between them. I just started turning the back end to the right to get around them and down thorugh the slot.

I pushed back for a long power stroke and started pulling forward and CRACK....POP, the right oar broke in two. The boat immediatley drifted down on top of the rocks. The boat was stuck on two rocks and sideways to the on rushing cuuernt. I grabed the broken oar, threw it into the boat and replaced it with the SPARE oar. I tried to oar off, the boat didn't budge. We tried rocking but this only put the upcurrent side lower to the on rushing water. My partner, wearing neoprene chest waders said I'm jumping out to free the boat at the same time he placed one leg over the side. I told him know way, stay in the boat. He was going to get out on the downsteam side in about 4 feet of fast water in the middle of the river!! Even if the boat was freed, he was on the wrong side in water that was to fast and there could be difficulities getting back into the boat.

Checking out the rocks underneath, he noticed that the biggest rock was under the front half of the boat. We shifted the weight by moving him into the back and rocked a little and the boat came free. Quickly grabbing the oars I manuevered into the slot and we proceded down river.

We escaped with only a broken oar and a couple new scracthes. We were lucky. If the water was faster the boat could have rolled.

We had miles of river still to naviagte and without a third oar, we would have been in trouble.

Later, checking out the oar. There is a knot and a gap where water sepped in at the break. The break occured above the oar stop and in the rope wrap, about two feet from the handle. These oars were Sawyer's laminated glued all woood 8 footers and apx. 8 years old. The finish was cracked on all the oars with weather checking and several splits in the wood. At a distance, the oars didn't look that bad. Closer insepction proved different.

The obvious point here is inspect your oars frequently, if you haven't done this recently, check them before your next trip. And ALWAYS carry a spare oar. I used to float for years without a spare oar many years ago, before I got wise. Just never needed it until yesterday. All it takes is one time, just once. The other suttle thing is make sure your oars are proper size for your boat. This boat really needed 9 foot
oars. The extra lenght provides increased leverage and allows a shallower angle into the water. Very important when running fast shallow water.

I never thought I was in danger drifting close to these rocks, just trying to get my partner into the last hole behind the last rock before moving downstream. I didn't have to cut it this close and I'll have to watch this in the future. Safety first, fishing second.

I hope everyone can learn something from this unfortunate situation. I know I have.

be safe,

hook

[Jennie@ifish]

Congrats Hook! You won!
Jen

[Steve]

Many years ago, back when Crusty and I were warring...I was fishing below Rivermill, all morning it was one break off after another through the the best drift...I went home and put on my wet suit and drug my tanks down to the pool along with an other diver to back me up...well he had a call of nature and went back into the brush...apparently a fisherman came down because shortly later a steelie got caught on my BC, because of the current and my size I didn't feel it. I kept working out farther into the river and up stream, well my pardner came out of the brush to see this guy saying that he had the biggest fish in the river...guess the line eventually broke and the fisherman walked away saying something stronger line and harpoons.??????????????I think it was CRUSTY!