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It could happen to any of us

 
I agree with Neil, I've always used a dog spike and rope over the years but the last couple of winters I've fitted crampons over my boots too, makes a tremendous difference!
 
Steve Roffey said:
I agree with Neil, I've always used a dog spike and rope over the years but the last couple of winters I've fitted crampons over my boots too, makes a tremendous difference!
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Totally agree, but you do need to inspect and clean them after use, otherwise they can become next to useless (and make your muddied boots very heavy!).
BTW ...the cheaper ones with rubber connectors between the 'spike-plates' only last a dozen sessions or so)
 
One of my pals, a very experienced angler, fishes the Severn. He stakes a length of floating mountaineering rope to the bank and throws the length in the water. If he fell in he just has to get to the bank and use the rope to pull himself out, or hang on and hope a camo-clad angel hears his shouts :D
 
Terry Simner said:
Totally agree, but you do need to inspect and clean them after use, otherwise they can become next to useless (and make your muddied boots very heavy!).
BTW ...the cheaper ones with rubber connectors between the 'spike-plates' only last a dozen sessions or so)
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Yes Terry, my first set were the cheap ones, fell apart after a few uses. My current ones are much more robust, the cleaning is essential, both for grip, and to lighten the load!
 
This is welcome reading as I am very fearful of falling in. We use Crewsaver life jackets at work which self inflate and cost about 150. I have a mountaineering device, it’s for snow but I prefer to tie a rope to a tree if possible. B&Q sell 25m of green rope for under a tenner, just add lots of knots then it’s something to grab hold of.
 
Paul Richardson said:
I think this was posted recently but it is so impressive and if one more person sees it and it helps then worth repeating

www.facebook.com

Hugh Falkus Survival Skills | Hugh Falkus deals with falling in the water like a boss. #WadeSafely #WearAFloatationDevice #WadingBelts #SalmonFishing #DontPanic | By Glasgow Angling CentreFacebook

Hugh Falkus deals with falling in the water like a boss. #WadeSafely #WearAFloatationDevice #WadingBelts #SalmonFishing #DontPanic
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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I thought the clip that followed was going to show us how natural floatation aids works 🤣 😂 🤣 😂
 
That’s all well and good when the water is warm. Cold water will shock you into a panic. A chap I knew from a carp syndicate died in France a couple of years back after falling overboard from the boat he was out in the lake on
 
Rob Moore said:
This is welcome reading as I am very fearful of falling in. We use Crewsaver life jackets at work which self inflate and cost about 150. I have a mountaineering device, it’s for snow but I prefer to tie a rope to a tree if possible. B&Q sell 25m of green rope for under a tenner, just add lots of knots then it’s something to grab hold of.
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Rob these are what I and many others use, screw into firm ground and securely tie the knotted rope to the revolving ring. Very often there isn't a handy tree near swims to tie a rope to:
1636697712415.png
 
Jon Young said:
That’s all well and good when the water is warm. Cold water will shock you into a panic. A chap I knew from a carp syndicate died in France a couple of years back after falling overboard from the boat he was out in the lake on
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Please take some advice from the experts lads
rnli.org

Cold Water Shock - Water Safety Tips - Know The Risks

The effect cold water has on the body once it has been ingested is often underestimated. Learn more about the effects of cold water shock and how to avoid it.
rnli.org rnli.org
 
Jon Young said:
That’s all well and good when the water is warm. Cold water will shock you into a panic. A chap I knew from a carp syndicate died in France a couple of years back after falling overboard from the boat he was out in the lake on
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Better off not falling in the first place but as I say if it helps one person get back home safely if they go in then worth repeating.
Have to say that water didn't look too warm to me - we don't have warm water oop North ;)
It sounds nerdy but as long as I have fished the Swale I've done a quick risk assessment in each swim - simply if I go in, get panicked where do I head for and where can I get out ( if at all). There are a couple where the current would take me and if I could remember the key point of arms out and kick like mad I might have a chance. Before I saw that video I would have flayed around and shouted
Lets hope none of us ever have to put it into practice

One point on crampons - if you wear them , check them before use as mine interconnect by chains and some of the clasps do work loose. It's normally a quick fix with a pair of pliers to nip the S hooks up and good to go.
I ignored this last winter and whilst I didn't slip, a loose chain caught on a step and I faceplanted like a sack of s**t
Luckily into deep low and it was a classic ' fail' and hilarious for onlookers but nearer to the edge or any a rocky area could have been naughty.
 
Nearly went in the river few years back , now I don’t normally climb into a peg unless I know I can get out .I fished a stretch of the ribble and upon arrival it was carrying a lot of water ,I decided to fish on a bend .my rod went and when I grabbed it I lost my footing and was going in as it was a slope , I was sliding towards the river digging my hand in fish on and was thinking I’m a gonna , luckily I grabbed some reeds and this stopped me , I managed to compose myself and get stood uo , netted the fish in another spot away from the slippy bank , frightening experience , can happen to anyone , stay safe
 
When the swim is muddy there are a few things is always do, such as putting down some vegetation on top of the muddy bits I'm likely to be standing on - dead grass tussocks, balsam stems, small branches at a right angle to the slope. Sometimes I will put some strategically placed banksticks or bivvy pegs on the edge of the swim which should I slip - give me a chance of a decent foothold.

And I always leave a bivvy peg by my chair so that everytime I sit down I can clear the mud from the tread of my boots to maximise traction (crapons might be a better idea - but this does make a big difference).

Like Paul, I always make a plan in my head about how I'm going to try and get myself out if I fall in.
 
Peter Brownbill said:
Nearly went in the river few years back , now I don’t normally climb into a peg unless I know I can get out .I fished a stretch of the ribble and upon arrival it was carrying a lot of water ,I decided to fish on a bend .my rod went and when I grabbed it I lost my footing and was going in as it was a slope , I was sliding towards the river digging my hand in fish on and was thinking I’m a gonna , luckily I grabbed some reeds and this stopped me , I managed to compose myself and get stood uo , netted the fish in another spot away from the slippy bank , frightening experience , can happen to anyone , stay safe
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Did it on a drain in East Yorks years ago - I was traversing down a very steep bank and went - I had a big bergen on my back and although the drain was only narrow it was deep i would have ended up right in the middle due to the momentum. I would have been dead.
Thank god I had a storm pole in my hand which I managed to dig in enough to stop me just in time but it was too close for my liking.
Like you do when you're young and daft I brushed myself down and carried on fishing - think I had a couple of nice pike 🤪
 
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