[fishortho]

I know there is another thread on this topic, but it needs it's own heading and not buried in a bunch of other posts.......Don't be fooled by the "we're goin' for a drift down the river...yehaw!!.......This river can be very dangerous and can catch the unwary off guard very quickly. Sure it's fun to float/drift the river, but I would pick something a little more mundane (or start lower down) if you do not have experience..
Every year there is another incident, and belive me, it does not take much to spoil your day. The water is still very cold right into August, and after sitting in your tube for a half hr. or so, the muscles tend not to respond as well if you get dumped....Wear a PFD and check out the river from the shore in advance, so you know which drift is safer.
With regards to the tubers running thru known fish "hangouts" I have often caught fish as soon as a drifter, tuber, 'tooner or kyaker goes by.

Ortho 8)

 

[HOOK]

and get out of the way when someone is trying to battle a fish. nothing will piss off fisherman more than having someone go through while fighting a fish around them :naughty: especially if they dont bother to even try to get out of the way. Oh and if you have a cute g/f we just might try to snag her away also :happy: :happy: :cheers:

 

[steve]

I must say that the river should be walked before floated! know where trouble is or go with someone who does. I spent a couple hours last year pulling people off of on particular hard corner...as soon as I had one out then there is another! Pay attention to where you are going and plan ahead. That river can and will kill you no matter how slow it is flowing. Also bring out what you bring in..if not more! I like to have a beer and float but I don't like to see floating beer! :2cents: have fun but put some thought into it! :cheers:

 

[STLHDR]

Oh and if you have a cute g/f we just might try to snag her away also :happy: :happy: :cheers:

I try to get my fish to bite my presentation and not resort to snagging them.














But I know what you meant HOOK ;D

 

[Kaldan]

search and rescue = search and recovery....

 

[fishortho]

It is not usually the height of the water, but more the speed of the water and how long it takes you to set up for a rapid, sharp turn, or hazard avoidance. I havn't seen a lot of unskilled kyakers in the river, but have seen a few pontooners that pushed the envelope a bit in Allison Canyon....The response time is best in a kyack, followed by a 'toon. The tube with or without fins is the slowest and you have to make a quick change for your upcoming corner, or avoid a nice sweeper, usually you get dumped and get into BIG trouble. If you flip or hangup in front of a log jam, you are particularly vulnerable........JUst use a LOT of common sense, leave the beer at home, and play safe.........Ortho 8)

 

[Every Day]

Ortho I wouldn't particularally reccomend a lifejacket (and I know that the excuse is if something happens like being knocked out you are in trouble, bring a friend that can swim). ... I know people say they are always safer but last year I had to pull a person out of a log jam in a bend of the river. They were wearing a lifejacket and got snagged very bad on the trees and I had to get the lifejacket off to get them to shore :-\ The thing is the things that will knock you out on the river are also the things that will drown you if you are wearing a lifejacket since they can catch onto you and make it impossible to get out, and sometimes a lot harder for someone that can help you, to get you out.. If you can't swim, PLEASE DO NOT GO . The river looks harmless but even down in the canal, if you hit a jam you can be in big trouble, the current doesnt look like much but it can hold you down. The only thing I would reccomend is maybe a helmet to stop yourself from becoming uncapable of helpign yourself. And always bring a friend with so if something does happen they can pull you out of the water.

On another note... if you are ever going into something like a log jam, sweeper, rock wall, NEVER PUSH OFF WITH YOUR FEET. I've learnt from experience that this is not a good idea.. Even in slower moving water the current hits you from behind and puts you in an even worse situation by flipping you over and sucking you under without warning. Its not fun swirling around under a log jam wondering if you're gonna get out. If you see one of these obstacles coming start kicking AT LEAST 40 feet away and kick with the current. Turn your back the way the river is moving and kick on a downwards angle, not straight across, you will get alot farther doing it this way. If you cannot avoid whatever you are about to hit, do not do anything. All you can do is try to tuck everything inside the tube as best you can and normally (not always) the current will push you around it, the tubes are durable and normally just bounce off unless you over-inflate them.

Always scout out the areas you are going for a drift down a couple days before, as new things can appear as the water drops. If you are tubing and plan on going again later in the year, make note of things just below the water as they can become a problem when the river drops. I would not reccomend anything higher than Osbourne Road.. anything higher and you are asking for a lot of trouble as the water is a lot faster up there and it is harder to make a decision and carry it out fast enough. If you see something that could be hazardous during scouting, please don't try to go around it in your tube while drifting, get out of the water up-stream from it and launch again below, you can save a lot of headaches this way.

Just be safe and have fun out there :thumbup:

 

[roscoe-pco]

?????? ??? ??? ??? so your saying don't wear a lifejacket, that's like saying don't wear your seat belt you might drive into a lake and need to swim???

 

[stsfisher]

Every Day, if you are going to give advise try giving some that will actually help.sounds like you have been in some trouble with log jams."its not fun swirling under a log jam wondering if your gonna get out" maybe if you had that pfd on you would of been on top and not underneath. best advise would be to not tube the vedder at all as it is very dangerous without proper knowledge or skill. if you feel you must do it wear a pfd and take a scouting mission on foot the weekend before to know what you will be getting into. nobody here wants to hear that you didn't make it back from a tubing trip because of someone telling you it was a safe place to tube, do the homework your self and use caution whenever on the water.

 

[Richard Nixon]

Ortho I wouldn't particularally reccomend a lifejacket (and I know that the excuse is if something happens like being knocked out you are in trouble, bring a friend that can swim).

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever read on hear. E/D you keep up this thinking and you will never make to your 17 birthday.

 

[marko]

A life jacket ,wetsuite,helmit and a skilled guide is the way to go in these conditions. Still the
hazzard is way up and mistakes are often made. Be very careful...!!!

eace: Marko

 

[mrmugs]

Ortho I wouldn't particularally reccomend a lifejacket (and I know that the excuse is if something happens like being knocked out you are in trouble, bring a friend that can swim).

This the most ridiculous thing I have ever read on hear. E/D you keep up this thinking and you will never make to your 17 birthday.

LOL :thumbup: :thumbup: ;D

 

[kingpin]

and i would definetly wait a few weeks til it comes down... its very high and fast right now. had some trouble navigating in the swift water between trees in the river... then again my oars were falling apart... lol