Flows are over 500 cfs

JT · Senior Member

Flows are over 500 cfs

shon42073 · Senior Member

I'd highly recomend a belt around your waders and a wading staff, and never underestimate the power of flowing water. Does anyone use one of those floatation vests when fishing?

JT · Senior Member

Last time I was out, I tried to wade to one area to get a better angle to acheive a good drift.� I ended up in water up to my armpits in no time.� It was a definite wake up call!� A flotation vest just might be a good idea.

drhays · Veteran Member

I always wear a floatation vest when wading at the creek.� Its an inflatable charged by a C02 cylinder.� My only compant with the vest is that doesnt breath well during the hot weather.� A wading staff is another important part of my gear.� In a days fishing its not unusual for me to fall a couple of times.� I feel like its only a matter of time before Im in the water deep enough to pull the rip cord.�

Daara · Senior Member

i just use a stick for a staff, i don't see any legitamacy in buying a wading staff, plus they're expencive.

robdogj · Veteran Member

Daara wrote:

i just use a stick for a staff, i don't see any legitamacy in buying a wading staff, plus they're expencive.

Bro, I saw a nice one at Walmart for about 10 bucks. You can adjust it according to your height. I bought a simliar one for about $30 bucks. I would shop around. Also use Ebay. I have a stick that I use to. It is thick & I drilled a hole in it. Then I used some clothes line rope, fed it through the hole, so I can have a dummy cord attached to that one. Bottom line, use a staff for these spring flows. They are up are on any river fish at the moment. Also, they are good to ward off snakes as well. biggrin

-- Edited by robdogj at 13:07, 2007-04-05

dtp916 · Senior Member

If I need a wading staff, I ain't going in the water. Or at least that deep in the water.

Thats the way I look at it.

shon42073 · Senior Member

As far as wading staff goes, I just went to a hardware store and got a wooden dowl, the kind you would find in your closet to hang clothes. Wrap it with some colored string for a grip, drill a hole add a cord, maybe a coat or two of laquer and bam you have yourself a one of a kind custom made wading staff. Good for bush wacking also.

Patrick · Veteran Member

If I'm fishing a steam, I have a wading staff hooked to my wading belt.�

Kinda like this one:� http://cgi.ebay.com/Collapsible-Wading-Staff-Shock-Corded_W0QQitemZ180102559863QQihZ008QQcategoryZ23816QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

If I'm with a friend who isn't equiped, I have a spare staff and belt.� Can you imagine hiking for miles and then find the best spot to fish is in a place where you need a staff to cross? It would piss me off if I wasn't equiped properly.� Even though a stick works, you need to have it attached to your person to ensure it will be there in an emergency.�

JT · Senior Member

I found a wading staff once on the creek.� I think I've used it twice.� It just sits in my car.� I really should start carrying it in these higher flows.��

Nohackle · Senior Member

For a wading staff I use an old aluminum ski pole.� I picked it up at a ski shop for a buck about 30 years ago.� Perhaps there are still ski shops with these old poles that would be willing to sell them cheap.� Besides providing support while wading, I use my staff for two other reasons.� One, I can use the staff to probe how deep the water is.� Second, if the bottom is muddy, I can use the staff to feel how firm the bottom is.�

lightfoot · Senior Member

A rake handle from your local hardware store etc will cost you around $10 and last years.� I've only broken one and that was using it as a prybar.

If you don't believe in using a wading staff try keeping up with me on a river like the Pit.� Crossing streams or agressive wading it is a must.� I never wade fish without a staff...never.

bono · Master Fly Fishing Guide

All wading staffs are not considered equal.I really like my Simms foldable staff,so it's always with me on my belt and out of the way when I don't need it.Some of the cheaper staffs (at least the foldable type) tend to bend when too much down pressure is applied,this happened years ago to a client of mine and as a consequence he took a header,the Simms staff is very strong and is really hard to bend.Another nice thing is it's length is sufficient for wading,you want a staff that is long enough to reach out and plant into the streambed at�an angle and still have you're hand at about waist level which gives the person wading the most leverage and control.So to achieve this the staff should be about10" above the belt line when the staff is placed vertically.Also a good staff should have a semi sharp carbide tip to hold well between the rocks and not slip.And this has nothing to do with wading staffs but has to do with safely wading.Always pay attention to what is down stream when wading,things like sweeps or rough water ect,you always should have a plan of attack just in case if you fall in.I know this because I've learned the hard way,I am a very aggressive wader and years ago was even more so than I am now and as a result have got myself into some pretty scary situations with and without a wading staff.Mr Lightfoot is one of the few people I've ever fished with that will outwade me (crazy son of a b---h) and Rob can tell you all about some situations as well.So with the flows as high as they are now just keep all of these things in mind,no fish is worth losing you're rod /reel and possibly life over.

robdogj · Veteran Member

bono wrote:
So with the flows as high as they are now just keep all of these things in mind,no fish is worth losing you're rod /reel and possibly life over.

I was up on the Middle Fork of the American today & there was a couple of times, I was in a lil' too deep. I had to take a quick timeout & reassess my situation. Lucky for me, I had my belt on & a staff w/ me. Both times I wade into water that was up to my chest, w/out realizing I was headed for trouble. It is spring so watchout for the runoffs. Make it out, so you can type about your day here aww

�

Daara · Senior Member

is it possible to wade accross to the island above lake solano ,or are the flows to high?

JT · Senior Member

The flows have jumped above 600 cfs now, but it is still possible to cross.� Just BE CAREFUL.

shon42073 · Senior Member

Easily can wade across and get to the backside of the island with these flows. Gets a little hairy if you try and cross at the top part of the island and head up towards access four, last summer I did that and barely was able to get back, had to breakdown my rod, put it in my back pack and find two sturdy sticks to use as wading staffs. That was just plain dumb on my part biggrin