A great pair of videos and should be seen by everyone who fishes in waders. Being in my late 70's I also wear a personal flotation vest with pockets and a whistle to summon help if necessary.
Great tips. I recently started using a wading staff/walking stick and it made wading 10x easier. It's not just for old people, it is really useful. I wish I started using it years ago. I fish mostly freestone rivers so shuffling is not an option most of the time.
Hello from British Columbia. These are wonderfully useful and life saving videos. Out this way many of the rivers have large timber jams. When wading these sections I make sure of a safe zone of a clear few hundred meters upstream of these obstacles to allow for recovery distance should a tumble occur.
Love your work Jimmy! 💦 Any chance you could do a video about gear organisation / storage options? My sling pack looks like a hot mess and I don’t know where to start…😂
Just for getting in the water at the end, I'll order more gear from you guys! Seriously wicked info. Can't be overstated enough, just how much safer wading is with a staff. Also, a waterproof hip/sling/backpack can be an invaluable flotation device.
The cold water will make you hyperventilate, so expect that, and after you get your knees to your chest focus on taking deep breaths. Another good reason to practice so you know what to expect when it happens for real.
Jimmy that was an excellent demo. The first time I saw this done was when Hugh Falkus (UK Sea Trout Fishing fame) got someone to jump in with thigh waders to see if they could control their flow within the water. By having the head well back, legs up and arms out he was able to do that. Once reaching a shallow area he was able to crawl out of the water even with water in the waders. Apparently as long as you keep your legs up air will remain in the boots. Have you tried that?
Hi Norman, thank you for the kind feedback! I personally do not have much experience in thigh high waders, however I do know they can be extremely dangerous due to their lack of ability in trapping air! I'll have to get myself a set and become familiar again. Cheers!
I recall watching Hugh Falkus demonstrating that technique in a vhs video back in the 1990s. To prove his point he plunged feet first from the bank of a deep Scottish Salmon river,and he wasn't a young man at the time! His 448 page hard cover 1984 book simply titled "Salmon Fishing. A practical guide" is regarded as the definitive book on Atlantic Salmon in the UK.
Great information, keeping calm and practice self rescue saved my life getting pulled into a class 3 rapids in a coastal river, you instantly by nature get your feet in front of you filling your waders and having you be pushed down the rapids scrapping the bottom of river not able to see hitting a Boulder i almost wedged my feet behind it to stand up and the next Boulder I was ready " wedging my feet secured the ability to stand up is 5 feet of water , keep in mind I had a large salmon net that I kept ahold of using as a Rutter . Under for no longer than a minute when I surfaces in the rapids netting the steal head my friend was fighting " God is good all the time " tight lines and be safe" no fish is worth your life!
So , I’m curious if having a tight belt is required to limit amount of water into waders. Often I get nervous because i feel that at some point, I’ll just sink if it’s too deep and be too heavy to get out
The belt definitely prevents water from rushing down to your legs but it won't fully seal. It's super important to bring your knees to your chest and trap air in your legs for floatation and swim to where you can stand ASAP!
A great pair of videos and should be seen by everyone who fishes in waders. Being in my late 70's I also wear a personal flotation vest with pockets and a whistle to summon help if necessary.
Great tips. I recently started using a wading staff/walking stick and it made wading 10x easier. It's not just for old people, it is really useful. I wish I started using it years ago. I fish mostly freestone rivers so shuffling is not an option most of the time.
Hello from British Columbia. These are wonderfully useful and life saving videos. Out this way many of the rivers have large timber jams. When wading these sections I make sure of a safe zone of a clear few hundred meters upstream of these obstacles to allow for recovery distance should a tumble occur.
Thank you for making these valuable videos. Great presentations!
Thanks for watching!
Love your work Jimmy! 💦 Any chance you could do a video about gear organisation / storage options? My sling pack looks like a hot mess and I don’t know where to start…😂
Thanks Sam! Great idea, we'll add it to our to-do list 👍
Just for getting in the water at the end, I'll order more gear from you guys! Seriously wicked info. Can't be overstated enough, just how much safer wading is with a staff. Also, a waterproof hip/sling/backpack can be an invaluable flotation device.
Haha thanks Mathew! Very good point re a waterproof bag!
very valuable pair of videos.
Thanks! We're keen on making sure everyones staying safe and having fun out there!
Love it!! 🎉
Cheers Robbie!!
The cold water will make you hyperventilate, so expect that, and after you get your knees to your chest focus on taking deep breaths. Another good reason to practice so you know what to expect when it happens for real.
The Tumut is a cold river, especially for Australian standards, good point!
Jimmy that was an excellent demo. The first time I saw this done was when Hugh Falkus (UK Sea Trout Fishing fame) got someone to jump in with thigh waders to see if they could control their flow within the water. By having the head well back, legs up and arms out he was able to do that. Once reaching a shallow area he was able to crawl out of the water even with water in the waders. Apparently as long as you keep your legs up air will remain in the boots. Have you tried that?
Hi Norman, thank you for the kind feedback! I personally do not have much experience in thigh high waders, however I do know they can be extremely dangerous due to their lack of ability in trapping air! I'll have to get myself a set and become familiar again. Cheers!
I recall watching Hugh Falkus demonstrating that technique in a vhs video back in the 1990s. To prove his point he plunged feet first from the bank of a deep Scottish Salmon river,and he wasn't a young man at the time! His 448 page hard cover 1984 book simply titled "Salmon Fishing. A practical guide" is regarded as the definitive book on Atlantic Salmon in the UK.
Another great video, thank you! 🎣
Great information, keeping calm and practice self rescue saved my life getting pulled into a class 3 rapids in a coastal river, you instantly by nature get your feet in front of you filling your waders and having you be pushed down the rapids scrapping the bottom of river not able to see hitting a Boulder i almost wedged my feet behind it to stand up and the next Boulder I was ready " wedging my feet secured the ability to stand up is 5 feet of water , keep in mind I had a large salmon net that I kept ahold of using as a Rutter . Under for no longer than a minute when I surfaces in the rapids netting the steal head my friend was fighting " God is good all the time " tight lines and be safe" no fish is worth your life!
So , I’m curious if having a tight belt is required to limit amount of water into waders. Often I get nervous because i feel that at some point, I’ll just sink if it’s too deep and be too heavy to get out
The belt definitely prevents water from rushing down to your legs but it won't fully seal. It's super important to bring your knees to your chest and trap air in your legs for floatation and swim to where you can stand ASAP!