After fishing Silwer Stroome at flows of over 100 tons yesterday, I realised that not everyone knows how to negotiate fishing in high flows.
Hopefully the following pointers will stop someone getting drowned.
Golden Rule :
NEVER fish high flows alone, no matter how competent you are, even if your buddy is on the bank, at least he can see if you go for a "drift".
Don't fish a new venue in high flows, unless you have someone with you who knows the venue well. In normal flows the little gulley you are about to step into might be thigh deep, in high flows it could be chest deep, and then you are in for a drift. Someone who knows the venue will point these little pit falls out to you.
Have wading boots, and on the Vaal / Orange, preferrably
felt soled. Wading in Track Shoes is OK for Normal to low flows. In high flows you will at the least have bruised toes and battered ankles, the worse we don't even want to contemplate.
Entering the Water. No matter how "benign" the bank margin seems, test the depth and flow with your wading stick, before stepping into the river. You never know if the high water hasn't created a fast channel 2 paces from the bank.
Wading In. Walk Crab Wise. Your stongest leg at the back, weakest in front. Shuffle the front foot up or across, depending where you are headed, making sure the back foot is
FIRMLY anchored. Once your front foot is anchored, then slide your back foot up to just behind it, about a foot. Anchor your back foot, comfortably, before even thinking of moving your front foot.
Repeat the process, slowly, untill where you want to be.
NEVER, NEVER, take your back foot past the front,or even worse the front past the back, i.e. a normal walk, the flow will knock you off balance and your feet are not anchored, result will be a drift.
THE SLIP/STUMBLE, FALL & RECOVERY. Should you be unfortunate enough to loose your footing , either through a sudden surge, ( which happens often ) in higher flows or a stumble , trip over an unseen rock , the
ONLY RULE is DON"T PANIC. !!!!!!!!!!! If both feet are off the bottom,turn your back so that you are facing downstream, ( which is where you are headed ), lift your feet and go with the flow. Keep your rod out of the water, and with your free hand try and protect your @rse from banging on the rocks.
You will feel when the flow slows due to a pool or deeper water, then slowly work your way to the bank untill your feet touch down.
Then you walk out, cussing yourslef for the drift in the first place, walk all the way back up, and try again.
P.S. My longest "drift" was 600 metres on the Orange. ON PURPOSE, had to get down to the rest of the group.
Was to lazy to wade.
I know I ended with some humour, but SERIOOOOOUUUUSSSSLLLLYYY guys, be carefull out there.
