As an emergency services coordinator as well as hunter and fisherman, I have had many occasions over the last twenty years to become involved in the rescue or recovery of sportsmen who got into trouble on the river or in the woods. Very often they got into trouble because they violated the fundamental rules of common sense and safety. I have gotten into trouble once or twice myself so I speak from two kinds of experience. Here are my suggestions for stream safety:
Always let someone know where you are going fishing and when you will return. Arrange to call them when you are safely off the river. When you tell someone that you are going to be fishing in a particular spot, Fish In That Spot. If you change locations, let someone know. The worst situation you can create for yourself is to leave a message that leads your rescuers away from you.
All anglers, but particularly fly fishermen should check the river flow schedule if it is available. Much trout fishing in Tennessee is tailwater fishing. Tailwaters have inherently unpredicatable releases. TVA and the Corp of Engineers cannot guarantee water release schedules. Anglers cannot assume that the information on the information line will be accurate everytime. As you fish, watch the water for and change. If the water begins to rise, leave the streambed.
Know your river. When the generators flow on some rivers, water conditions become ideal for canoes and boats. 1800 cfs of flow on the Hiwassee produces near ideal conditions. Flow on the Elk is typically 3800 cfs in a much narrower streambed. The Elk can be a very dangerous river. On the Hiwassee, the broad streambed and relatively low flows mean long delays in the cascade of water from one point to another downstream. On the Elk the vertical rise at the dam is about 5 feet in 15 minutes. The downstream rise is much more rapid than for the same distance on the Hiwassee. On the Elk there is very little time to go along the bank and then cross.
Watch the weather. Even in Tennessee the weather can change quickly. I was once caught out in a severe windstorm with heavy hail about a mile from my truck. I had started out in 60ˇ weather but the storm dropped the temperature by 20ˇ in less than a half hour. Mild conditions became hypothermia conditions faster than I could get back to the safety of my truck. The signs were all there in the sky; I should have quit fishing much sooner than I did.
If you are on the river during a storm, get out. The trees along the bank zones of rivers are unstable and often topple in heavy wind. Lightning is also a danger during storms. Put your rod down. If you have to take shelter, the mud bank or a grove of bushes are a much better choice than a large, exposed tree.
Most fly fishermen wade, but this is risky and needs to be done carefully. Riverbeds are dynamic and after heavy rains or storms they carry a lot of silt. You should avoid discolored water. I once discovered a section of bottom consisting of clay and gravel that a heavy flow had cut vertically. The old bottom was about 18" deep; right next to it a trough 4' deep had been cut. One more step would have thrown me.
Stay out of deep swift water in waders. Deep swift water is dangerous, even if it holds fish. If you must wade such water, you are much safer to plan ahead and wear sneakers. If you get into a situation in waders where you have to wade or cross swift water, use a stick and undo your shoulder straps on your waders. Never cover your straps under a zipped vest or jacket that would keep you from getting your waders off.
If you end up in a situation where you are using a safety line in crossing a river, do not "tie into" the line. If you tie the line to your waist or loop it over shoulder and then stumble in swift water or strong current, the line can actually pull you under. On some rivers the force of water is strong enough that a friend could not muscle you out. If you do things around rivers with waders and ropes, carry an extrication knife. I use a folding Spyderco lockback that clips to my waders and can be opened with one hand. It has a serrated edge which will grab rope and cut quickly. There are other brands that are designed for river use. Avoid heavy "survival" knives that cannot be used quickly.
Hypothermia--heat loss injury--is the most common dangerous condition that most outdoorsmen encounter. Few however ever recognize the conditions that lead to it, or the symptoms of it. Heat loss is generally caused by a combination of two things--expenditure of energy and wet/windy conditions. Mild hypothermia can make you shake and do dumb things. Full hypothermia makes you do truly stupid things, lose motor and cognitive control, and can kill you. Solution: Pace yourself, Carry something to eat, and stay dry. Remember that sweat can make you just as wet as rainfall. If you become wet, get out of the wind, and take steps to get dry and to get high energy food into your body. Advice: carry a fuel source in your kit, pack dry clothes in heavy plastic bags [I carry a second shirt and waterproof parka in my vest], and pack food in your vest. Remember that tailwaters are typically cold and can induce hypothermia even in summer.
Be careful on riprap and on slick banks--many falls and sprained ankles come from these sites.
Know your river. Study maps. Talk to bait fishermen. DonŐt scorn good advice. Know your escape routes from the riverbed if river conditions change.
Pay attention. DonŐt become hypnotized by the fishing.
More fishermen are hurt by yellowjackets than by copperheads. Be prepared for stings--especially if you are hypersensitive.
Make an accurate assessment of the cost of your whole kit. How much is it really worth? Rod, reel, flies, waders, vest, other tackle--most likely it will tally not over $500. Is it worth your life? Be prepared to abandon your gear if it will save your life.
Gerald L. Smith
Sewanee, TN