Many good points here; hope I can add to the value of this thread. One thing mentioned is to know your limits. I couldn't agree more, and the way to know your limits is to practice. Practice not only makes perfect, or at least better, but it helps you expand your limit to more challenging conditions. So where to practice? On stream practice should occur where you would naturally wade. My personal rule about where to attempt to wade relates to what is downstream. If a slip and fall just means getting wet and going for a swim, I'll generally attempt it, unless it's deathly cold out, presenting a hypothermia risk. If there's a rapids with a log jam down below, or some other likely leathal risk, then I look for another place to cross.

Another point was made about wearing a belt with chest waders. It's probably a good idea, but for a reason different than people generally think. First I should add that I don't use one, which may be a bad idea on my part. But the water that gets inside my waders isn't any heavier than the water outside my waders in the river. The potential problem of water inside my waders is the additional drag it can create if I try to fight the current. I did this hanging on to a log jam in a small river once long ago, and the drag of the current on my expanded wader exceeded my strength to pull myself out. I pushed off the jam and into the current, at which point the water in my waders wasn't really a problem any longer. Then I sort of lurched - a new swimming stroke I guess - my way to the slower current on the shallow side of the river.

This brings me back to the point about practice. Take your waders out to the lake next summer and jump in. Having prior experience with waders full of water is an excellent first step to avoiding panic should it happen unexpectedly on a river during the winter. Once you know you can swim around quite bouyantly in neoprene boot-foot waders, your increased self-confidence will help keep you from panicing if you fall in accidentally.

The point about small gravel shelves at the head of a pool that one poster mentioned reminds me of just that occurence on the NF Stilly also many years ago. Trying to swing my fly just so, I kept wading a little further out and further downstream until the pea gravel just slid away from me. At least it was the head of a long deep pool, so I swam to the riprap side - the closest- with my flyrod clenched in my teeth. Unfortunately it was November and I was colder than a witch's tooth 8^). Fortunately, the lady in the nearby house saw what happened, called me in, put my clothes in the dryer, and fed me brandy while I sat by her wood stove. Fishing was over for the day, but another wading lesson was learned.

It's also a good idea to pay attention to how the water behaves in rivers. If the water goes around something, like a big boulder, than you can also. If the water goes through something, like a log jam or sweeper, then consider it a killer and a place to avoid. If you wade upstream from such obstacles, do it far enough to allow time and distance to work your way to the river bank.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.