Yes, in some cases a gun can be very usefull. On the river however is not one of those cases. Of all the poeple that go fishing each yaer, how many times has someone been mauled or shot(not counting Alaska). It doesn't happen. The only incident I have ever heard of was the recent one in Florida where someone was killed during an arguement over a fishing spot or something. One incident out of millions of fishing trips doesn't justify carrying a gun on the river. I don't know if I have ever heard of a cougar or another animal in the lower 48 attacking a fisherman either.

My fists or mace is all the protection I'll ever need on the water. Whats the world coming to when one needs a gun to go fishing.