Tried the pulley gig with the anchor........awful. Why drop 2x more rope than needed to stop? Not a biggie in an of itself, but the way back up takes 2x as long. Not too handy in sticky situations.

40# anchors require little scope (angle of the dangle) of the rope. They are the four wheel disc brakes of the river. ........They will give pantywaists butt grapes, though.