Hi guys .. I post on another site that more specific to canoe travellers and one topic that has got a lot of attention .. even though many of you fish in boats the topic is still relevant and I know that many of you kayak, canoe ... so here it goes ...
- if you are fishing just after ice out and you tip the canoe or kayak ... what do you do? Or I suppose say your fall out of your boat or it tips .. whatever. I know i know for many the answers are obvious but as I've seen on the other site there are a lot of different opinions and options ... some say to swim to shore if you are close .. others say try and right the canoe ... and then once you get to shore what do you do first?
Remember the other site i post at is more for algonquin park folks so you are in the interior with an overturned canoe ... thats really the backdrop to all this and what got the topic started.
I know that many of you have extensive experience in the bush so I'm interested in your opinion ...
After a bit I'll share with you some other really good advice other have said ...
A dip in cold water
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bucketmouth
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I can't answer your question with a definitive answer but what I will say as a kayak angler myself is that you should never hit the water at ice out without the proper attire. I wouldn't be out on frigid water without a dry suit. They're expensive but can save you life.
I too would be interested in hearing everyone's thoughts. Too many factors like are you wearing a pfd or not, how far to shore etc.
I too would be interested in hearing everyone's thoughts. Too many factors like are you wearing a pfd or not, how far to shore etc.
Certainly, the proper attire, w/life jacket, if you are wearing boots, make sure you can kick them off quickly.
Make sure your small craft is clear and free from clutter.
If you do go in the water, go for the craft 1st and then go to shore!!!
Oh, and under any kind of bad weather or troublesome event, always go with another.
This is as real as it can get as my good friend went through this very situation in early April a few years back.
?
Daner
Make sure your small craft is clear and free from clutter.
If you do go in the water, go for the craft 1st and then go to shore!!!
Oh, and under any kind of bad weather or troublesome event, always go with another.
This is as real as it can get as my good friend went through this very situation in early April a few years back.
?
Daner
A Fish a Day, will keep the Blues away!
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dead_weight
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It is pretty serious and many people including myself didn't give it much thought until recently .. you see we are in the process of planning our first trip to algonquin park .. likely the first week or second of may .. so the water is going to be frigid ...
I didn't do a good job of painting the scenario ... in our case we will be in the interior of the park ... two guys in the canoe ... we will not be too far from shore since we are spring fishing ... we always have PFD's at all times ... but we tip the canoe ... then what ...
Strangely enough there are a few different schools of thought ...
again I know that this site has mostly people that fish from boats where it's less likely of a fall in the water .. but I suspect most here have been in a canoe and many have been deep in the bush fishing at one time or another .. heck even ice fishing someplace you can fall in ...
You would be surprised to hear the number of stories people are telling about seeing it happen and having to help some people before they go into shock and hypothermia really kicks in .. it happens a lot more than most think ...
I didn't do a good job of painting the scenario ... in our case we will be in the interior of the park ... two guys in the canoe ... we will not be too far from shore since we are spring fishing ... we always have PFD's at all times ... but we tip the canoe ... then what ...
Strangely enough there are a few different schools of thought ...
again I know that this site has mostly people that fish from boats where it's less likely of a fall in the water .. but I suspect most here have been in a canoe and many have been deep in the bush fishing at one time or another .. heck even ice fishing someplace you can fall in ...
You would be surprised to hear the number of stories people are telling about seeing it happen and having to help some people before they go into shock and hypothermia really kicks in .. it happens a lot more than most think ...
.
Well I have to admit I am proud of everybody ! On any other FH day the reply to the question would have been to swim to shore start a fire and spoon for warmth. 
In this situation i would say stay with the canoe until you get to shore.
In this situation i would say stay with the canoe until you get to shore.
This is how my grandfather died. He was a trapper and overturned his canoe in early spring. This was many years ago when my mother was 6-7 years old.
Always follow the shoreline as close as possible. If you tip your canoe 1-2km from shore and you are alone, your chances for survival are low. Many times I have been out in early spring and seen people paddling through large waves right in the middle of the lake when they could have followed the shoreline without going out of their way. Take extra caution if you must to cross a large lake. Wait for the wind to calm down if you need to.
As for what I would do in the event I tipped:
-Being prepared is important. All clothes and sleeping bag should be in a dry bag. I am anal and in spring will have my sleeping bag and clothes in a dry bag inside a waterproof canoe pack. For white water trips everything goes into locking barrels.
-Matches: I keep several packs of matches in several different locations. If I have to ditch some of my stuff, at least I will have matches somewhere else. It is also likely that you will get your matches wet at some point. I will have others packed separately that will hopefully be dry.
-20 foot painters on the bow and stern will aid in recovering the canoe if and when that happens. We keep a carabiner on the end of our throw ropes. The painters should have a loop at the end. You can quickly clip the carabiner on the painter and have 70' of rope on the canoe. You might be able to swim to shore, then pull the canoe in.
-If you can throw your stuff in your canoe and pull it to shore, great. If not, I wouldn't immediately worry about the canoe / food / etc. Number one is to make sure you don't get hypothermia. Worry about the canoe later if you have to. You MUST get your pack with your clothes, tent and sleeping bag to shore with you. Think of this scenario: You tip on a windy day. Shore is 100meters away and into the wind. Your canoe will be blown by the wind in the opposite direction you want to go. Depending on how submerged it is, it might be going faster then you can swim. Don't chase it!
-First, change into dry clothes
-Next you need to make a decision: Get a fire going or setup the tent and warm up there? If it is raining, I say tent. If it isn't raining and there is dry wood nearby, make a fire. The bigger the better. Setup a tarp or tarps as a wind break.
-If you are with your wife, spoon for warmth. If you are with your buddy, don't spoon. It just isn't dignified.
Always follow the shoreline as close as possible. If you tip your canoe 1-2km from shore and you are alone, your chances for survival are low. Many times I have been out in early spring and seen people paddling through large waves right in the middle of the lake when they could have followed the shoreline without going out of their way. Take extra caution if you must to cross a large lake. Wait for the wind to calm down if you need to.
As for what I would do in the event I tipped:
-Being prepared is important. All clothes and sleeping bag should be in a dry bag. I am anal and in spring will have my sleeping bag and clothes in a dry bag inside a waterproof canoe pack. For white water trips everything goes into locking barrels.
-Matches: I keep several packs of matches in several different locations. If I have to ditch some of my stuff, at least I will have matches somewhere else. It is also likely that you will get your matches wet at some point. I will have others packed separately that will hopefully be dry.
-20 foot painters on the bow and stern will aid in recovering the canoe if and when that happens. We keep a carabiner on the end of our throw ropes. The painters should have a loop at the end. You can quickly clip the carabiner on the painter and have 70' of rope on the canoe. You might be able to swim to shore, then pull the canoe in.
-If you can throw your stuff in your canoe and pull it to shore, great. If not, I wouldn't immediately worry about the canoe / food / etc. Number one is to make sure you don't get hypothermia. Worry about the canoe later if you have to. You MUST get your pack with your clothes, tent and sleeping bag to shore with you. Think of this scenario: You tip on a windy day. Shore is 100meters away and into the wind. Your canoe will be blown by the wind in the opposite direction you want to go. Depending on how submerged it is, it might be going faster then you can swim. Don't chase it!
-First, change into dry clothes
-Next you need to make a decision: Get a fire going or setup the tent and warm up there? If it is raining, I say tent. If it isn't raining and there is dry wood nearby, make a fire. The bigger the better. Setup a tarp or tarps as a wind break.
-If you are with your wife, spoon for warmth. If you are with your buddy, don't spoon. It just isn't dignified.
