02-16-2009, 10:55 PM
I was fishing Clear Lake near Buhl Idaho last weekend. I borrowed a Fish Cat 4 from my brother. I usually fish from "round" tubes but this was only my second or third time in one of these "pon-tubes" I am 51 and started out in an old canvas "Tucker Tube" when I was 10 so I have been float tubing a long time.
Anyway, I was fly fishing, a little fatigued and overextended my right arm on the forward cast. I lost balance & flipped the boat forward onto my face. I was trapped between the stripping apron & the boat. The boat wanted to force my face under the water & I could NOT get free from the apron as my weight prevented me from unfastening the front hooks & I could not reach the Velcro straps in the back.
I could not breathe & my waders were filling with water. Fortunately I was about 20 feet from the shore & my buddy was near. He heard my thrashing and towed me closer to the shore were & could stand up. If I had been close to the shore & my friend I may have drowned.
Has this ever happened to any one else out there? Needless to say I am getting a pontoon boat and sticking with round tubes from now on.
Looking at the fish cat designs (in retrospect) it looks like there is a lot of pontoon in the back and very little in the front. I also notice that the new ones have a break away stripping apron.
I wonder if this has happened before to anyone?
[signature]
Anyway, I was fly fishing, a little fatigued and overextended my right arm on the forward cast. I lost balance & flipped the boat forward onto my face. I was trapped between the stripping apron & the boat. The boat wanted to force my face under the water & I could NOT get free from the apron as my weight prevented me from unfastening the front hooks & I could not reach the Velcro straps in the back.
I could not breathe & my waders were filling with water. Fortunately I was about 20 feet from the shore & my buddy was near. He heard my thrashing and towed me closer to the shore were & could stand up. If I had been close to the shore & my friend I may have drowned.
Has this ever happened to any one else out there? Needless to say I am getting a pontoon boat and sticking with round tubes from now on.
Looking at the fish cat designs (in retrospect) it looks like there is a lot of pontoon in the back and very little in the front. I also notice that the new ones have a break away stripping apron.
I wonder if this has happened before to anyone?
[signature]