Safety first

[Jerry H]

After a trip to the ER yesterday I just want to remind everyone to be safe when on the rivers. We have all done this. Snag in the brush on the other side of the river and gently try to work it free and save our tackle. When that doesn't work and you don't want to cut off and leave a 100 feet of line in the river, you take the slack out and give it a good tug. This is what I remember. A load pop, pain and then laying on the ground. I was lucky. The weight hit me in the side of the foot. Took my shoe off and my foot had already started to swell. My son-in-law and two other fishermen looked at it and we decided it was only a bad bruise. No reason to stop fishing. Left the shoe off and stood in the water figured it would take the swelling down. Well it got numb so didn't hurt as bad but the foot kept swelling. Made it about 2 1/2 hours more then couldn't do it anymore. Stopped at the ER on the way home. It is amazing what kind of damage a 3/8 oz bell sinker can do even through a shoe. Two breaks adjacent to a joint, the joint is dislocated and deep tissue bruising. I have to go to a pediatrist in a couple of days for further evaluation. ER said at least 4 weeks in a hard boot and crutches and 8 weeks to completely heal. Really messed up fishing for a couple months. I was going next week to Garibaldi Oregon for tuna and salmon fishing.

Again this is something we all have done at one time or another most of the time with no problems. I was really lucky it could have been much worse. The things we take for granted and do regularly can have unforeseen consiquinces. Be safe on the water and everywhere.

[Amx]

That sucks. No more walking the river. Now you'll have to go bass fishing in a boat.