Almost two weeks ago the
Swift Water Rescue Team was called to a rescue on the Financial section of the Upper Sacramento, which turned out to be a fly fisherman who bent or broke his ankle.
Rather than drag him back across the river, they
winched him up to a hovering helicopter and flew him to Redding.
Now I read about a Colorado angler who
broke his leg and found himself stranded for six days on a remote stream until rescued.
We're concerned.
Whatever happened to the days of
yore, when "fly fisherman" still had "man" in it?
When you could sever your spinal cord while fishing a remote backcountry stream, yet drag
yourself out of the wilderness (all uphill through snow drifts) on the bloodied stumps of your fingers, fighting off a pack of rabid grizzlies with only your clippers and a spare spool of tippet?
Rescue? We don't need no stinkin' rescue (include your least believable self-rescue story below).
Let's be careful out there, Tom Chandler.