i try to avoid it at all costs...
Once i got knocked over in a trout stream that was raging....and even though i was in less than 2 feet of water...everytime i tried to do ANYTHING the current just beat the hell out of me....as my waders were full.
a good friend of mine who sadly just died at age 39 of a super rare disease
....gave me a helping hand up and out and if not for him i think i would've drown in just 2 feet of water...he saved my life that day.
but the worst event was when i was duck hunting out on a salt water marsh in December ......to get to my blind you had to cross a river that was frozen over even though it was brackish water (1/2 salt....) i crossed over fine in the morning, but by late afternoon that ice had softened a bit...just not noticable on the surface....and so i went right through carrying two ducks and my shotgun...
all i heard was
, Crack! valoooosh and i was looking at ice right up to my nose........
as Luck would have it i just stepped up on a mud bar and broke through the ice almost in hypothermic shock....and tossed my 12 guage up on the snow bank and then crawled out...Since it was several miles to get home frozen and soaken wet....
i quickly retrieved my saftey stick matches covered in wax in a water proof container (Eagle scout trick) and started a fire but i was shivering so bad it wasn't too easy . I had to get completely naked of all wet clothes dump out my waders then i put them back on for warmth...
i stayed there until all my clothes were 3 times rung out and semi dry and
hot
before i trudged on home, minus the 2 ducks it took all day to get.
