Danger - Deep Water

[Zerkalo]

I managed to canoe from Bridgnorth to Arley on the Severn a couple of years ago and for most of the way we could see the bottom because it was low and clear, advice was if you capsize, then just stand up. There wasn't any points where it looked deep enough not to be able to stand up at summer levels.

 

[Deejay8]

Several have mentioned the Wharfe, but the most dangerous part is the Strid at Bolton Abbey where fly fishers fish above and below but not through it. It is also named as the stream that swallows people. It is not known how deep it is, but it is said that if you fall in you don't get out dead or alive.



The most dangerous river I fish is the Ericht in Scotland. Its not deep but slip on the rocks and the current sweeps anglers into the deep pools where drowning is highly probable if not wearing buoyancy aids.

I've visited The Strid on many occasions when visiting family in nearby Skipton. What a fantastic place it is, but very scary if you have heard the stories. It's weird standing on solid rock, knowing that under your feet is water. Like they say, if you fell in, you would sucked down into the water and under the rocks. For every pulverized body found downstream, there have been others, never seen again. Their remains are probably still stuck under the rocks. Scary stuff.

 

[Nicky Dodds]

The dodgiest I ever fished was The River Aire this side of Knottingley. The peg was down a high steep bank with a dug out about 3 foot square, and the depth was 14 foot or more under your feet. It was a bit ironic really, as I only fished it twice and drew the same peg both times, mind you I won them both with decent bags of lovely roach, using a Tricast 17' rod. Strangely I remember the pegs in the lower numbers wasn't anywhere near as deep, but didn't fish as good as it looked. tipitinmick will probably know the stretch I'm on about.

Some treacherous pegs round beal and birkin area

 

[SpenBeck]

Some treacherous pegs round beal and birkin area

Above Beal Bridge and around the S bend - 31 feet off the rod end!

 

[Nicky Dodds]

Above Beal Bridge and around the S bend - 31 feet off the rod end!

Some of the tidal is as bad.

 

[matti]

Gingham fishery in horwich, its an old service resivour, which has been drained to half depth, its still about 8' under your feet then shelves away, it used to have floating platforms over the water, they changed them to a solid peg, but there still 3' above the water level, small and cramped, and don't get me started on getting to the peg, those steps might seem like a god send, but you really are risking your life,

Good fishing though

 

[DAMFLASK CHRIS]

Piking on most of the Lincolnshire Drains. There can be some excellent fishing if you put the yards in, but you are often fishing on high, wet, muddy, 45 degree-ish banks

Remember fishing three holes middle level years ago for pike and zander that was steep banking to get down there

 

[The Landlord]

Gingham fishery in horwich, its an old service resivour, which has been drained to half depth, its still about 8' under your feet then shelves away, it used to have floating platforms over the water, they changed them to a solid peg, but there still 3' above the water level, small and cramped, and don't get me started on getting to the peg, those steps might seem like a god send, but you really are risking your life,

Good fishing though

Blimey - you'd carry your gear down in bits, wouldn't you? Could just see me, doing a forward roll into the lake, fully laden.

 

[Joe C]

The wye scares the bejesus out of me. I don’t fish it in winter or if it’s high, mainly because I’ve got a habit of falling in. Twice in the past 3 years I’ve fallen in, luckily both times were shallow commercials.

 

[Philocalist]

Loch Awe, by a country mile - and this coming from a strong swimmer. The loch has a long history of people drowning, particularly where boats are concerned (though boating / hire is still very popular on the loch).
Up there a few years ago on a fishing holiday, with family - hired a decent boat on a flat-calm day - plenty of sunshine and mid-loch was the only respite from the midges.......
Where we were staying was on one of the narrowest parts of the loch - not too many years ago, I'd have happily set off to swim across - around 5 or 6 hundred metres, give or take.
There was a small island opposite with a ruin (for the kids and mum to explore) and a deep channel between the island and mainland, about 70 metres across and known to hold good pike and perch.
A couple of hours later I became aware a breeze was picking up - nothing at all that was alarming, and we were planning to leave anyway so set off back across. Wind picked up quickly, and fifteen minutes later, mid-lake, we were being pushed downwind on a diagonal, quite strongly, but otherwise OK - plan was to go with it, reach bankside then go slowly upwing along the shallow shoreline.
Open water, very deep all around - no hazards, marker buoys flags etc - and we suddenly ground to a very solid 'stop'. Looking over the side, there is a huge gravel / sand bank, coming up out of no-where to within a foot or so of the surface - I've had to kill / lift the outboard and the wind is driving us deeper and deeper into the sand bank.
Two young lads in the boat, with mum - and no chance of me 'poling' the boat off using the oars, no matter how hard we tried - and the wind is getting up. I've no option at this time other than to go over the side and push - with a clear instruction that if the boat gets free, to leave me and go - a straight line downwind to the bank - I'm in a decent life-jacket so reasonably confident that I'll easily stay afloat and wash / swim down behind them.
Sounds like a plan of sorts until I go over and realise the sandbank has the consistency of bloody quicksand, and I'm up to my hips in it already - and less than 5 metres to my right, upwind, the water drops off vertically into darkness.

We got lucky - I'm a big lump of a bloke, and getting my considerable weight overboard increased the buoyancy substantially - the boat was being pushed by the wind (and me), and eventaully slipped off the sandbank, towing me behind it and too exhausted to climb back in.
5 minutes later, the wind has pushed us downwind, and my feet are starting to hit bottom. Onto the bank, and all thoughts of going back up the bankside against the wind are forgotten - boat is out, and we are legging it back to the boatyard - we'd drifted straight past the cove, unseen.

We did nothing 'wrong' per se - it transpires that the sandbank was a new feature, previously unknown - our 'discovery'-, if you will - the result of sediment being dumped there and accumulating offshore during recent floods / heavy rain from the mouth of what was no more than a large stream. Marker buoys were in place within hours, but I've never doubted how lucky we were - I've always been confident around water, but also always had a healthy respect for it - but it's amazing how your outlook and confidence change so drastically when family are involved too, rather than just risking your own daft neck.

 

[matti]

Blimey - you'd carry your gear down in bits, wouldn't you? Could just see me, doing a forward roll into the lake, fully laden.

It's a shame, because it's a brilliant venue, but people pass it by because of the access problems, but yes, everything gets carried bit by bit down to the peg, and it's definitely not a pole venue, so that makes it easier

 

[MarkW]

I managed to canoe from Bridgnorth to Arley on the Severn a couple of years ago and for most of the way we could see the bottom because it was low and clear, advice was if you capsize, then just stand up. There wasn't any points where it looked deep enough not to be able to stand up at summer levels.

I'd like to see you stand up in Cromwell's Hole which is half a mile or so above Arley Ferry (vague memory of seeing this bottomless pit in the mid 80s,,,).

 

[squimp]

Loch Awe, by a country mile - and this coming from a strong swimmer. The loch has a long history of people drowning, particularly where boats are concerned (though boating / hire is still very popular on the loch).
Up there a few years ago on a fishing holiday, with family - hired a decent boat on a flat-calm day - plenty of sunshine and mid-loch was the only respite from the midges.......
Where we were staying was on one of the narrowest parts of the loch - not too many years ago, I'd have happily set off to swim across - around 5 or 6 hundred metres, give or take.
There was a small island opposite with a ruin (for the kids and mum to explore) and a deep channel between the island and mainland, about 70 metres across and known to hold good pike and perch.
A couple of hours later I became aware a breeze was picking up - nothing at all that was alarming, and we were planning to leave anyway so set off back across. Wind picked up quickly, and fifteen minutes later, mid-lake, we were being pushed downwind on a diagonal, quite strongly, but otherwise OK - plan was to go with it, reach bankside then go slowly upwing along the shallow shoreline.
Open water, very deep all around - no hazards, marker buoys flags etc - and we suddenly ground to a very solid 'stop'. Looking over the side, there is a huge gravel / sand bank, coming up out of no-where to within a foot or so of the surface - I've had to kill / lift the outboard and the wind is driving us deeper and deeper into the sand bank.
Two young lads in the boat, with mum - and no chance of me 'poling' the boat off using the oars, no matter how hard we tried - and the wind is getting up. I've no option at this time other than to go over the side and push - with a clear instruction that if the boat gets free, to leave me and go - a straight line downwind to the bank - I'm in a decent life-jacket so reasonably confident that I'll easily stay afloat and wash / swim down behind them.
Sounds like a plan of sorts until I go over and realise the sandbank has the consistency of bloody quicksand, and I'm up to my hips in it already - and less than 5 metres to my right, upwind, the water drops off vertically into darkness.

We got lucky - I'm a big lump of a bloke, and getting my considerable weight overboard increased the buoyancy substantially - the boat was being pushed by the wind (and me), and eventaully slipped off the sandbank, towing me behind it and too exhausted to climb back in.
5 minutes later, the wind has pushed us downwind, and my feet are starting to hit bottom. Onto the bank, and all thoughts of going back up the bankside against the wind are forgotten - boat is out, and we are legging it back to the boatyard - we'd drifted straight past the cove, unseen.

We did nothing 'wrong' per se - it transpires that the sandbank was a new feature, previously unknown - our 'discovery'-, if you will - the result of sediment being dumped there and accumulating offshore during recent floods / heavy rain from the mouth of what was no more than a large stream. Marker buoys were in place within hours, but I've never doubted how lucky we were - I've always been confident around water, but also always had a healthy respect for it - but it's amazing how your outlook and confidence change so drastically when family are involved too, rather than just risking your own daft neck.

Wow ! A scary story and indicative of how dangerous those lochs can be.

when I lived in Scotland I fished Awe many times, but usually from the bank. Conversely I boat fished on loch Lomond numerous times. A really dangerous place as it could go from flat calm to really rough in just a few minutes. You always fished with one eye on the western horizon.....watching for incoming weather.

Unfortunately I know 5 people who have drowned in boating accidents - so I’m fairly careful around deep and/or exposed water.

 

[Northantslad]

Headed to Bewdley one xmas break for a day for a go at silvers, after we had noted some good silvers weights and had some peg tips. Arrived at mine to find the 45 degree angle off putting, but just about managed to make the box and foootplate stable in the peg just up from where the wooded part starts from the more open urban section.

Nearly fell of it, when later in the day, what looked like either a ghost carp or albino salmon (or a poorly one) swam up the inside line.

 

[Zerkalo]

I'd like to see you stand up in Cromwell's Hole which is half a mile or so above Arley Ferry (vague memory of seeing this bottomless pit in the mid 80s,,,).

I do remember some deeper bits, I've heard of that hole but never fished it, I always fish downstream of Arley on the RB. It's deceptive when you can see the bottom in a canoe though. Won't be canoeing again in a hurry either though, too much like hard work.