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12/19/2017 10:40 am  #1


A Cautionary Tale

Hi all,

Just wanted to share with you an unfortunate tale from this weekend. In all honesty I haven't told too many people about it- It is an incredibly humiliating and embarrassing story. 

I went ice fishing on sunday on one of my favourite back lakes near Calabogie. The splake fishing is always lights out this time of year and I was fishing on 4 inches of solid ice on the Ottawa River the day before nailing walleye. I wasn't too worried about the ice as the ice is always much thicker up in the Madawaska Highlands. It must have been the extra high waters in the creeks flowing into the lake, but walking to the spot after spudding through 6 inches of solid ice I went through what must have been only an inch of ice. I'm not sure why I wasn't spudding the whole way out. I had a late night before which may have led to the lapse in judgement. After falling in I got up, went through again. Got on my stomach, went through again. Got on my stomach went through again. Finally made it out without my vexilar fish finder, spud (ice pick) and two rods which all went through. I still have my phone but it is in a ziploc of silca gel. I have fished this spot for almost 10 years and ice in this area has never been a problem,  but I should have been checking the ice as I walked. 

It's been a rough couple of days for me- pride, vexilar, rods and spud have all been lost. All over the lust for a few frankenfish created in Dexter's laboratory. I'm hoping to gain back my self esteem over the christmas break fishing for steelhead in the rivers. I think it will be a while before I go ice fishing again. 

Be safe out there! Moral of the story is stay far away from any creeks or rivers are coming in. Water is higher this year than any other year I can remember. The creek flowing into the lake is just a trickle and I was a good 100 feet away.

Cheers,

Lenny

Last edited by Lenny (12/19/2017 12:06 pm)

 

12/19/2017 10:47 am  #2


Re: A Cautionary Tale

Damn man, that's intense.

Glad you're okay - a few lost gear items is definitely the better of the other possible outcomes.

How did you hold up mentally while this was happening? A bit of panic? No panic, just logic? I sometimes wonder how I would hold up in a situation like this.

Edit: lots->lost

Last edited by Peek (12/19/2017 11:30 am)

 

12/19/2017 11:29 am  #3


Re: A Cautionary Tale

This is so scary and I'm so glad you're ok.

It's a good reminder that even the most experienced of us can make dangerous mistakes. 

Stay safe, friends. 

 

12/19/2017 1:15 pm  #4


Re: A Cautionary Tale

Thanks all for the kind words. Recovering mentally has definitely been a struggle and I hope nobody who reads this goes through this. 

Peek- I wouldn't say panic or logic, just adrenaline. Other than sky diving in New Zealand I don't think I've ever had more adrenaline going through my body. It was about a twenty minute hike out and -24 outside so the walk of shame back to the car helped keep me warm even though my coat, boots and pants were pretty much frozen solid. 

     Thread Starter
 

12/19/2017 4:49 pm  #5


Re: A Cautionary Tale

I can't imagine the energy plummet after an adrenaline rush like that. I know I am always drained physically and emotionally after an event/activity that spikes my adrenaline but I've luckily never experienced anything like this. 

Regarding the mental recovery, be as kind to yourself as you can be. Everyone has been in a situation where they were probably a little over-confident; we all make mistakes. This experience will probably stay with you forever but hopefully the fear will fade and your pride will return to a healthy level. 

Also, thanks for being so honest about how hard these events can be mentally. Often we only focus on the immediate physical impact but the emotional and mental toll is real and it only benefits us all to acknowledge its power.

 

12/20/2017 8:17 am  #6


Re: A Cautionary Tale

Been there, done that, and took a week to warm up!
Now I carry my throw bag and don't go on ice alone!

 

12/20/2017 12:15 pm  #7


Re: A Cautionary Tale

So glad you came out of that ok.  I have shared one or two mistakes on AA that I have made for the same reason - hoping to prevent somebody else from doing it.  Thanks for sharing that.  Overcoming the mental part of it is no small thing, and it will take some time as you say.  For me it was a car accident in a terrible snowstorm. Going backward at around 70 km/h downhill in neutral at night hitting a telephone pole and eventually coming to rest on the passenger side door does things to you even if you are unhurt.  It has been five or six years and my legs are rubbery even now just thinking about it.  I still get very, very anxious in certain snow driving situations.  Scary things are scary things, and they stay with you.  I can't say I'm a better snow driver now, but I am surely more aware and cautious.   The memories of sensations, events, fear in those moments - they are always there to be drawn upon for future reference (for good or bad).  

So thankful you came out of this ok.  Boy what a scare.

 

12/22/2017 4:18 am  #8


Re: A Cautionary Tale

Don't you talk about Splake like that Lenny. I've got the t-shirt too, but yours sounds like a particularly scary one.  Were you wearing floatation and picks?  Too bad about the vex and the rods but in the grand scheme they're just things.  How deep was it where you went in?  I wouldn't discount going back and trying to retrieve your gear and it wouldn't be the first vex that survived a prolonged dunking.  Might even be able to give you a hand if you want to do it over the holidays.

 

12/22/2017 10:28 am  #9


Re: A Cautionary Tale

Chuck Enwinde wrote:

Don't you talk about Splake like that Lenny. I've got the t-shirt too, but yours sounds like a particularly scary one.  Were you wearing floatation and picks?  Too bad about the vex and the rods but in the grand scheme they're just things.  How deep was it where you went in?  I wouldn't discount going back and trying to retrieve your gear and it wouldn't be the first vex that survived a prolonged dunking.  Might even be able to give you a hand if you want to do it over the holidays.

I appreciate it! I had picks but didn't end up using them. Water was about 40 feet deep, so I think scuba diving is the only option. 

Two other twists to the story- I got a message from Niels who said he was on the same lake the day before on safe ice. In the same area he was fishing someone else fell through and made it out alright.

Also- The next day someone posted on 613 ice fishing that they found a spud in Calabogie and to message them the colour and lake and it was the same one I had left on the ice when I fell but didn't go back for. He was fishing on safe ice exactly where I fell in one day earlier. 

     Thread Starter
 

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