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Wadding Staff #6550951
06/07/19 09:00 AM
06/07/19 09:00 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,516
La Crosse, WI
Macthediver Offline OP
trapper
Macthediver  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,516
La Crosse, WI
Got paged yesterday afternoon to go to a stream couple miles down the road.. Guy was trout fishing, got him self stuck in stream, in mud almost to his belly button..Called 911 on his cell said couldn't get out. I know the place been there couple times some years back..I got there worked my way down stream bank got as close as I could without going in mud over my boots..got a strap on him..He wasn't injured just stuck and knew not to fight to much..Once FD showed up we basically got some tension on the strap, with little coaching, he was able to crawl out basically self rescue.
We've had so much flooding last two summers and this spring stream banks are pretty unstable. Lots of sand and dirt has moved around and not really had chance to settle get firm.
When I got out of my truck to head to the creek. I grab my bag rope and straps,and wadding stick. This stick is literally just a old long heavy wooden mope handle I bolted a rubber knob on the end.. The guy that was stuck had even told 911 dispatcher people need to be careful coming to get him. Said was lots of deep mud spots along bank. I worked my way down the bank poking my stick as I went. Had to go around a couple soft spots wanted to suck me up,, but was able to get to about 8-10 ft from the guy..

So Anyway.. We got this guy out no harm no foul and hosed off mud, No he hadn't caught any fish.
I didn't talk to this guy about why he didn't have a wadding staff.. I believe if he'd had a staff and knew how to use it he might not have gotten stuck. Also he may have been able to free himself with a staff..
I have to admit I didn't always use a wadding staff especially when I was younger and still don't in some places now.. I know it seems like it's in the way to have one sometimes. Ties up your hand when you want to be using it for something else..I carry my mope handle in the truck all the time now along with my life vest and few ropes. I used my mope handle in the flash flooding two summers ago. Wadded in on one of them cars swept off road when people just have to drive threw that water across the road. I have to say that while duck hunting I don't always use a wadding staff. But will admit that I've more than once got out mud using my Mossberg 500 for what I should have had a wadding staff..
Kinda wondering how many you guys out there regularly use a wadding staff/stick while trapping or fishing? Marsh trapping I've used one for years, stream fishing I don't do much any more. I do trap along the upper part of the same stream this guy was stuck in. I use my wadding stick regularly for many years stream trapping..Really just for balance and hooking traps, poking around marsh grass over hangs. Have to say though that simple stick saved me from going over my boots, or on my butt many times..Since my hips are now both mechanical I use a walking stick or stick even on dry land now. I got my mope handle and actually several other various sticks used mostly in water. Old age and my bad hips made me realize I should have been using the stick/sticks on dry land hikes years ago.
What your Stick/Staff story or stories? do you even use one? know how much you can do with one?

Mac


"Never Forget Which Way Is Up"

Re: Wadding Staff [Re: Macthediver] #6550962
06/07/19 09:18 AM
06/07/19 09:18 AM
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,897
American In the Pyrenees; Fran...
S
swift4me Offline
trapper
swift4me  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,897
American In the Pyrenees; Fran...
We sold thousands of them in our stores over the years.... most of them the telescoping or collapsible style for trout fishermen. Mostly for stability in currents and wading in rocky streams as we didn't have many soft bottom trout streams.

I used one duck hunting, but never really got stuck. I carry a baton here a lot in the mountains for stability on the slopes and it has helped me a lot.

Pete

Re: Wadding Staff [Re: Macthediver] #6550968
06/07/19 09:31 AM
06/07/19 09:31 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,550
Rodney,Ohio
SNIPERBBB Offline
trapper
SNIPERBBB  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,550
Rodney,Ohio
I always tell people when I do beaver demos or our workshop that if you're in wading and moving without a staff, you are in trouble. Especially in areas where beaver are or were present. Where we do my workshop, we had a guy beaver trapping years ago pop both Achilles after getting stuck in a vacuum mud.

I found a spot in Hal's backyard a few years ago that bout sent me swimming. Tried to cross the backend of a glorified pond and there was shallow looking spot covered with leaves about two feet below the water surface. Unbeknownst to me, didn't check with my staff, the spot was closer to 5 feet deep and I got one leg pretty wet as I was wearing hip boots.

Re: Wadding Staff [Re: Macthediver] #6550969
06/07/19 09:33 AM
06/07/19 09:33 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,550
Rodney,Ohio
SNIPERBBB Offline
trapper
SNIPERBBB  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,550
Rodney,Ohio
I prefer a heavy duty 4 prong rake as the rake can grab stuff and the surface area of the rake doesn't sink on you when you need to push off to get through the slope in some areas.

Re: Wadding Staff [Re: Macthediver] #6550970
06/07/19 09:36 AM
06/07/19 09:36 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,142
Wisconsin
M
Moosetrot Offline
trapper
Moosetrot  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,142
Wisconsin
I have used an old WW2 ski pole while duck hunting and trapping in the many areas of loon dung we have out here on the River. I keep one in both boats that I use. The basket on the end tends to keep it from sinking into the muck too far and the wrist strap provides a lot of support when pulling these stumpy little legs around. I added a piece of ensolite foam to each of them wrapping it around the pole just under the handle and securing it with zip ties.

Moosetrot

Re: Wadding Staff [Re: Macthediver] #6550973
06/07/19 09:42 AM
06/07/19 09:42 AM
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,922
east central WI
D
Dirty D Offline
trapper
Dirty D  Offline
trapper
D

Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,922
east central WI
When I'm trout fishing if I need a wading staff I grab a branch or stick and am good to go.

Very seldom need one tho. The river I fish is mostly rock, very few soft areas.

Use them only when crossing deeper faster sections for balance.

Some rivers I have fished I wouldn't go without one.

Re: Wadding Staff [Re: Macthediver] #6550974
06/07/19 09:42 AM
06/07/19 09:42 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,550
Rodney,Ohio
SNIPERBBB Offline
trapper
SNIPERBBB  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,550
Rodney,Ohio
I prefer a heavy duty 4 prong rake as the rake can grab stuff and the surface area of the rake doesn't sink on you when you need to push off to get through the slope in some areas.

Re: Wadding Staff [Re: Macthediver] #6550995
06/07/19 10:21 AM
06/07/19 10:21 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,932
NY
R
Rat_Pack Offline
trapper
Rat_Pack  Offline
trapper
R

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,932
NY
Like Moosetrot, I use an old ski pole. Sometimes I'll use two

Re: Wadding Staff [Re: Macthediver] #6551002
06/07/19 10:30 AM
06/07/19 10:30 AM
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 4,951
rogers city mi.
J
jeff karsten Offline
trapper
jeff karsten  Offline
trapper
J

Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 4,951
rogers city mi.
Several times over the years I had to leave my waders or hip boots in the mud to be retrieved when I was on safer ground still not a fan of ankle-fit boots Hopefully i'm wiser now but every now and then I take a refresser course


olden tyred
Re: Wadding Staff [Re: Dirty D] #6551005
06/07/19 10:46 AM
06/07/19 10:46 AM
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,174
IL - Shawnee Ntl Forest
ShawneeMan Offline
trapper
ShawneeMan  Offline
trapper

Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,174
IL - Shawnee Ntl Forest
Originally Posted by Dirty D
When I'm trout fishing if I need a wading staff I grab a branch or stick and am good to go.

Very seldom need one tho. The river I fish is mostly rock, very few soft areas.

Use them only when crossing deeper faster sections for balance.

Some rivers I have fished I wouldn't go without one.

Same here - especially fishing tailwaters - seems they all want to generate as soon as I get on the other side of the rivers.


Shawnee National Forest - We live out here because we're not all there.
http://www.ripcordassociation.com
101 Pathfinder Det / Vietnam 1969 - 1971
Re: Wadding Staff [Re: Macthediver] #6551006
06/07/19 10:46 AM
06/07/19 10:46 AM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 2,042
SE Kansas
K
K52 Offline
trapper
K52  Offline
trapper
K

Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 2,042
SE Kansas
If I'm water trapping I have a wading stick with me when I'm wading or it's in the canoe if I'm using it. I was wading across an arm of a pond this winter and got out of the hard bottom run I had been using for a couple of days and got stuck pretty good. No big deal with my wading stick I got out, not the first and won't be the last time it's proved it's worth. I'm always looking at the sticks in the beaver lodges, you can find some good ones that fit your needs. I put several coat of finish on them and they last good, I usually put more finish on the bottom part of the stick after the season over, they last a long time that way. Finishing a new one right now that is like the beaver custom made it for me.

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