Crossing to Safety

Crossing to Safety

There are ways to wade a river safely, and ways to ensure that you will get wet. Dale Darling, former owner of the St. Vrain Angler fly shop, has a few pointers for keeping dry. First, no matter how good your wading boots feel, you want to walk next to rocks, not on top of them. You never want to find yourself in a situation where your legs are crossed, or you’ll lose your balance. Keep the toes of your boots pointed slightly upstream at all times to maintain balance. And when you’re crossing the river in swift current, pick a destination point at a 45-degree angle downstream from where you start, and cross on an angle. If there’s an obvious deep spot, avoid it by choosing a path of embarkation and debarkation from the river that starts at point A, upstream, and ends at point B, roughly 45 degrees downstream. As a rule, don’t step into unfamiliar waters where you cannot clearly see your boots. Wear polarized sunglasses to help you see the bottom. And always cross the river downstream. When you fight the current by pressing upstream, you will inevitably lose the battle.