THIS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!

Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 11:21 am

hi guys and gals,i thought between the lot of us we could put a angling safety guide together,heres my proposal,we all add to the post and in the end i will edit (with permission) it all so it becomes a full comprehensive guide. please include safety tips for boat users also.

any questions please dont hesitate to PM me

thanks big hug

Andy

heres my starter for ten: if you go overboard/fall in the wet stuff REMOVE YOUR FOOTWEAR they will drag you down like bricks

Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 1:45 pm

if fishing in the dark wear jackets with hi viz on.
if you fall in the wet stuff save ur self before ur gear, you can get new rods and stuff but there is only one you.
aways let people know where your fishing and a time to expect you back

Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 2:14 pm

check tide and heights before leaving incase the area you intend fishing becomes cut off , always keep the tide in front and never behind you

Regular Joined: Mar 23, 2008 Posts: 411 Location: Pompey

always carry a mobile phone whether shore or boat fishing , havnt got 1 ? go get 1 , most supermarkets sell a basic phone for under a tenner these days

Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 3:24 pm

How about some kind of panic alarm or a whistle. I have both, and thank god never had to use them yet.
Martyn

Regular Joined: Jun 04, 2009 Posts: 452 Location: enfield

always fish in pairs if something happens to one the other can go and get help

ducker

Regular Joined: Jul 29, 2008 Posts: 403 Location: Jedburgh

check out a new mark at high and low water before fishing it so you can at least gather some information on what the sea state is like at both ends of the tide.

p.s after the deaths of some anglers (including foreign ones) a guy i know on another forum has came up with the idea for actually printing a safety guide to rock/shore fishing in the uk.
This has input from coastguard/RNLI and other forum members and will be printed in various languages and handed out for free in tackle shops in Scotland and i hope it can become a national thing.
The guy is putting a lot of his time and effort into it along with others and has been offered so much help with it it should be a success.

Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 5:38 am

ok thanks so far for the response,a few pointers! single fishing safety,we all like to go on our own from time to time,and im NOT going to mention the use of those whistles attached to float suit (chocolate fireguard lol,ok i mentioned it),but apart from that all the tips so far are great,im making a list ,and have spoken to other mods

all the best

Andy

Member Joined: Dec 28, 2009 Posts: 40

Beware of using old lead sinkers that you may of found on the beach, these need careful inspection as the metal eye can become weak if corrosion has set in, this can be very dangerous when casting if the eye breaks. Also inspect rig end swivels for the same reason as above.

I remember fishing at Dungeness a few months ago and watching this guy Pendullum casting while the beach was packed, this could be fatal if the line parts while the blank is compressed, firing the lead in any given direction. Im not against Pendullum casting as i use this casting method myself but if the beach is very busy it could end up a disaster.

Always check the condition of the eyes of your rod, cracked or damaged eyes could break you line. Check leader knots regular, especially on your braid reels, braid will in time damage the mono part of the knot.....

Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 10:30 pm

andy1_i wrote:

,and im NOT going to mention the use of those whistles attached to float suit (chocolate fireguard lol,ok i mentioned it),

You may mock them, but in poor visability they may help.

It's also worth remembering to tell people where you are fishing and to give them an approximate time you intend to finish.

Occasional Joined: Jul 14, 2007 Posts: 153

Here are a few safety guides that will help some have been mentioned before. I am not trying to teach anyone to suck eggs.

1. Wear a floatation suit or at least some high viz clothing.

2. Tell someone where you are going and at what time you will return.

3. Try to stay in contact with someone at regular intervals, this is
especially important if you are fishing alone, on slippery surfaces, rocks
or there is a chance you may be set upon.

4. Carry a first aid kit in your tackle box. Try to get you work to put you
on a St John’s Ambulance First Aid at Work course. Once you have
done the course you are equipped with the skills to preserve life and it
gives you insurance to carry out first aid up to the value of two million
pounds. If you can’t get a course then at the very least spend £12.99
and buy the 9th edition First Aid Manual by the St John’s Ambulance,
St Andrew’s Ambulance and the British Red Cross. This could end up
being the best £12.99 you have ever spent.

5. Learn how to cope with drowning using CPR.

6. If in distress use a whistle, the distress signal for use with a whistle is
loud short sharp blasts. This noise carries a long way in the still of the
night, so keep blasting for as long as possible, it won’t be long before
someone realises that someone is in trouble and help will arrive. Do not
use an alarm as people tend not to take notice of that due to car
alarms, but a whistle is different as it is not often heard of a night time.

7.How to make an emergency call

Dial 999 or 112

112 is the EU’s emergency distress number, which can be used
anywhere in Europe, the operators can speak different languages. If
fishing in remote areas use 112. The system uses a triangulation
method, and in the UK GPS to pinpoint your location. If you can’t get a
signal from your network due to poor signal, most new mobiles
automatically roam to the nearest free network providing the phone can
at least get a signal. (Some phones display this as for emergency calls
only).

Stay calm speak slowly and clearly

Allow the operator to take the lead, let them ask the questions and you
answer them.

Spell any difficult names and places using the phonetic alphabet.

Give as much information as possible, this allows the emergency
services to prepare themselves for the incident they are going to
attend. Calls are also prioritised. Basically this means that if there is
an unconscious and not breathing casualty and an Angler that has
slipped from a rock and broke his leg, the unconscious patient will get
help first.

REMEMBER TO GIVE YOUR PHONE NUMBER so they can contact you if
they are having difficulty finding you.

Also make sure you mobile is fully charge before leaving, it’s surprising
how many phones go flat just when you need it most.

8. During winter try to take some spare dry clothing in the car, this is
especially important if fishing remote areas, it doesn’t take long for
hypothermia to set in if you are cold and you become wet.

9. During the summer if we get one, wear a hat as sunstroke is a
possibility, this could disorientate you and you could fall in.

10. Carry the contact details of someone who needs to be called in an
emergency. (Next of Kin).

Stay Safe, It’s a Jungle out there.

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 9:17 am

it may sound obvious, but always adhere to the local authority and coast guard rules ad regulations. i know of two people who were nearly killed after being washed off the loca pier (the same weekend that a local agler was killed, not far away) after the pier had been closed by the local authority due to very severe conditions.

i always keep a surival whistle, red army issue glow flare (available from most army surplus and good camping stores) and (not sure if or why i'll ever use it, but its easy to get lost in unknown areas and better to be safe than sorry) a compass. also always keep a first aid kit with you, i dosnt take up much space and you can keep everythig from pain killers and antihistimines, to sterri strips and dressings.

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 10:47 am

some great advice there guys ,i like it.

also, DO NOT RISK YOUR SAFETY FOR THAT FISH OF A LIFETIME,IT COULD BE YOUR LAST!! sorry to shout

always take something to drink and eat with you (more than you think you will need)

a very cheap first aid kit i got was from a pound shop,measures 5in x 3in,and i have it clipped to my clippers and forceps,its a basic kit but something is better than nothing

all the best

Andy

Regular Joined: Jul 26, 2009 Posts: 343 Location: Surrey

Just to add my proviso about the 112 number that disappeared during the changeover.

No signal (ie no bars on phone screen) means you will be out of touch of any network.

Triangulation only works when you are in radio sight of at least 2 masts. Phones are not like one of those GPS gizmos. Be aware of this in remote locations.

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 12:30 pm

Common Sense aint all that common !

Cheers
keith big grin