Wading and the MENISCUS

No, the other one. The medial, on the right, to be precise.... and it's
torn.

See, the building where I work is not tall but it's really really big. I
mean BIG big (used to be the Italian Ministry of Colonies--truly fascist
in both design and scale), with amazingly long hallways. And since I came
back from my home leave in Oregon last month, I'd noticed as I walked down
these very long, often surprisingly quiet corridors, there'd be this faint
but regular click, click, click as I walked. Didn't know at first if it
was my ankle, my hip, my knee, or even my shoe, and because I wasn't in
any pain, I didn't think much of it. A few days ago, though, my right
knee started to hurt, which led me to try to localize this clicking
thingy, and, well, whaddayaknow....

It ain't easy to find an orthopedist (or anyone else) in Rome in August,
especially a couple of days before Ferragosto (when, apparently due to
some sort of law dating from the reign of Trajan or Hadrian or somebody,
all right-thinking Romans are browning on the beach). But thanks to the
sort of dogged-flyfisherperson persistence that can stalk and put
three-pound browns on the beach, I finally tracked one down -- at the
Military Hospital of Rome, no less, which is an astonishing place,
downright Felliniesque... but that's another story. The important thing
for our purposes here is that Tenente Colonnello Laviano is medical
competence personified and is also the possessor of a most excellent
command of the English language -- the fellow has a baseball bat and a
ball signed by Mark McGuire on top of his air conditioner, for goodness
sake (odd how it's the little things that inspire confidence). And so it
is that I know that the outer part of the MENISCUS is reasonably well
supplied with blood vessels and thus might conceivably heal if sutured,
entirely unlike the inner part, which isn't and won't, and also that...,
oh, yes, er, upon reflection I suppose you all might not.......

Anyhow, looking back, I'm fairly sure I tore the MENISCUS while wading the
North Santiam River on my home leave, swinging flies for steelhead. The
N. Santiam is not a huge river, but like many PNW steelhead waters it's
strong and has a bottom strewn with big rocks (softball to beach ball
size, and some much bigger). I'd waded myself into a bit of a spot, in
heavy water, rib-cage high, with my right (downstream) foot wedged between
two rocks--done more or less on purpose as an "anchor" of sorts against
the current. When I made to move the customary two steps downstream--sort
of leaned out of my stance, from facing directly across stream to slightly
downstream--the current caught the now-more-broadside me (as it will tend
to do) and my body began to move but my foot..., well..., Ouch! It did
come grudgingly out in the end, but with more than a wee small twinge to
the knee. The knee never did swell, and there was no subsequent
pain--only the click--until just the other day, so the tear may not be too
bad after all. Will do some drugs and physio for a month (even the
good Tenente Colonnello is on his way to the beach, it seems) before
perhaps an MRI and perhaps a little surgery.

But mulling it over in the meanwhile, I realize that I'd had a number of
similar occasions over the past ten years or so (since I started
steelheading with some regularity), occasions when deep wading in heavy
water among big rocks made me conscious of a quite noticeable torque on my
knees. Not real pain so much as a recognition that there were
significantly uncomfortable twisting forces I had to work hard against,
and perhaps the odd wee small pang or two. If I thought much about it
afterwards, I wrote it off as, "well, it's just old age... normal that the
knees will go sooner or later... won't be long before my only fishing is
done sitting in a pram, hahaha...." But now I believe a good part of it
is that before I started fishing big PNW steelhead water, I had rarely
fished in really heavy current, rarely waded much above mid-thigh or hip,
and mostly fished streams with sandy, pebbly, or silty bottoms.

So, perhaps it's something to keep in the back of one's mind. Myself,
eventual surgery or no, I suspect I might start wearing those elastic knee
braces while steelheading. And when wading that type of bottom in heavy
water, I may think twice before going much farther in than, well,
knee-deep.

JR

JR wrote:

Anyhow, looking back, I'm fairly sure I tore the MENISCUS while wading the
North Santiam River on my home leave, swinging flies for steelhead. The
N. Santiam is not a huge river, but like many PNW steelhead waters it's
strong and has a bottom strewn with big rocks (softball to beach ball
size, and some much bigger). I'd waded myself into a bit of a spot, in
heavy water, rib-cage high, with my right (downstream) foot wedged between
two rocks--done more or less on purpose as an "anchor" of sorts against
the current.

Bad idea. Very bad. You could have not merely hurt your knee -- you
could have drowned if you'd fallen over. I avoid any chance of wedging
my foot while wading, as best I can. Sometimes it happens by accident,
and then I sort of freak out. I've started using a wading staff in tough
currents and it's working well, albeit a PITA when I'm fishing and not
wading.

Good luck with the knee, JR.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

JR wrote:

Anyhow, looking back, I'm fairly sure I tore the MENISCUS while wading the
North Santiam River on my home leave, swinging flies for steelhead. The
N. Santiam is not a huge river, but like many PNW steelhead waters it's
strong and has a bottom strewn with big rocks (softball to beach ball
size, and some much bigger). I'd waded myself into a bit of a spot, in
heavy water, rib-cage high, with my right (downstream) foot wedged between
two rocks--done more or less on purpose as an "anchor" of sorts against
the current.

Bad idea. Very bad. You could have not merely hurt your knee -- you
could have drowned if you'd fallen over. I avoid any chance of wedging
my foot while wading, as best I can. Sometimes it happens by accident,
and then I sort of freak out. I've started using a wading staff in tough
currents and it's working well, albeit a PITA when I'm fishing and not
wading.

Good luck with the knee, JR.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

rw wrote:
JR wrote:
.... I'd waded myself into a bit of a spot, in
heavy water, rib-cage high, with my right (downstream) foot wedged between
two rocks--done more or less on purpose as an "anchor" of sorts against
the current.

Bad idea. Very bad. You could have not merely hurt your knee -- you
could have drowned if you'd fallen over. I avoid any chance of wedging
my foot while wading, as best I can. Sometimes it happens by accident,
and then I sort of freak out. I've started using a wading staff in tough
currents and it's working well, albeit a PITA when I'm fishing and not
wading.

Yeah, you're right. "More or less on purpose" meant I'd been wading
along and found my foot had sort of slipped down the side of a rock into
the crevice. The smart thing to do then would be to get it out at once,
then fish. What *I* did was to say, well, it's not really wedged, as in
WEDGED wedged, you know, as in stuck... see I can move it... no problem.
Then I fished my cast out. And after the minute or two that took, with
shifts in weight from one foot to the other and the thrust of the current,
by the time I DID want to move it, by gosh by golly by gum it WAS
wedged. As I said, something folks might want to keep in mind.

You're also right about the wading staff. I've only used one once, and it
was indeed a PITA, but if I want to keep fishing big moving water a staff
is surely in my future. You ever read James Babb's "My Rod and My
Staff"? Skates a tad close to the edge of the maudlin, maybe, but still
one of his better efforts I think.

JR

rw wrote:
JR wrote:
.... I'd waded myself into a bit of a spot, in
heavy water, rib-cage high, with my right (downstream) foot wedged between
two rocks--done more or less on purpose as an "anchor" of sorts against
the current.

Bad idea. Very bad. You could have not merely hurt your knee -- you
could have drowned if you'd fallen over. I avoid any chance of wedging
my foot while wading, as best I can. Sometimes it happens by accident,
and then I sort of freak out. I've started using a wading staff in tough
currents and it's working well, albeit a PITA when I'm fishing and not
wading.

Yeah, you're right. "More or less on purpose" meant I'd been wading
along and found my foot had sort of slipped down the side of a rock into
the crevice. The smart thing to do then would be to get it out at once,
then fish. What *I* did was to say, well, it's not really wedged, as in
WEDGED wedged, you know, as in stuck... see I can move it... no problem.
Then I fished my cast out. And after the minute or two that took, with
shifts in weight from one foot to the other and the thrust of the current,
by the time I DID want to move it, by gosh by golly by gum it WAS
wedged. As I said, something folks might want to keep in mind.

You're also right about the wading staff. I've only used one once, and it
was indeed a PITA, but if I want to keep fishing big moving water a staff
is surely in my future. You ever read James Babb's "My Rod and My
Staff"? Skates a tad close to the edge of the maudlin, maybe, but still
one of his better efforts I think.

JR

"rw" wrote in message
...

Bunch of good advice snipped

I've started using a wading staff in tough
currents and it's working well, albeit a PITA when I'm fishing and not
wading.

Good luck with the knee, JR.

I second the wading staff! I have found myself wading a lot more
confidently, and safely, since I began using one regularly. The other thing
I have discovered is that they can be a big help when rock hopping too.
Using it to triangulate support as I hop from one dry rock to another
midstream or on the shore really cuts down on missteps due to wobbly rocks
(or legs). Funny thing though, the 3/4" dia Folstaf I have is nearly
impossible to take apart, but the cheap Chinese knockoff (Outback) I bought
my wife works perfectly. (And no, I didn't get her the cheapie cause I'm a
skinflint, I got her the Folstaf, but she couldn't get it apart. We later
bumped into a fellow selling the Chinese knockoff at a flyfishing show, and
he persuaded us to buy based on the fact that it was easy to breakdown.) The
major difference between the two is that the Folstaf has a better quality
shock-cord, and the Outback's female sockets are slightly flared at the top,
which seems to prevent the relatively sharp corner of the aluminum tube from
biting into the male tube.

And hope that knee is back in working order soon.

Jim Ray

"rw" wrote in message
...

Bunch of good advice snipped

I've started using a wading staff in tough
currents and it's working well, albeit a PITA when I'm fishing and not
wading.

Good luck with the knee, JR.

I second the wading staff! I have found myself wading a lot more
confidently, and safely, since I began using one regularly. The other thing
I have discovered is that they can be a big help when rock hopping too.
Using it to triangulate support as I hop from one dry rock to another
midstream or on the shore really cuts down on missteps due to wobbly rocks
(or legs). Funny thing though, the 3/4" dia Folstaf I have is nearly
impossible to take apart, but the cheap Chinese knockoff (Outback) I bought
my wife works perfectly. (And no, I didn't get her the cheapie cause I'm a
skinflint, I got her the Folstaf, but she couldn't get it apart. We later
bumped into a fellow selling the Chinese knockoff at a flyfishing show, and
he persuaded us to buy based on the fact that it was easy to breakdown.) The
major difference between the two is that the Folstaf has a better quality
shock-cord, and the Outback's female sockets are slightly flared at the top,
which seems to prevent the relatively sharp corner of the aluminum tube from
biting into the male tube.

And hope that knee is back in working order soon.

Jim Ray

"JR" wrote...
rw wrote:
JR wrote:
.... I'd waded myself into a bit of a spot, in
heavy water, rib-cage high, with my right (downstream) foot wedged between
two rocks--done more or less on purpose as an "anchor" of sorts against
the current.

Bad idea. Very bad. You could have not merely hurt your knee -- you
could have drowned if you'd fallen over. I avoid any chance of wedging
my foot while wading, as best I can. Sometimes it happens by accident,
and then I sort of freak out. I've started using a wading staff in tough
currents and it's working well, albeit a PITA when I'm fishing and not
wading.

Yeah, you're right. "More or less on purpose" meant I'd been wading
along and found my foot had sort of slipped down the side of a rock into
the crevice. The smart thing to do then would be to get it out at once,
then fish. What *I* did was to say, well, it's not really wedged, as in
WEDGED wedged, you know, as in stuck... see I can move it... no problem.
Then I fished my cast out. And after the minute or two that took, with
shifts in weight from one foot to the other and the thrust of the current,
by the time I DID want to move it, by gosh by golly by gum it WAS
wedged. As I said, something folks might want to keep in mind.

You're also right about the wading staff. I've only used one once, and it
was indeed a PITA, but if I want to keep fishing big moving water a staff
is surely in my future. You ever read James Babb's "My Rod and My
Staff"? Skates a tad close to the edge of the maudlin, maybe, but still
one of his better efforts I think.

I carry one of those collapsible staffs in a pouch that attach to my wading
belt. Even when I'm not wading particularly fast water, I've found it comes in
handy for many other things. Getting up a steep bank, for example. You could
also attach a protest sign to it.

I don't find it a PITA to carry at all, and it certainly can't be more of a PITA
than a bad knee. Good luck with the recovery - bad knees are no fun.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

"JR" wrote...
rw wrote:
JR wrote:
.... I'd waded myself into a bit of a spot, in
heavy water, rib-cage high, with my right (downstream) foot wedged between
two rocks--done more or less on purpose as an "anchor" of sorts against
the current.

Bad idea. Very bad. You could have not merely hurt your knee -- you
could have drowned if you'd fallen over. I avoid any chance of wedging
my foot while wading, as best I can. Sometimes it happens by accident,
and then I sort of freak out. I've started using a wading staff in tough
currents and it's working well, albeit a PITA when I'm fishing and not
wading.

Yeah, you're right. "More or less on purpose" meant I'd been wading
along and found my foot had sort of slipped down the side of a rock into
the crevice. The smart thing to do then would be to get it out at once,
then fish. What *I* did was to say, well, it's not really wedged, as in
WEDGED wedged, you know, as in stuck... see I can move it... no problem.
Then I fished my cast out. And after the minute or two that took, with
shifts in weight from one foot to the other and the thrust of the current,
by the time I DID want to move it, by gosh by golly by gum it WAS
wedged. As I said, something folks might want to keep in mind.

You're also right about the wading staff. I've only used one once, and it
was indeed a PITA, but if I want to keep fishing big moving water a staff
is surely in my future. You ever read James Babb's "My Rod and My
Staff"? Skates a tad close to the edge of the maudlin, maybe, but still
one of his better efforts I think.

I carry one of those collapsible staffs in a pouch that attach to my wading
belt. Even when I'm not wading particularly fast water, I've found it comes in
handy for many other things. Getting up a steep bank, for example. You could
also attach a protest sign to it.

I don't find it a PITA to carry at all, and it certainly can't be more of a PITA
than a bad knee. Good luck with the recovery - bad knees are no fun.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

"Tim J." wrote in message
...

"JR" wrote...
rw wrote:
JR wrote:
.... I'd waded myself into a bit of a spot, in
heavy water, rib-cage high, with my right (downstream) foot wedged
between
two rocks--done more or less on purpose as an "anchor" of sorts
against
the current.

Bad idea. Very bad. You could have not merely hurt your knee -- you
could have drowned if you'd fallen over. I avoid any chance of wedging
my foot while wading, as best I can. Sometimes it happens by accident,
and then I sort of freak out. I've started using a wading staff in
tough
currents and it's working well, albeit a PITA when I'm fishing and not
wading.

Yeah, you're right. "More or less on purpose" meant I'd been wading
along and found my foot had sort of slipped down the side of a rock into
the crevice. The smart thing to do then would be to get it out at once,
then fish. What *I* did was to say, well, it's not really wedged, as in
WEDGED wedged, you know, as in stuck... see I can move it... no problem.
Then I fished my cast out. And after the minute or two that took, with
shifts in weight from one foot to the other and the thrust of the
current,
by the time I DID want to move it, by gosh by golly by gum it WAS
wedged. As I said, something folks might want to keep in mind.

You're also right about the wading staff. I've only used one once, and
it
was indeed a PITA, but if I want to keep fishing big moving water a
staff
is surely in my future. You ever read James Babb's "My Rod and My
Staff"? Skates a tad close to the edge of the maudlin, maybe, but still
one of his better efforts I think.

I carry one of those collapsible staffs in a pouch that attach to my
wading
belt. Even when I'm not wading particularly fast water, I've found it
comes in
handy for many other things. Getting up a steep bank, for example. You
could
also attach a protest sign to it.

I don't find it a PITA to carry at all, and it certainly can't be more of
a PITA
than a bad knee. Good luck with the recovery - bad knees are no fun.

Bad anythings are no fun. I was just commenting to Vaughan last week that,
as a fisherman, I seem to be breaking all the sacrosinct rules that I
learned as a boatman about working in moving water. For example, as a
boatman we learned the following (often through the school of experience):

a) never stand up in moving water deeper than your knees. The length from
foot to knee is equivalent to the distance from hand to shoulder. If you get
a foot trapped between some rocks and the current pushes you over, if the
water is less than knee-deep, you can hold your head above water to avoid
drowning. Many, MANY river drownings occur when people who have come out of
boats try to stand up in waist-deep water, then get pushed over by the
current. As a fisherman, I almost never wade in water that shallow.
b) never work in moving water without a life jacket. Yuh, right. What about
a 15 pound fishing vest, with hooks, monofilament and tons of little pockets
and loops to get hung up on while trying to swim?
c) Always try to cross moving water well upstream of rapids. As a fisherman,
when I wade across a river, I often am doing it at the shallowest (but
almost the fastest) part, right near the middle of the rapid. I try to work
my way along just downstream of the big rocks to avoid foot entrapment,
however there is often a deeper pool there so I find my self stepping into
the fastest current to avoid the deep spot. As a boatman, I wouldn't even be
IN there.
d) Always have someone downstream with a throwbag (rope) in case of
disaster. As a fisherman, I cannot imagine how many times I have been wading
in potentially dangerous situations, with no one around. Often, my fishing
partners don't even know where I am, as I have moved around since we last
had contact.

I spend a lot of time wondering about these compromises in safety, and a
wading staff, PITA or not, is on my short list of things to get. Possibly so
is one of those inflatable horsecollars. This week, I have also promised
myself to test out swimming in my waders by hopping into the school pool.
Does anyone know if chlorine can do any damage to waders?

--riverman