Boy Scout (and river safety) motto - be prepared

Safety begins with preparation.

When you wade fish in streams, be they big rivers or small creeks, you stalk your fish. That usually means getting into the water, staying at angles where you are concealed, and positioning yourself away from swift currents and slippery rocks as you prepare to make your first cast.

Preparation begins with respecting the swift currents and staying out of them. That's not where the trout are anyway. They're along the edges of those currents.

At any time of year, especially during high water, I sneak ever-so-softly along the edges, often staying on the bank and sel...