• The date; July 11, 2010, the place, the Glide on the Salmon River while renting the River Lodge with some friends from NYC.

The river was running at between 1200-1300 CFS. and the current was much stronger than I thought. I have been fishing the DSR for over 40 years without incident, but this day was an exception.

I entered the river at the Glide, fished for a while and then I unfortunately fell and here is what happened.

In the rapids I was swept down the river without any way to get out. I relaxed, tightened my belt, dropped my Fly Rod, placed my head upstream, discarded my back pack and went with the current which was quite fierce this day.

I knew I was in trouble when the rapids began to swell near the stairs of the DSR. I did not panic due to my past experience of teaching swimming and lifeguard safety on the surf of Long Island and being a Class 5 rated kayaker. I did not attempt to stand up or fight the water because that would have been fatal.

The first chance I had to stand up and eddy out of the main stream was down at the flats on the DSR. I was exhausted and I knew although I am in great physical shape that this was the moment to attempt my exit from the water. I was spent at this moment in time.

As you now know I made it out and realized that I made one potentially fatal error. I was not wearing any form of Flotation.

I felt I would relay my potentially fatal saga with my fellow DSR fisherman and provide you with some life saving advice.

Purchase some form of life preservers from Stearns, SOSpenders, Hodgman, etc. and use it every single time you enter the Salmon River no matter the CFS of the river.

So my Doctors Orders for the day are quite simple. Get yourself a Life Preserver in the Coast Guard III Class and do not enter the Salmon River without it.

Your Life may depend upon it. DOC- July 11, 2010

DR. HOWARD J. KASS