Report From Gan River And My First Time In A Tube!

[Tube_Newb]

I'm STILL GRINNING! Omigosh that's fun!

Went out on the Gan river for about 3 hrs this morning...got rained on for the first two hours! This was my first time in a tube and I must've been quite a sight floating around with a cheshire grin all morning.

I bought this tube on Ebay (Caddis Sierra) and purposely waited until opening day for bass to try it out...didn't want to chance getting any of the spawners.

Started the day at Cdn Tire for some fins and the local hardware shop for waders (can't believe my luck...$30 for a pair of black rubber waders). Was a little worried about the fins as they only came in large, not extra large. Packed up, and was chastising myself mentally for wearing socks with my sandals (wife has me well trained) when I realized I was about to float down the river in a glorified inner tube fishing in the pouring rain. I'm worried about fashion???

Went across the road, tube in tow down to the river. My wife was probably STILL shaking her head (I believe the term she used was 'asinine'). I tried to remember all the tips everyone on the forum had given me and everything I'd read...got the fins wet before putting them on, made sure everything was packed into the storage pockets..ok, NOW GET IN.

Ok...NOW get in

Whoa...that's not gonna work...TRY NOW...

Hmmm...GET IN NOW...

Heh..I was standing on a rock slab in about 1 1/2 feet of water, now I know why everyone said get in from shore! Finally made it in and pushed off! Hey...I'm floating...kewl!!

Paddled around a bit to get the hang of it. Turning was a bit of a challenge as I'd read but I kept remembering "It's like a canoe..one side only".

Had a fantastic day...the only thing missing was the sunshine. Oh...fish? Yes..managed a couple 1-2 lb smallies on black/blue Tiki-Man toads.

Man I'll sleep tonight after all that paddlin...hope it's nice tomorrow!
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[tlspyder13]

Fashionable or not sounds like you had a nice day. Nice job.
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[macfly55]

reading your post made me think of my first "get in" on a tube.. I handled that easy enough for some reason.. it was that getting out that was funny.. hilarious in fact.. even though I knew not to walk forward in fins .. I forgot and tried anyway.. was not a pretty sight.. :-)

congrats on your first tubing adventure.. sounds like you had a blast even if the weather was not the best..

MacFly [cool]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Glad you survived your first trip...physically and emotionally.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I hope you didn't put your fins on before trying to climb into the tube. Common mistake by newbies. The TV shows don't help because the dummies who make those don't know what they are doing either.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]1. You need to set your tube down next to the water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]2. Put your fins down inside the tube, blades under the front part of the tube.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]3. Step into the first fin and pull the strap up around your heel. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]4. Repeat for the second fin. (Sit on the back of the tube if you need to).[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]5. Holding the side handle loops, lift the tube up around your upper thighs and BACK INTO THE WATER SLOWLY...USING YOUR HEELS TO FEEL FOR ROCKS. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]6. Be careful. Do not take long backward steps. Just shuffle until you are at least knee deep and you can sit down in the tube comfortably. If you start to "lose it", sit down backward. Do not fall forward. It is easier to recover while seated in shallow water than to get out of a tube with your fins on if you pitch forward. Also less likely to break your rods.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]7. Reverse the process when coming back in. Stop kicking when your fins touch the bottom, Stand up, pull the tube up and shuffle backward to the beach. Drop the tube and remove the fins before stepping out of the tube.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Keep practicing.[/#0000ff]
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[Tube_Newb]

How'd you know I put the fins on first? LOL...

Well..now I'm just gonna have to go out again to try your method out!

Thanks for the tips!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Don't feel bad. Almost everybody does that for their first donut trip. That is one reason why so many people prefer the open ended craft. No "step-ins".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have laughed my behind off a couple of times watching "experts" on TV fishing shows that take someone out to show them how to fish in a tube. EVERY TIME they put the fins on first and then step into the tube...sometimes a long ways away from the shoreline...and then waddle water.[/#0000ff]
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[TNFloater]

Well ive gotta admit i did the same thing with my caddis seirra too lol. I did the look around to make sure no one was looking before i did the one legged Flamingo dance between the first foot and the second. Thanks for the tips TD that will help greatly!
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