When Fishing Goes Wrong – My Close Call At Strawberry Reservoir
Or How I Kicked My Way To Safety

Strawberry Reservoir is one of my favorite places to fish in Utah.  It is a premier rainbow and cutthroat trout fishery.  Despite the annoying slot limits … it seems like every cutthroat you catch is in the 15” - 22” range … there’s nowhere I’d rather be especially on a crisp, colorful autumn day.

Recently, my wife and I drove up to Strawberry from a condo we were staying at near the Jordanelle Reservoir between Park City and Heber.  I had just bought a brand new float tube from Cabela’s and I wanted to test it out.  It was a “White River Fly Shop Lost Lake Float Tube Combo.”

So why is it important to include the specific name here?  Quite frankly, it turned out to be the worst piece of outdoor gear I have ever purchased.  I am lucky to even be here writing this no thanks to this piece of crap.  And I wasn’t impressed with Cabela’s response to my episode. 

In my younger days, I used to float tube whenever I could.  I hadn’t been able to in recent years due to the hip pain I had been experiencing from the accumulation of years of sports (football in particular), lifting weights, running, and years of walking on concrete in the transportation industry. 

Even so, after a couple hip replacements two years ago, I am back to 100% and able to do a lot of the things I used to be able to do and, even more importantly, do so pain-free.

We were in a great mood due to being outside on a beautiful, sunny mid-October day.  It was actually the last weekend of the elk hunt so there were hunting camps and rigs all over the place.  The unusually warm 72º day wasn’t so good for elk hunting but it was awesome for fishing.

We pulled into the parking area at Mud Creek.  Despite there being quite a bit of activity there, I got my gear together and entered the water right near the boat launch area.  Due to not having float-tubed in years, I felt like an octopus trying to put up a beach chair.  It took me a little while to get comfortable. 

Once in the water, though, it felt natural after a few minutes.  The feel of the cold water through neoprene waders is hard to describe.  Cool yet comfortable. 

My wife was looking forward to staying by the vehicle, sitting in the sun and reading (aka taking a nap).  I fished for a couple hours and I was enjoying myself as much as I ever had fishing.

The wind kept pushing me across the bay so I had to keep kicking back against it.  I was reeling in just enough fish to keep me interested with most of them being cutthroats right smack dab in the middle of the slot. 

Any cutthroats between 15” and 22” have to be released at Strawberry Reservoir.  I did catch a couple of keeper rainbows although nothing huge.

All in all, I was having a thoroughly enjoyable time.  Some of the most relaxing, while at the same time taxing, fun I’d had in quite a while as the wind kept blowing me out to the middle of the bay.  Then I would have to flutter-kick myself back closer to shore

If you’ve been there, you’ll know that Mud Creek is a relatively narrow, sheltered bay jutting off to the west from the main lake.  I’ve always had good success there as a small creek … appropriately named Mud Creek … enters the reservoir at the far west end.

There were quite a few people fishing on the shore having a great time with the wonderful fall weather and seemingly having good fishing success. 

It was idyllic on the lake except for the sound of two constantly barking dogs on the shore.  They seemed to go off at the slightest provocation usually a reaction to something the other one did. 

When float tubing, one thing I always make sure I wear … not just carry … is a life jacket.  It is not only required by law, it can and will save your life.  Conditions on this lake can change quickly especially for the worst. 

I was approximately 70 yards out facing away from the shore without a care in the world when boom!  My tube was one of those u-shaped open front end ones with a plastic bar between the pontoons to allow easier entry and exit.  I wasn’t sure what was happening at first but I was rapidly sliding down through the tube’s center opening into the water. 

I quickly realized that the entire left stitching of the seat (attaching the seat to the canvas pontoon covering) had failed and torn completely away.  The seat was no longer a seat but a life-threatening hindrance dangling straight down from the attached side.

Luckily, even at my age, I am in good shape and have old-man strength especially in my upper body due to years of lifting weights, bodyweight exercises and isometrics.  I was able to support myself with my elbows on the top of the two pontoons and keep the upper half of my body out of the water.  Even so, it quickly became apparent that I had to get back to shore as quickly as possible or it wouldn’t end up well.

I secured my fishing pole and started vigorously flutter-kicking … using my flippers … back towards shore.  It was a long, slow, tiring process as I was suspended above the water with only my elbows keeping me from sliding down into the water. 

Visualize sitting on the edge of a pool with your elbows suspended on the pool edge and flutter-kicking with a pair of flippers.  But you’re doing this against a wind … at an altitude of 7,200 feet … which is pushing the waves in the opposite direction you’re trying to go.  And the pool edge is an unstable inflatable tube. 

Slowly I was able to make headway against the wind and waves but had to kick rather violently to do so.  At one point, the back of my left leg started cramping and tightening so I had to take breaks while straightening that leg out.  Every short break would result in me losing some distance which I would then have to make up.

Years of doing dangerous and sometimes stupid stuff … along with working in the corporate world … had taught me to focus on the job at hand.  There was no panic.  I did realize, though, that there was no one to help me.  Except the man above.  And I did talk to him. 

After what seemed like an hour, I finally made it back to the boat ramp.  Three young men in a boat could tell something was wrong and made me feel good with their conversation but I didn’t want to get too close to their boat.  I could tell they wanted to help but they didn’t know what to do. 

By that time, my wife had come to the shore and she soon realized that all was not right.  Finally making it to shore, I told her the story.  I breathed a prayer of thanks and got ready to move on.  We got all my gear onto the shore and then over to our vehicle. 

We looked at the float tube and, to our dismay, the entire left seam attaching the seat to the canvas cover of the pontoon had just simply failed along its entire length and collapsed the seat.  I really didn’t have time to think about how lucky I was.

Almost immediately, I noticed some tightness and cramping behind my left leg just above the knee.  I didn’t think much of it.  Over the next couple days, that knee got tighter and stiffer.  Eventually, after a workout a couple days later, it blew up on me. 

I got it checked and my doctor told me that a brittle piece of cartilage had probably come loose and caused the inflammation and pain.  A torn knee cartilage.  From a float tube. 

He had previously given me successful PRP injections and did so again.  After some healing and recovery, everything is almost back to normal.

As you might expect, I was quite upset with the float tube manufacturer and Cabela’s for selling such a piece of crap.  I told Cabela’s my story, wrote a detailed 1-star review (they don't allow zeros) and they did refund my money. 

They even had a few similar reviews chronicling the same problems other people had experienced with this tube.

I strongly suggested they take it off the market as it was not only a bad product, it was dangerous.  The customer service rep told me … well, emailed me … that it was up to the sales rep. 

So, of course, they’re still selling it.  And, on top of that, they aren’t displaying my very negative review (that I can see).

Cabela’s is part of a giant corporation.  They were bought out by Bass Pro Shops.  No one seemed overly concerned about my experience nor the safety … or lack thereof … of their product.  I was thankful to get my money back.

The Moral of the Story

This experience taught me a hard lesson.  When it comes to float tubes (or any outdoor gear), cheap equipment can cost you your life.

If you’re going to spend your money on a float tube or any other outdoor gear, invest in the very best.  Your safety and your life depend on it.

As for me?  I’m done with float tubing. I’ll stick to fly fishing or upgrade to a much safer pontoon boat.  Hopefully this story will help you avoid a similar experience.

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