What Are The Odds?

[birchy]

... Of getting struck by lightning while waving a 9' graphite rod around during a thunderstorm?

 

 

You see... I really really really really want to go fishing tonite!

 

 

[Jayhad]

in Calgary i think slim, there are generally more higher items that are grounded but in the middle of a lake you r fd

[WesG]

Funny story.......

 

Last summer we were out sitting in the middle of a lake when I shut the motor off and notice my rod tips making a weird noise. The only thing I can compare it to would be the humming of power lines. There was some thunderstorm activity in the area but not close enough to be of any concern, I grab my rods and the higher I hold them in the air the lounder the humming coming from my rods is. My guest them makes a cast and the line from his spinning reel floats in the air and wont go down into the water.... needless to say we didn't stay out much longer after that, the storm was starting to get a little to close for comfort.

[theiceman2]

YOu must have heard that clap of thunder just before supper as well. I was walking home from work, heard it and was thinking the exact same thing. As fot eh humming rods, that must have been some crazy ol weed.

[trailhead]

If you think it's safe to be fishing along the Bow during a thunderstorm, check out the memorial upstream from the confluence with the Highwood on the north side of the river. It's in the big stand of trees at a real nice pool in a bend on the river.

[walker1]

If you think it's safe to be fishing along the Bow during a thunderstorm, check out the memorial upstream from the confluence with the Highwood on the north side of the river. It's in the big stand of trees at a real nice pool in a bend on the river.

 

 

Lightning Hole????? I heard people call it this.

[monger]

It's at the top of the Mansion run just below the island on the North/East side of the river.

My buddy had lightning hit a tree right behind him on the river...

 

While lake fishing many people have been shocked by their rods, even with the storm miles away. I've seen lightning hit the ground 3-4 miles in front of the storm front. Don't wait too long to put your rods down.

[troutlover]

had lightning strike close to us on a golf course knocked us over it was not cool at all scared the shat out of me i don't mess around now if the sky lights up i'm out (unless the fishing is really good)

[SilverDoctor]

Had an experience while fishing a high mountain lake in the Interior of BC. Big big thunder buster blew in, with ominus black clouds. Brother in law and I rowed for shore. We where just disassembling our fly rods when his started to make a clicking sound. sparks where arcing visibly between the guides. We dropped our rods right there. You could feel the static in the air. We beat it into the bush with rain and hail following us. Funny thing was he quickly leaned it against a fallen tree. When the storm cleared we went back to fishing. He swears the action of the rod changed after that and never used it again. It had small white score marks under the guide windings so something happened to it. We always stow graphite rods now when the sky starts to boil.

[Parry]

Not really fishing related, but 2 freaky lightning storied non-the-less. 1st happened to me when I was around 10-12, a major storm blew into Penhold (around Red Deer) and I had biked to school, and believe both my parents were in RD working. So being the trooper that I am, I put on my jacket and booked it for home which was ½ across town from the school, I knew a short cut through the trailer park so as I was going about I dunno 50-100yards ahead of my a cat was crossing the road, and I kid you not Lighting slammed down right where that cat was. Like honestly, right on the cat… This giant bright flash, insane instantaneous bang, I got knocked from my bike… got up my ears were ringing… came to my senses and the cat was gone… dunno if it got turned to ash but nothing was left of where that cat was. Anyways noone in my family believed me, until in the Red Deer Advocate paper someone else had reported seeing the exact same thing from 1 of their trailers. So that was cool, and the last one happened as we were driving along QE2, lightning hit like 10feet beside are car….again giant flash, almost purple even. Again this was sweet because my brother and mom were crying and I thought it was cool , funny how things like your big brother crying and you thinking it was awesome do wonders for you confidence.

 

Dust

 

[toolman]

Was down at Carseland last summer with my brother when a dark storm front approached around 7:00pm one evening. We decided to wait till a few raindrops hit before we booked it too the truck (the bite was on). Suddenly, my brother starts getting shocks from his rod and drops it. He picks it up again and gets another shock. We ran like hell...

[chiasson]

I recall learning in a boating course that lighting can travel up to 17km. Kinda scary.

 

Pic of a fly rod that's been hit:

http://mountainriverjournal.wordpress.com/...ning-meets-rod/

[jksnijders]

 

 

I was standing about 10 feet away from a rig that got struck once. My eyes, ears, head, everything went kinda funny for a split second, everything had a blue haze to it, and the strike went from the crown down the anchor lines and arced away. Out around Oyen with not many trees around it was about the highest, (and all metal) thing around. A friend of mine from southern Sask. had an uncle that was out checking cows, got hit, killed him and his horse.

[Taco]

Had a buddy who used to cowboy over in short grass country. One spring/summer he had 2 horses killed under him about a month apart when lightning struck a barbed wire fence he was ridin' along side. Shortly after he sold his saddle, got a town job and joined the Evangelical Free Church. Turned him into a twitchy sumbitch, think he's a closet drinker.

[Hawgstoppah]

Was down at Carseland last summer with my brother when a dark storm front approached around 7:00pm one evening. We decided to wait till a few raindrops hit before we booked it too the truck (the bite was on). Suddenly, my brother starts getting shocks from his rod and drops it. He picks it up again and gets another shock. We ran like hell...

 

Ha. I remember that night Greg. Me Rusty and H20 were up the bank hiding in a sheltered spot watching that bad boy crack and roll. That was the night you guys were going to meet up with us wasn't it?

 

PS. You sissy. Ya packed up. Fishing after that was nuts