Flipped the yak on the American

Glad you're OK Ryan.  Thanks for sharing your experienceMost of PB's I've met are OK but once in awhile I ran into some "jerks" who think they own the water.

Tote, steveis lost and Pern

I do have a QRAS. I was in-line with the river flow when retrieving my anchor. But the anchor was stuck and I tried popping it up with a quick pull, hopefully to free it or break my zip-tie on the anchor. Neither happened and instead the bow of my kayak dug in the current, when that happened it put me sideways and flipped me.

So your anchor line was not attached to your kayak when you gave it a yank to pull it up correct?
Sometimes it pays to paddle upstream a decent distance as you let anchor line out. Once you get a decent somewhat flat angle of your rope to your anchor start pulling to see if you can free it from whatever it's snagged on.
Just like paddling up current in the ocean when you've snagged the bottom.
It's surprising how many times it comes free.
I have anchored up near Sailor Bar in the past. I have to say that San Pablo ( for me) still has the most rippin' current I have ever dealt with.

Thanks for sharing your mishap with us Ryan. Glad to hear only a few things was lost and that most importantly that you are OK. Nice save on the rods though.

Jedmo

Glad you're ok, Ryan... & trust me it happens (I've dumped kayak on the river like ten times & flipped pontoon once)...
Sorry to hear that no one come up & ask if you're ok.  Last time I flipped my yak at Watt riffle, the couple was fishing there saw me & freaking out.  The girl actually swam after my stuff & got wet (I felt pretty bad), so not everybody is that jerks...
That is so great that you & Kat practice self rescue regularly.  My swiftwater instructors always told me that
Thinking ahead is the most important thing in rescue situation.

Naoaki

Thinking ahead is the most important thing in rescue situation.
Naoaki

+100!!!!!!!!!

Happy things turned out O.K. Ryan. Funny thing is I think exactly the opposite about PB's coming to my rescue. Unless I'm actually yelling for their help.....I want them to keep their distance. The last thing I want if I'm actually in the water is a spinning prop or a clumsy heavy oared boat coming up on me. jim

Great Recovery and F the a$$hole peeps...it's the "people" not the PB'ers... This yr up in WA I had 3 PB's roll up on me and ask if I was OK!!! And I wasn't in any trouble at the time, there was 3-4ft wind chop... nothing large... but it really felt good knowing that someone was keeping an eye on me even though I was oblivious of there concern for me until approached!!!  So just know that most of the time there's good people on hand...it's just the few idiots that ruin it for the rest!!!

Great tutorial on how to do the QRAS!!!

You were anchored from the BOW? 

I was anchored from the stern. I disconnected, turned around (bow forward) to retrieve the anchor. I grabbed my float threw it in my lap and paddled further upstream till I was a good distance up from my anchor before trying to pull it in. When I realized it was stuck I threw the line and float overboard to try again. Did the same thing a second time except I was trying to break my zip tie. I was giving sharp tugs progressively harder until one of them dug my bow enough into the current to turn and flip me. The second I noticed I pulled to hard I let go but it did not stop me from flipping.

I guess my lesson is to not use quality zip ties for my anchor break away.

Happy things turned out O.K. Ryan. Funny thing is I think exactly the opposite about PB's coming to my rescue. Unless I'm actually yelling for their help.....I want them to keep their distance. The last thing I want if I'm actually in the water is a spinning prop or a clumsy heavy oared boat coming up on me. jim

I completely agree Jim, if they came up on top of me I might have got a little peeved. But it would have at least showed they cared. In my case there were two boats with-in talking distance of me 10-15 yards who said nothing. As I was trying to juggle my stuff and flip my kayak (kind of struggling to do it) I noticed one guy turn and look at me then went back to fishing.

 As long as your on anchor in moving water the pearl and roll is a likely scenario. Its just part of the game.
The good news is that are counter measures that help prevent a swim.
I like to engage a low brace on the affected side and HOLD IT, don't forget to put your ear on your shoulder opposite of the highside. If you are new to paddling this may be counter intuitive but with practice it will become instinctual because it has to be ( this happens in less than a second). The boat may swing a bit but it will recover, just be patient. Then remind yourself to start breathing again and take another shot at retrieving your anchor, this time the wiser.

I don't feel that I was in any danger as Kat and I regularly practice self rescue, so I feel I was well prepared.

I found this statement a little disturbing. Probably since there have been moments where I felt confident in my river skills and then quickly had to pay the price for what I like to refer to as the 8th deadly sin.

Thinking that its ok to swim since you can get back into your boat is like buying the map to Strainerville.

Please consider a day on anchor, no fishing gear,let the current grab that edge and practice your low brace in an area that you can safely swim downstream to your training partner.

"Its not enough to do your best, you have to train and prepare to be the best." JLM

good luck

Glad you are ok! Flipping sucks, anyone who has fished for any amount of time has done it. One thing my shelter cove flip taught me, everything is sacraficial! I do not tether anything but my paddle and game clip. Everything else I can stand to lose. I put floats on some of the stuff, but most people that know me, know I fish camando style, and just take just enough for the day, and anticipate losing all of it-either to snags, flips, or epic battles with very large fish! Either way, I am not bummed to lose it all, and still have enough to get the job done.  The only way to learn, is to fail, and try again.

Glad you are ok and thanks for sharing the experience.    AR has been high on my list of places to experience but your post and the following comments remind me of the perils of that river. 

Glad your ok Ryan...
The American is just dangerous sometimes.... And the boaters upstream are jerk offs..

Sounds like you did everything pretty much by the book.... Ship happens.... At least you are ok!

glad you are OK!!!!

1: claw anchors on rivers are a BIG NO for me........years and years experience and many lost anchors
2: get some lead and ss eyelets.  if asked nicely, Erik makes AWESOME river anchors for not much (mushrooms are too much)
3: on the rivers I wont use more than 10#  any more and its too slow/heavy for rapid pulls...
4: Sweet on not loosing stuff 

jim

One idea I didn't see mentioned: use a drag chain anchor. Possible to hang it up, but much less likely than anything that grips. I use a 5' piece of galvanized chain, links are made of metal 3/8" diameter, so it's pretty heavy. In really fast current, it won't hold a kayak - but I'm not going to anchor in that anyway.

I also rigged a trolley system for the anchor line, so I can set the anchor point anywhere on the boat. Basically a big circle of line going around the outside of the boat, with two large carabiners tied into to hook the line to.

I haven't ever fished the American from a kayak, so realize this might not work there. But I've used it to good effect on both the Sac & the Feather.
Bill

if asked nicely, Erik makes AWESOME river anchors for not much (mushrooms are too much)

Erik has about 100lbs of my lead to make me a few but his mold has a hole in it. In the mean time I have to use what I got.