I am the safety editor of the American Whitewater Journal and the manager of the AW Accident Database. I have been teaching and writing on this topic since 1975. The recent near miss on the lower Nolichucky River resulting from a river wide trotline — a strong fishing line with barbed hooks dangling every few feet — worries me.
The Lower Nolichucky River is a well-known destination for canoeists, kayakers, tubers — watercraft of all kind. A line placed across the entire river is an accident waiting to happen. States that allow trotlines prohibit lines across the entire river and require that the line must be clearly marked to warn boaters and swimmers.
The poor wording of the current Tennessee regulation was highlighted when TWRA and the local district attorney in Erwin decided to press charges against Scott Fisher for cutting a trotline over Memorial Day weekend. Fisher is the founder of a local outdoor school and is a nationally known whitewater expert. He was teaching a class when one of his students became ensnared in a trotline. He wanted to protect others from this dangerous unmarked hazard, so he removed it.
This section of the Lower Nolichucky is a popular whitewater float trip frequented by inexperienced users. The student was a skilled paddler who was able to disentangle himself. Less experienced river users might not be so lucky! The real danger is to your neighbor's daughter tubing, or your buddy swimming. The death of Brandon Archer, a star football player, on the Buffalo River last September underlines the risk.
As a river paddler, I have great respect for fishermen; many paddlers fish and paddle! But there's no way to avoid a river wide navigation hazard. This case should be dismissed, and the law changed to require that trotlines be placed safely and marked clearly.
 Charles C. Walbridge
Board member, American Whitewater
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