To be honest Weevil, people who aren't familiar with rock fishing are always saying that it is too risky etc when they really don't have a clue. You will always have some idiots that don't understand the risks, but most experienced rock fishers wouldn't expose themselves to dangerous situation. The smart ones will always follow 2 golden rules. One- always sit up high and watch the waves for 10 or 15 minutes before you go down to fish. Two- never turn your back on the sea. I'm not that convinced on anchoring yourself by a rope either.. for you to be able to fish comfortably it would be too long and trip you up. Rock cleats can be good for slippery rocks, but they can also cause you to trip as well. Actually the best footware that i have ever used, was a pair of the old desert boots. The ones with the white rubber soles. I don't know what kind of rubber it was, but it used to grip really well, even on wet rocks.
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