Determination

Over the weekend I watched a one armed Salmon angler fly fishing, this guy truly had only one arm. Most if not all of his right was missing from the shoulder (which it appeared he still had) down. This guy could cast a fly as well, managing to cast it 20-30 yards across the river.
As I watched him, the permutations of how difficult this must be for him ran through my head.
How would he pay the line out?
How would he reel in?
How would he tie a fly on if he lost one?
How on earth would he play a fish if he hooked one?
The first two were answered by watching him perform what was an amazing feat. He placed the rod under the armpit and gripping it, stripping the line from the reel and letting flow of the river carry it away to the desired length he wanted to cast. Then wielded the rod as a fly angler would do.
To reel in the same process, rod under the armpit and reel in.
As to the other two I don’t know as I saw him do neither, but I guess he’d play the fish the same way.

To say I was in awe of his determination to get out and fish is an understatement. The man was one determined guy that’s for sure!

I’ve only ever seen one other guy who had part of his arm missing fishing and that didn’t stop him from landing two 20 lb pike on the day I saw him. But in his case only part of the lower arm was missing and he was aided by one of those horrible claw tools that passes for a hand.

Watching the salmon angler really gave me food for thought faced with such disabled adversity and whether I’d still be fishing with such impediments.

What do you think you’d do?

Many years ago I watched a chap in Nicholas Everitt park on the Oulton Broad, he had a half arm missing but had the " claw" you describe.
He was most adept with his rod and line and was catching small silvers with seemingly no problems.
As for the guy you saw today, -- respect.

It's humbling isn't it? a long time ago I jumped into my car and drove over to the Wirral to dig some lugworm, it was about 8am, when I arrived at my destination I found out I'd left my wellies in our porch, I was livid, my poor car was full of bruises due to me kicking the **** out of it, the air was blue.

I jumped back in the car, drove all the way back through the tunnel, picked up my wellies then returned to the digging spot, as I walked onto the sand I spotted a young man digging worms, when I got nearer to him I noticed he had one full arm and a couple of digits protruding from his other shoulder.

His bucket was almost full of worms, kind of changed my outlook on life, well a lot really.
Forgot to mention, his spade was tiny but he'd shame a lot of diggers.

Was he a Welsh bloke Phil?

I know a one armed fly angler from North Wales

Prosthetic right arm.

Duno Matt I didn't speak to him.

I used to see an angler at White Swan Lake near Reading who's fingers were at the elbow on both arms, I think from Polio. He used to fish all night for the carp with all the gear, including full size tent and cooking facilities along with the regulation 3 rods.

I often stopped to pass a few minutes, and in watching him bait up and cast which was nothing short of staggering. Obviously it all took extra time, but he never settled for ' near enough is good enough ' with his casting, if one went astray.

I don't mind admitting that on one occasion I had to move away as I became choked up when he, said " no luck last night mate. You'd think they would give me more of a chance, eh ". I never did see him catch a carp although he certainly did so on many occasions.......

I suppose that most folk in similar positions just deal with these things as best they can and never give up, although many must reach the stage of wanting to. This chap was always happy to chat and never miserable, regardless of catch success.

It certainly puts life and dealing with it's up's and down's in perspective, though.............

It was a pleasure to know him.

One of my mates had his leg amputated Christmas 2+ years ago, He was a manic depressive before this anyway and when I went to see him in Guys hospital I suspected he might do himself in the first opportunity., this being the last straw so to speak, he had a very difficult life.
I sat with him and he was a bit drugged up but, he said to me "I am going to fight this". It was the determined way he said it made me believe him. I never forget the way he said that and I remind him of it on occasions.
Hes still with me, in a nice flat, 22 inch TV with sky sports, he loves watching cricket, and getting himself around on a wheelie thing. He took on the council to get them to put a bench along his bit of high street, took him a year but he never gave up badgering them. I do a bit of gardening for him and other tasks and he insists on paying me something and I always joke he pays me a dying wage instead of the living wage. He still gets very down on occasions but, basically he's in a lot better place than he was 2 years ago and he knows it.
The point is, determination is a very useful ally when the chips are really down. These anglers mentioned have it in spades and just imagine how they must feel being by a river catching fish in our lovely countryside given the dark places they were once; I have seen those dark places second hand-where there's life there's hope and never give up.

Determination and persistence.

"A river cuts through a rock, not because of it's power, but because of it persistence".