The bad one
Well-known member
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?
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?