Does anybody use/need specially built fishing gear because of a disablity?

[finga]

As a lot know I have a little problem with my hands and made myself some rods to try and lessen the strength needed and I was wondering who else needs specially made fishing gear of any description.
If you fit the bill, what is it you've had to get made and was it easy to source?
Do you need anything, or would like to try something, to make your fishing experience a bit easier and less restrictive?

Cheers then
Scott :)

[SWANO1]

great topic scott (ANY PICS OF YOUR MODS?)
think a lot of people miss out on the pleasure that is fishing just because of a bit of a hurdle has been put in front of them , the more people that throw up their inventions or ideas on here should get them thinking "hey maybe if i do this this and this i can give it a go".
i know its not a specially made reel but the electrics that are on the market sure do give you "an extra hand" andy that fishes with reefmaster a bit has shown the boys up on a few occaisons hauling in massive fish on the sparked up reel, i know foxy raves about their ability especially in the deep.
looking forward to reading the response of others.
cheers swano

p/s is there any charter mobs that cater for people with disabilities??

[whiteman]

You can buy motorised reels. We sponsor Leisure Accessible which is a club for people with disabilities. They have a really nice boat and appropriate fishing gear. Have a look at their web page http://www.bbbalc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=7 you may find a photo or two of the reels I'm talking about.

[finga]

My biggest problem is my hands don't move much or have much strength.
On my larger rods usually make my grips oversize and shape them to suit me and all the overhead rods have spiral wraps for the guides which really makes a huge difference in the strength need to keep the rod straight under load.
I have also made a few pistol type grips for a little overhead casting rods so I don't have to try and bend my wrist.....but I still can't use them.
Pictures are below

[GBC]

what about a closed face reel and an underhand cast? Dunno, just thinking out loud here.
A small clip on harness would be easy for while you're on. Just a loop and clip above the grip like a whipper snipper.
If all else fails put your post up in the fly fishing section. Those bastards seem to hold the rod with their teeth all the time. Wouldn't catch us bait fishos with a foregrip in our gobs!!

Keep us informed of your progress - the brains trust is here for you Finga. ;)

[themissus]

Those wood handles look fantastic Scott, nothing like a bit of bling;)

[sleepygreg]

Beautiful craftmanship on those pistol grips. My uncle only has the use of one arm (due to a stroke many years ago) and is a fishing nut. He has bound a loop of heavy duty stainless wire above the grips on his rods, and uses a leather strap around his neck clipped to that loop to hold the rod while he winds. He is ok by himself when using the spin and boat rods, but needs someone to cast his beach rods...just cant get enough power with one arm. Forgot to mention, he also uses a leather rod bucket to keep the rod stable when winding.

Greg

[finga]

what about a closed face reel and an underhand cast? Dunno, just thinking out loud here.
A small clip on harness would be easy for while you're on. Just a loop and clip above the grip like a whipper snipper.
If all else fails put your post up in the fly fishing section. Those bastards seem to hold the rod with their teeth all the time. Wouldn't catch us bait fishos with a foregrip in our gobs!!

Keep us informed of your progress - the brains trust is here for you Finga. ;)
Thanks for the thoughts matey. :)
Casting is the problem for me. Both hands are pretty well locked and my left has a few less ligaments in the wrist then normal so every time I bend it the bones virtually crush nerves.
I was really thinking about others with disabilities.
I have myself sorted out, and as I have a bit of time on my hands, I would like to think about how I can do things for others to make their lives a bit easier or to see what other have had to do.

I changed the name of the thread as well to reflect what I'm looking for.

Thanks Greg for the story with your uncle. Stories like that makes me realise who out there are truly dedicated to the sport.
Has he got a keyed gimble sort of setup in the bucket to stop the rod spinning around??
That why I do the spiral wraps for myself. There is no torsional forces acting on the rod as in a normal overhead rod. The heavier the load, the more stable they are.

I'm reasonably lucky. I can pick my days and as long as there is a line in the water I'm happy as Larry. Even if it is for only an hour or so.
Others are not so lucky and I would love to try and help them if possible.

[Jurkyjj]

Scott,

Absolutely fantastic work with the grip on the rod.
Well Done!!
That looks comfortable enough that I would use it!!!!

Again, well done!!

Jason.

[Knackers]

Hey Scott,
Thanks for starting this thread.
I work in the disability sector and have problem solved with my local tackle shop and developed a couple of modified estuary rods for people with hemiplegias and only have the use of one arm. An organisation called TADS
(Technical Aids for the Disabled) also develops specific equipment for people with disabiities as many of the volunteer members are tradies,engineers ,handymen and inventor/tinkerers. It might be worthwhile giving them a ring. What we came up with and seemed to work best for the people I supported was a gimbel belt with a matching rod butt fitting (to prevent the rod from rolling), an ajustable belt type loop with a clip that went around the person's neck and clipped onto a SS saddle bound on the topside of the rod about a 1/3 up from the butt. Depending on the person's ability either a closed faced spool reel or a spinning reel best suited . I had to cast out for the person but by teaching them to lean backwards and then forward in a lift and wind manner, they were eventually able to wind their own fish in. I clearly remember the tremendous joy and ear to ear smile of the person when he not only caught his first fish, but was able to wind it in with limited assistance from me.
Cheerio Knackers

[Tailortaker]

Thanks for the ideas guys, My nephew who is now 19 had a stroke before his first birthday, He was born 13 weeks premy with fluid on the brain. after numerous operations he had the stroke and ended up with a very mild case of cerebral palsy. He is going very well but has a slight limp and no use of his left hand which makes fishing extremely dificult. I like to take him out on the odd occasion I get to but he gets fustrated and gives up as he doesnt like to have everyone do everything for him so maybe with some of these ideas we can come up with a way to enable him to fish without much help..
Thanks
Grant

[sleepygreg]

Scott, My uncle only uses threadline reels, so the weight is always under the rod, no concern for twisting. He is a basic fisherman so is not into overheads and that sort of thing (he is 78 this year, so the enthusiasm is waning a bit, but his son keeps taking him out in his 5m quinnie CC just to keep him happy :D.
They live at Narooma, on the south coast of NSW...thats where he retired to purely because of his love of fishing. He is also a woodworker as a hobby, has been for years, produces things for the family that I reckon many able bodied tradies would struggle to replicate. All his sons and daughters have custom timber boxes for their rods and reels, as well as some of the best timber rod racks I have seen. He has also made most of the furniture for his kids houses....with only the reluctant help occassionally of his wife (my aunty)....when you just need more than one hand (i have been there when that help is requested.....yeeeeeow...not a pretty sight...talk about domestics). He is my inspiration for getting things done...regardless of the circumstances.

Scott, did you do those grips yourself for the baitcasters?

Greg

[Lovey80]

Your full of crap Scotty a man with bad hands did not make those grips ;) They look sweet! I may bung on a disability if I ever need a rifle butt carved out :D

Cheers

Chris