Fly Fishing for Quadriplegics

By Ari Seirlis (aris@iafrica.com)

In 1974 at the age of 12, and before my accident, I was taught to fly fish by Jack Blackman while at Highbury Prep School in Hillcrest, South Africa.  I should mention that I came last in the annual "long cast competition".  My parents had driven all the way from Ladysmith (a 2 hour drive) to see the returns on the fortune they had spent on my fly fishing equipment and I was the joke of the day thrashing furiously to try and get an extra foot of line out. Still to this day, many of the boys in the fly fishing club remember the occasion and are not shy to repeat the story.

With such a master as Jack Blackman, who was South Africa's most well known fly fisherman as our mentor and guide, I did manage to catch some trout and fell in love with the sport.

I broke my neck in a diving accident in 1985 whilst diving as a model in a TV commercial at a water park in Durban, on the East Coast and have spent 15 years as a quadriplegic (level C5).

Life back to normal

I can push my wheelchair on a level surface, write with a special splint and have just started driving again. I have no use of my fingers and very little wrist movement and no tri-ceps. Life is back to normal in terms of being financially independent, regular social interaction and contribution to the community.

And Fly Fishing""".yes, with a bit of thought, research and planning, fly fishing is possible.

As every quadriplegic has different abilities and restrictions, my specific brace will not suit everyone, but the concept will apply to all those who want to wield a fly rod again.

I started by trying to see if I could still move the rod through the required motion to throw line, by strapping the rod onto my arm with a bandage from my vehicle's first aid kit. The experiment worked and I knew that with the right splint, made of a lightweight material, I would be able to get enough line out to have a reasonable chance of getting a nudge.

Custom-made brace

I went to an orthopedic and prosthetic company, F.W.Seaman & Son who are well established nationally and told them what I wanted to do. They took a plaster of paris cast of my arm to get the shape and size. They then made the brace out of carbon fibre and used Velcro straps to secure the brace to my arm. The straps are adjustable so as to avoid any circulation problems as well as to ensure the brace does not move along the arm too much.

The fly rod is secured by means of another 2 velcro straps on the inside of the brace. The position of the rod is similar to that held by any able bodied person.

As I do not have any fine finger movement, I removed the small handle from the fly reel and got an engineer to manufacture a "V" shaped handle out of stainless steel so I can jam my palm into the groove. This enables me to turn the reel at will.

I cast about 30 feet and retrieve into a rollcast so as to avoid retrieving too much line onto the footplates of my wheelchair. Another option is to put a shopping basket on your lap and retrieve into the basket. This is certainly a better option when trying to present your fly as close as possible to the real nymph.
 

Choosing rods, lines, flies and lakes

As a C5 quadriplegic, I use a 9 foot 5 weight rod and a floating line. The floating line allows me to avoid catching any weed from the bottom of the lake should my retrieval be too slow.

The choice of fly is not restricted although I try to use a light fly and thus avoid catching any brush behind me. Those with more stamina and a stronger arm can opt for a heavier fly which might simulate the insects in the area. It is wise to choose a lake with groomed edges and not too much brush behind you.  Many lakes in South Africa trout fishing waters have jetties and this is perfect for a fly fisherman in a wheelchair.

It is such a pleasure and privilege to get back to fly fishing again. The thought of having to adjust my interests to my disability did not have to apply here and I have adjusted my equipment to cater to my interests, not my disability. I have caught my first trout and am up at first light, enjoying the sound of the trout rising to attack the nymphs floating on the water.