How do you cast without being able to stand? or more acurately fish small waters.....

[Nighthawk]

.... without being able to wade? I know I can fish from my canoe sitting down. However the back is so bad that I cannot use the canoe any more so that is a moot point. Also means I cannot stand up long enough to wade or to do a lot of casting on the move. All of the reflexes in my legs are gone along with the reflexes in my arms being greatly diminished. I absolutely cannot lift any more than 25 pounds and that hurts like heck too.

Recently had a major change for the worse with my back. The disc between the L5 (lumbar) and S1 (small) of back vertebrae has totally collapsed on one side causing the vertebrae to tilt out of position. I can barely lift my feet higher than a few inches, walking is extremely painful, ability to balance is gone. I cannot walk or stand without the aide of a cane or my sturdy walking stick so I believe wading will just be too dangerous. The docs are injecting a silicon type material into the discs in an attempt to keep me working but that too is coming to an end. I am getting to the point where I will have to have the surgery that I cannot afford to have even with insurance but that is another issue.

Since I am now going to be basically a bank fisherman do you think switching over to longer rods, say 8' and up, is something I should do? I mean I can do some standing to cast but only for a few moments so I must also be able to cast from a chair or perched on top of a 5 gallon bucket with a seat lid on it. Will the longer rods help me cast farther and easier from a sitting position or is that just a myth?

I hate having to give up stream fishing and it looks like my spinning gear will be getting more work. However, I do not want to totally pack in the fly fishing. No way, no how so any advice you all can give will be most appreciated.

I am no longer able to hunt and that is bad enough. Not going to give up on the fly fishing.

[flyguy66]

Go over to the Tenkara forum and begin researching this style of fly fishing. Forget the Japanese aspect. Fixed line, long rod fly fishing has it's roots in centuries past in cultures of the Mediterranean, the United Kingdom, among the Seminole Indians in Florida, is still practiced in Italy, and was popular in Appalachia in the 20th century as well as in Japan. It is the oldest form of fly fishing. The rods are 11-13' long and exceptionally light. Combined with a long-handled landing net, it's an excellent form of small stream bank fishing for trout and pan fish. It can also be used from small boats and personal watercraft.

Also consider light tackle switch/spey (2-handed) fly fishing. For the bank fisherman...even wheelchair bound anglers...this will give you exceptional range! You can fish big rivers.

Finally, talk to your docs about seeing a pain management specialist. You seem to be at the point now where corrective care options are limited, and it may be time to think about just giving you pain relief for quality of life. You'll be amazed at what you can do if the pain is just significantly reduced! Trust me...this is a subject I'm personally very familiar with.

[Lotech]

Eric. I pretty much have the same problems you have. L4-L5 & L5-S1. My wading days are also gone and I too walk with a cane. Nowdays, I find myself fishing from a jon boat almost exclusively, and only in lakes and ponds. On the rare occasion that I do get a chance to fish a river or stream, I take along a garden kneeler bench.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index...ductId=2402300

Now, as far as distance and control goes, I've never been able to cast as far and with as much control as I did when I borrowed a 7 1/2', 4 weight, with a WF4F Sharkskin line. I know they're expensive, and I don't have a Sharkskin yet, but one day I will. However, if I had my druthers, I'd opt for an 8 1/2 foot, 5 weight just so I could cast some heavier flies and mending would be easier. I sympathize with your condition and wish for you continued fishing.
Synopsis; Longer rod = Easier mending
Sharkskin Line = Longer casts & Better control

[dunfly]

I fish from a kayak most of the time, so the majority of my casts are from a low sitting position (much lower than you would be casting sitting in a chair on the bank). First, a 9 foot rod will help but is not necessary. The best thing you can do is perfect a double haul from a sitting position. It isn't as easy as when you are standing but it doable and will give you better line speed.

The sharkskin lines are being discontinued and can be picked up cheap right now. MRFC.com has them for $39.99.

[Big Bad Wulff]

If you don't now know how to roll cast, I'd maybe start practicing. Sounds like you may be fishing with little room for a back cast now. I fish with a buddy that can roll cast as far as I can cast "normally". The guy is awesome with this.

[anglerdave]

On Monday, I fished with a gentleman who is 81 and has a bad lower back and will soon need another knee replacement. Dean uses a wading stick when he walks on dry ground to steady himself and although he wears hip boots, hes seldom if ever gets in the water. He fishes with a 7' - 8' cane rod. He has come to the realization that he cannot walk long distances along the stream and cannot wade like he once did. So we always fishes some familiar water and fishes from the bank and sits and rests when he needs to. I have learned allot from him just observing how he fishes. And yes rare is the day that he gets skunked.

Dave

[Nighthawk]

Those are all great ideas! Thanks folks. I am currently in pain management. The shots are the only thing that keep me mobile to even the limited amount I am at right now. I cannot even sleep properly as the pain wakes me up a lot during the nights. It's flint lock season here in Penn's Woods but the old spout stuffer hangs upon the wall unused for the season.

I am pretty good at the double haul right now while sitting in the canoe but more practice will help. My roll casting is well not so good but then again we know that in our sport we must practice continually. Tenkara I don't really have the funds to get into right now. When they do my surgery I am looking at going on disability without any insurance so I need all the money I can save right now. Federal Government may put me out on disability retirement at 80% of my gross income right now. I just turned 47 on December 9th. heck of a note to be this side of fifty and they want to put you out to pasture already. I am in so much pain i may just take them up on it.

Back to fly fishing. I think this is doable. It is going to take a bit of improvisation, study and practice but then that's always been an element of our sport that I enjoy. I like that little bench Joe. Would come in real handy doing my gardening too. Perhaps I can use what is happening to me to help other anglers along the way too. I will have to keep good records, fire up the video and still cameras, perhaps enlist the help of the better half too. I can still ty flies too. I am a member of the local sportsman's club and I may talk to the president of the club about setting up tying sessions for all of our members.

Bottom line is I don't want to give up on fly fishing! I love the sport and the people too much to leave it out of my life. That is why giving up the ability to wade is so tough because it is such an integral part of your sport.

Thanks for the advice and for letting me ramble on a bit. I feel better already.

[Lotech]

I know it's hard to tell from this picture, but here's proof it works.


And I practice raised bed gardening, so the bench works well there too. Or you can turn the bench upside down and kneel on it. I like the bench so much, I bought another one for my wife. We both swear by them as making gardening possible.

[flyguy66]

Wait just a minute. You asked about getting a longer rod. You can buy a good Tenkara rod for $60-100, and a line is less than $20. I fail to see how that would ruled out based on price when you started this thread based on a question about buying a 9'6" or 10' fly rod, all of which start at more than $200. I'm not trying to talk you into Tenkara. It's no skin off my nose. But that response made no sense.

I didn't go into a lot of detail and you may not know who I am, but I am a Certified Adaptive Fly Fishing Practitioner and President of the Adaptive Fly Fishing Institute, Inc. I also am totally disabled with Mult Concussion Syndrome (mTBI), Bilateral Cervical Radiculopathy, Degenerative Disk Disease of the Spine, and am 3 weeks out of knee surgery for Osteomyelitis. That's what I meant when I said I'm familiar with what you're going through.

You've gotten a few good suggestions here from some other guys about things to try. Forget about the make/model fly line and different rods stuff for casting further. None of that makes a hill of beans difference. A longer rod will help you mend better, and different line types and tapers will mend differently. But none of that is going to make more than 5-10' difference in casting distance at the max unless you get into special purpose equipment. You casting technique is about 95% of what determines your casting distance. FYI, a perfect double haul added to a perfect casting stroke will only add a few feet of distance, too. This is another common misconception about the function of the haul in the cast. The poster who mentioned it got it right: it adds line speed. You'll need that from a seated position, and getting it by sharing the load between both hands is usually better than generating it all with one hand. But it isn't going to be a solution to the distance you lose by being confined to the bank. Tip: work on timing of a short haul vs. power in a longer haul. You'll get more mileage out of it from a seated casting posture.

To increase distance, you need to be thinking about things like: much longer rods and fixed lines for fishing small streams, spey for rivers and lakes, and integrated shooting head lines.

For things to aid you in relaxing your back waterside, there is a wide array of assistive devices to choose from. If you go on disability, some of this stuff will qualify as medical expenses for tax deduction purposes. There are even grants you may be able to apply for to pay for some things. If you become officially and permanently disabled, feel free to contact AFFI for assistance with finding resources along those lines.

[anglerdave]

Eric, if you don't already have one get yourself either a double taper or "easy mend" fly line. I can roll cast using a weight forward line but find it so much easier with a double taper.

And from one veteran to another, I know you'll do just fine. Heck you've been through allot worse experience than what you are going through now.

Dave