Handicapped fishing

Here’s a question for everyone that my have any experience with handicapped fishing. My brother came home tonight and wanted to know if I knew of any fishing reels that his fiance could use being she has one good hand/arm and the other has limited movement and grasping. I found two products that could help. #1 – Access to Recreations STRONG ARM (http://store.accesstr.com//Detail.bok?no=1493) which she could wear on the limited movement hand to cast with and still reel in with the good arm. Or #2 – Shelton Product’s STRIKE FIGHTER (http://www.sheltonproducts.com/handicap.html) This would let her use both hands and arms but requires strapping a holder to your leg.

Does anyone have any feed back on these or know anyone that may use one that could let us know which they liked better OR of a better product?

My other option I though would be getting or making a reel crank with a ring that she could slip her bad hand into to use it to turn the reel handle? Anyone make one of these or do I have to make one myself maybe? Any idea’s or products would be good to hear. We’re trying to stay away from the motorized reels do to price and she would rather do the cranking herself if possible being its half the fun. THANKS FOR ANY HELP!

My mother has a hard time with her hands when it comes to fishing, so I was looking at a rig like this for her. Haven’t purchased one yet… not sure, but it may be an option… http://www.huntingfishinginc.com/elspinreelmo.html

My brother in law has limited use of his left hand. He’s always casted right handed & reeled in by applying pressure with his left arm onto the reel crank. He finally purchased a baitcaster, an Abu Garcia Ambessader left handed reel & changed out the handle so it was single instead of double.. otherwise the double handle reel would get caught on his sleeve. Other then that, I’ve never had experience with any of the products you mentioned.

Check with http://www.capablepartners.org/

They have experience with all kinds of things like that including custom made items.

A good buddy of mine was in a 4 wheeler accident a few years back that left him a quad. He was a die hard fisherman. A few times a summer, we take him out on the pontoon in his wheel chair. We have to cast his pole for him. His mother sewed a velcro thing that wraps around his fore arm. It is probably a foot in length. I think it is made out of leather or pleather. Once it is wrapped tight around his arm, there is a small sleeve sewed in it that we stuff the butt end of the rod into. The sleeve holds the rod tight. He is able to use his other hand to spin the reel (open face reel) when he gets a bite. It is unbelieveable to see what he goes through just to catch a little sun fish. It makes you realize how much we take for granted.