Disabler

Following my record match weight on Bridge Pool a couple of weeks ago I had a text message from Glenn Bailey suggesting my back must be hurting. Well my back was fine, but my legs were in agony!! Let me explain, peg 16 which I fished that day is classed as a disabled peg (see photograph top right). Whenever I fish these pegs I find it difficult to fish the margins each side of the platforms. I also have to elevate my seat box to get my nets over the front wooden bar. This limits my ability to move my legs for six hours the match lasts and also puts me four foot above the water! Hence my legs are in agony after the match. However, I believed that this was a small price to pay to enable the disabled to fish safely.

That was until I fished a subsequent match at Hillview. A disabled angler (wheel chair bound) was fishing a club match on Moorhen Lake directly behind me and was perched on what is no more than a piece of small (very slippery) decking. His name was Derek Hall and lives in Driotwich – West Midlands (see photograph right). I thought I would enquire whether he felt secure on his peg. Well I was amazed at his reply, he said “as far as he was concerned the peg was fine, better than most he fishes”, adding “that he was close to the water and could fish his entire peg including both margins”. I then described the disabled platforms in the above photograph. His reply was “he believed that this sort of platform was specifically required if you were promoting the catering for the disabled angler”. However, Derek also found them very difficult to match fish. His final comment was – “these platforms were designed by the able - non angler for the disabled angler”! I am sure these platforms will change, but not in the near future.

Derek came second in his match with 65lb of Carp – well done mate.

PS: Derek what a great use of your wheel spokes - brilliant pole roost!