FISHING BRINGS HAPPINESS
A group of military veterans who experience difficulties with their eyesight enjoy a fantastic day afloat off the North East coast…
Blind veterans enjoy a Tyne charter.
I’d like you to do me a brief favour when you begin tackling up at the start of your next fishing session. Whether it’s a simple task like putting the rod together, attaching the reel or simply running mainline through the rings – things we take for granted without a second thought – just close your eyes while doing it and see how far you get. My guess is it will be a real struggle for you…I know, I’ve tried it myself.
Thankfully, though, most of you will have the reassurance that eventually you can open your eyes, carry on and get on with your fishing as normal…how incredibly lucky.
Imagine, though, if your eyesight suddenly became impaired or, worse, was lost due to an injury, illness or accident. As anglers, that would surely be a huge blow to what you do. Do you think you could easily cope with the situation?
However, there are hundreds of sea anglers situated all around the UK who are going fishing while being visually impaired, and in some instances, there are even some who have no eyesight at all.
During one of my regular phone conversations with Sam Harris MBE, a well-known and respected sea angler from County Durham, he mentioned he was a member of a group called Blind Veterans UK.
It’s a group that was originally set up in 1915 to offer help and support to ex-servicemen and women. They organise a wide array of activities, one of them being fishing.
Sam, who also hosts the weekly radio fishing show ‘Gone Fishing’ on CVFM, told me that a group from Blind Veterans UK had organised a boat fishing trip aboard charter boat JFK Two, skippered by Alan Skinner, out of the River Tyne from Royal Quays at North Shields. He also asked if I’d like to join them for the day, and I immediately agreed.
PREPARING TACKLE
As we slowly headed downstream and into the Tyne Estuary, I looked on as the lads got down to preparing their tackle. To be fair, they did fine, albeit slowly and meticulously, taking care to push the mainline through each ring on the rod.
As soon as we passed the huge Tynemouth and South Shields piers, Alan increased the speed on our way to the first wreck.
The first job was to catch fresh mackerel for bait. The lads lowered strings of feathers and, instantly, some big mackerel were being lifted aboard the boat.
It’s a bit of task removing a mackerel from the hook on a rocking boat, even with perfect eyesight. So, Alan, me and his crewman, did this to allow the lads to catch as much fresh bait as they could.
I quickly realised that many of the lads were doing everything by touch. Slowly lowering the mackerel feathers and touching the line gently, hoping to feel that unmistakable tugging as each mackerel grabbed the hook.
In no time at all there was easily enough fresh mackerel for bait, and with plenty of squid and ragworms to choose from too, we quickly moved to another wreck close by that is noted for its cod and ling.
It was a particularly large tide, and the boat was pushing over the structure quickly. Baited hokkais loaded with fresh mackerel, and squid baits were dropped over as the lads hoped for a heavy lunge on the rod from a big cod or ling.
Scott Leng, from Hartlepool, was straight into fish and did well to prevent it diving back into the wreck. He was rewarded with a pollack around 3lb to open up his account.
Then Kevin Alderton, who had made the long journey from his home in Brighton, East Sussex, bagged a lovely cod that was quickly followed by a decent ling.
Lines were quickly reeled up as Alan repositioned JFK Two for another drift.
The blind veterans were having a great time as each drop yielded cod, ling and pollack. The fish weren’t big by North East wrecking standards, but that didn’t matter – the laughter, banter and leg-pulling that was going on was fantastic.
Sam was taking a bit of ribbing from the lads on his lack of fish and, being the long-standing pioneer of wreck fishing up in these parts, he was determined to put things straight. A change of rig, a different bait and a secret tweak, and he soon demonstrated that he certainly knew what he was doing by swiftly connecting with a codling, quickly remonstrating that he was merely leaving the fish alone to allow the rest of the lads to catch…of course you were, Sam!
CRACKING COD
The fish kept coming, but nothing big. Crewman Darren Haswell, from Birtley, bagged a nice ling of over 7lb, but I reckon the biggest smile of the day belonged to Charlie Eastwood.
This was his first-ever attempt at sea fishing, and the lad from Hartlepool certainly kicked it off in style with a cracking codling weighing more than 5lb. I think it’s safe to say he can’t wait to get back out fishing.
We had now lost the tide, the action slowed dramatically and it was time to head back. As we steamed back in, I sat down and smiled as I watched the lads chatting, joking and laughing. They’d clearly had a memorable day.
Our eyesight is something that a lot of us take for granted, but what happens if we lose it, or it is damaged in some way? Will it prevent us from going fishing? With groups like Blind Veterans UK and similar available for advice, there is always help at hand. ■