About ten years ago I was diagnosed with an Essential Tremor in my right hand. An Essential Tremor is a neurological condition that causes trembling in the hands, head, legs, voice, or trunk. This condition makes simple tasks difficult to complete. It was especially noticeable when eating. Holding a fork and spoon steady became a challenge. In those ten years the tremor has progressed, and now my left hand also has a tremor, although, at this time, not as bad as my right hand. There are medications for a tremor. The most popular seem to be beta blockers. But, because of an already slow heart rate, I cannot take a beta blocker, as it may kill me. Medications for the treatment of seizures can also be used to treat tremors but there are some nasty side effects to those drugs. So, I’ve opted to go without any medication as long as I can still function, which brings me to the fishing part of this story.
When I got back into fishing six years ago after a long hiatus I realized the tremor was causing me some frustration, especially when tying knots and using split shot. It seems the smaller the item I use, the more difficulty I have. I didn’t want the frustration to affect the fun of fishing, so I had to adapt, and do things differently. Some of the things I do I’ve seen other people use the same techniques and tools. I’m going to list and explain the steps I take to minimize frustration and maximize fun. Hopefully, others can use some of these steps, whether they are afflicted with a tremor, or not.
Rig your rod the day or night before
I learned this from my wife. Her passion is photography, so she would go along with me when I hit the rivers. She saw first hand how frustrated I was getting trying to rig up in the back of car. The first couple of years fishing I would show up at the parking lot, begin to assemble the rod and attach the flies. Wanting to hit the water fast I would try to hurry, and that’s where the frustration started. It seems that with a tremor, the more excited and uptight I got, the tremor got worse. Fumbling with knots that often had to be retied several times was aggravating to say the least. My wife suggested rigging up the day before at home. I tried it, and it was like night and day. I am able to spread all the supplies on the table and take my time. So, by rigging at home I eliminated that initial frustration and am able to hit the water quickly.
For steelhead season I only rig one rod, my 8 wt. During smallmouth season I will rig two rods, a 4 wt and a 6 wt. One will have a topwater popper or slider. The other will have a streamer. This will save me from retying on the water. I can switch back and forth between the streamer and the popper. I will change flies on the water, but having a second rod eliminates one or two changes. And for me, that’s big.
Rigging up the day before allows me to take my time. Good lighting also helps.
(Click on image for larger view.)
Use forceps to hold the hook when tying a knot
Holding a small fly and trying to tie a knot is normally a relatively easy task for most people. For me, it’s like going to the dentist. When I have a small fly in one hand and a 4X tippet in the other hand it makes me want a root canal instead of trying to tie a knot. It wasn’t until I thought about using something to assist me that I felt comfortable tying a knot. Now, I use forceps to clamp on the hook. In essence, a small fly becomes a large one, and more manageable for me. After threading the tippet through the eye, I then turn the forceps to wrap the tag end around the tippet.
Using forceps to hold the fly gives me a little better control when tying a knot.
Use big loops and long tag ends when tying knots
I’ve seen some fishermen use very short tag ends and small loops when making a knot. I have found that just the opposite works for me. I need long tag ends and large loops. I end up using more tippet material, but that is a small tradeoff for a good, clean knot, without any frustration. The extra length tag end and large loops make it much easier for me to complete and secure the knot.
Having large loops in which to pass through the tag end is the only way for me to secure a good knot.
Use split shot with small wings that are used to open and close the shot
Trying to attach small split shot to the tippet has always been the most frustrating part of fishing. I began using the oval shape shot, and found it difficult to hold while attempting to place the tippet in the small opening. So, one day I was spending time at a fly shop and saw a round split shot with small wings. I bought some, and liked how much easier it was to attach and remove. To make them even easier to use, I open up the shot further when I first buy them. That way, on the water, it’s actually much easier to use.
One downside to using this style of shot is it seems to make a little more noise when it hits the water. To adjust for that I will cast the line further upstream, to dissipate any disturbance before the drift gets to where the fish hopefully lie.
Split shot with small wings are easier to use than the oval style. I open the slot wider when I buy them..
Review leaders and add tippet the day before
This goes hand-in-hand with rigging the rods. By reviewing the leaders, I can add tippet using a tool with minimal frustration. Blood knots are out for me. I have practiced making blood knots and have a 1 in 8 success rate. That doesn’t cut it. So, I use a double overhand knot using a tool. Two wraps and one pass through seems to work best for me.
I use a knot tying tool to add tippet to the leader.
Two wraps and one pass through works for me.
For more information on Essential Tremors, click on the link below.
Essential Tremors
Go out and fool a fish!
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