I am a Volunteer with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing. We work with Disabled Vets through Fly Tying, Rod Building and Fishing. I recently had a request from one of our Veterans on any information on how to build a rod if you only had one arm. At first glance I can see several approaches, but I wanted to toss it to the Experts and see if anyone on the forum has experience in doing this. Special tools, techniques etc.

Many thanks for any information you might be able to provide.

Many thanks to you John for working with people that protect us!

Todd,
Thanks, its been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. It was an honor for me to have served and now to be able to give back to other Veterans is really an awesome opportunity.

double thanks to you for serving also! Good luck! I am an old nurse and worked with a nurse for a short period that only had one arm. She did have an arm above the elbow and then the other, a normal arm and hand. She was amazing! She did everything every other nurse did...and did it well. Any thing and everything is possible. I hope you can get some help in your service. Building rods has been a lifesaver for me. Thanks again!

Todd,
Many thanks. As a matter of fact I posted this to the Mudhole Facebook group page and got a response from a One Arm Vet who built a rod. I am putting him in touch with the vet in Texas who is asking for help.

perfect! stay healthy and safe!

I applaud your effort. If you need some donations to help fund the build, just post that and I am sure a number of us would chip in. An anlger I knew, sadly he passed away a few years ago, fly fished for decades with a withered, mostly non-functional arm. He was a very skilled angler and it was amazing how went about the sport, which was a great passion for him.

David,
Its amazing watching these Veterans overcome their handicaps. We have Vets in wheel chairs, lost arms and legs and nothing stops them. They have an indomitable spirit and it's an inspiration to me every time I fish/meet with them. Amazing how small all the other problems we are facing appear when compared to what they have overcome and continue to battle.
Thank you for your willingness to support our programs. If you are interested here is our national website address: [projecthealingwaters.org]. Some good videos of our program and the Vets we work with.

John my best friend of over forty years has only one functioning arm. When my wife passed away, who always went with me, he offered to go to the ICRBE with me and was immediately hooked on rod building. The problem was where do we start. When I got back home i put a blank on the wrapper and put my right hand in my pocket and said to myself "Tom build a rod" . Well long story short I did it and it went amazing well. He now has built all of his own rods. To include one or two with chevron wraps. He took photos and showed to Bill Vivonia the next year and was blown away how he could of done it.

If you want to email me with your phone number I will be happy to go over the whole process. Send you photos of how achieve perfect wraps with minimal hassle, etc.

Below is a photo of Dominic's chevron wrap made with no assistance from me. All things are possible !!!

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Tom

tomscustomrods.com