ROD HOLDER FOR DISABLED FISHERMEN (AND WOMEN)

After a friend suffered a debilitating illness resulting in the limited use of only one arm,  with the inspiration and assistance of another friend, we developed this device to allow him to get back to his great love - fishing.

During our design development testing it has proven comfortable to wear over a range of body sizes and seems to work well on both male and female anatomy.   The plate is quite stiff (deliberately) to allow “feel” from the rod to be transmitted to the fisherman's chest.

25mm webbing and inexpensive plastic fittings are readily available and  a little experimentation will be needed to find the best combination for the individual using the device.   

In our testing a simple crossover seems to work best, but could be combined with a chest/waist strap in a “Y” configuration from the sides (not shown in the photos) if necessary depending on the individual requirements.

It's intended to be used with a light estuary rod, and to a maximum length of around seven feet.   Ideally suited to flicking soft plastic and small hard body lures.

The rod will have to be modified to suit the individual, by shortening the butt to find the most comfortable position for using the reel.   Do not shorten to less than 75mm.
We have tapered the standard foam wrap using a bench sander, and the foam provides a nice friction fit to prevent the rod accidentally falling out should the angler inadvertently lean forward.    

Keeping the diameter of the handle in the range 25-28mm will give the best fit.

I've printed the blue example in PETG at 0.2mm layer height, and the black one at 0.3mm with four perimeters and 15% infill.    Both materials should prove durable enough for the size of fish reasonably expected, however Marlin fishing may not be advised.

Providing the device is stored out of direct sunlight, PLA should also be a good alternative.

While this model will print without supports, the small area beneath the lip will benefit from the use a single organic support as shown.