Fishing With Special Anglers 
By Barry Featheringill

           In early June of 2005 while surfing around at one of the many fishing discussion boards on the internet, I saw a post from Troy Jens “Need help from Rend Lake (Illinois) area anglers”.  Having just returned from fishing Rend Lake Paralyzed Veterans Association tournament a week earlier, my thought was to check into what Troy needed.

           Rend Lake is a Corp of Engineers flood control lake of 18,000 acres that was built to provide a dependable domestic water supply to a two-county area beginning in 1965.  Rend Lake is a relatively shallow reservoir; it is productive for sport and commercial fisherman alike. All species of fish that are common in Southern Illinois can be found at Rend Lake

           Troy was helping Brigid O’Donoghue, President and Founder of United Special Sportsman Alliance (USSA) put together a day of fishing for some very special young folks. USSA is a basic grassroots organization that provides seriously ill and disabled young folks with exposure to the great outdoors. In talking with Troy and emailing several times, I decided to commit to a couple of days to spend helping out. Little did I know what a reward I would receive for something that I have frequently taken for granted… the opportunity to go fishing. These young folks ranged from a young man who had been stricken with cerebral palsy at birth to another young man with two artificial legs.

Along with the special anglers, several professional anglers were there to share their time and talent. Among the pros was Clay Dyer who was born without legs or arms. The inspiration Clay gave to the youngsters, as well as some of the parents and helpers, was only exceeded by his love for the kiddos.

          After breakfast at the resort, all thirteen kids where paired up with an angler and out we went to try our best to catch some of Rend Lake’s fish. I had two youngsters, Chad and Ryan in my boat along with Ryan’s dad. Chad was holding the landing net out in the water as we slowly made our way out of the marina toward the main lake. He probably caught the first fish of the day. It was small but as far as he was concerned, it was a big winner. The fish didn’t stay in the net long, so we decided to use a smaller mess net.  Any doubt that I had about being able to make the day enjoyable, quickly vanished with Chad and Ryan saying to go faster.  Chad had a good time fishing with the landing net while the others were fishing the conventional method.

          When we reached the Highway 154 bridge, there were already several other folks fishing around the bridge. Some were fishing for crappie, some fishing for catfish. There was a lot of teasing back and forth between the boats about who was going to get the first fish and who would get the biggest fish.

          Ryan’s dad was helping him, and Chad was more interested in honking the horn and seeing what the rest of us in the boat were doing. It didn’t take him long to figure out that by stepping on the trolling motor pedal he could control the direction the boat went.

Soon Ryan got a “fish on”. The fish made a quick dash for the surface and did a little dance. Still Ryan maintained tension on the line and worked the fish close enough to get it in the net. This was a nice largemouth that was slightly over fifteen inches long and weighed in at two pounds.     Ryan is 14 years old and will be a freshman in high school this fall. We won’t mention the fact that one of the “Pro’s” did not get a fish in the boat. Clay you were really doing that on purpose right? Needles to say, Ryan out-fished his dad and me.  Ryan saved our boat from coming in with a zero-catch day.

           Of the 13 special anglers, most caught fish and were awarded trophies. Those that did not catch fish also received trophies. To see these kids with their disabilities having a great time, really made the day for yours truly. I was not blessed to have children of my own and so to me this was a very special day.

           For more information, contact USSA at 800-518-8019, or their Web site at www.childswish.com.