How have you adapted to fishing with Age and Medical Challenges?

While reading these posts I suddenly remembered something that was happening the last couple of years. As I was putting my pontoon in the back of my truck I would hear another angler say, Would you like some help? I guess I was starting to look older than I felt. A couple of times I would accept the help, sometimes just say no need but thanks. Either way I would open my fly box and say this is what was working for me and here, have a few. I'll just go home and tie some more. One day I was making that offer to another guy in a pontoon and he opened his box and said Do they look like these? I said I'll be damned, not the same but very close. We'd both had a very good day on the water. How much fun is that?
 
bobduck said:
While reading these posts I suddenly remembered something that was happening the last couple of years. As I was putting my pontoon in the back of my truck I would hear another angler say, Would you like some help? I guess I was starting to look older than I felt. A couple of times I would accept the help, sometimes just say no need but thanks. Either way I would open my fly box and say this is what was working for me and here, have a few. I'll just go home and tie some more. One day I was making that offer to another guy in a pontoon and he opened his box and said Do they look like these? I said I'll be damned, not the same but very close. We'd both had a very good day on the water. How much fun is that?
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I've actually got a fair amount of factor-controlled data around aging & offers of help 🙃
I'm 58, but have been almost completely gray since my late 30s. Most of the time I dye it dark, but since it's short, occasionally I let it go to its natural bright silver for a while just for kicks.
The percentage of the time that guys at boat ramps offer assistance is directly related to my hair color, lol!
I kinda like getting an unasked-for senior discount on the ferry, too :p
 
Evan B said:
It would probably need to be its own thread, but I'm willing to help if there's interest. I just don't offer such advice unsolicited as literally nobody listens or will take said advice unless they're seeking it. But here's my pitch:

I think I've mentioned on here a few times, but my "other other" job is as a strength & conditioning and olympic weightlifting coach. I'd say roughly 25% or so, possibly even more, of the close to 200 people that come through my classes on a regular basis are senior citizens. Even have a few with Parkinson's and other such ailments.

Strength training is one of the best things you can do in advanced age, and to prepare for advanced age. Everyone's different obviously, as there's plenty of life that happened to that point that led to the lessened mobility (injuries, disease, etc etc), but whatever you can do to work on your strength is going to make your later years much more active and enjoyable.

I could potentially do a thread with some advice in this department and answer any questions. This is something I literally get paid to do, so I have real experience in the matter.
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I'd be all ears
 
Just turned 60, and have a couple of strategies.
- I use a thrift store ski pole for balance.
- I keep a whistle on my waders in case I need to call for help.
- I have collected a bunch of younger fishing buddies.

I need to do more cardio and weight training, but I do keep dumbbells in my office for conference calls.
 
With my vestibular and vision systems in cahoots trying to trip me up these days, I plan on wearing a solid foam PFD when and if I fish again. I’d feel safer than wearing an inflatable. And a River Sticks wading staff; which is good around town, too.
 
I feel fortunate spending time 'smelling the roses', watching and being involved in nature, and taking time to enjoy the outdoors at the same I was fishing. I would guess 50% of my time was doing this when I was fishing. My dad taught me well.

Now when I go fishing I spend even more time doing this by sitting on the bank or log. My health issues and age help me do this. That is actually a good thing!
 
RCF said:
I feel fortunate spending time 'smelling the roses', watching and being involved in nature, and taking time to enjoy the outdoors at the same I was fishing.
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Me too. I died in king county detox 30+ years ago. I'm on bonus time. Love just sitting and taking it in. It’s integral to my spiritually as I get my best praying done down by the river.
 
Otter said:
With my vestibular and vision systems in cahoots trying to trip me up these days, I plan on wearing a solid foam PFD when and if I fish again. I’d feel safer than wearing an inflatable. And a River Sticks wading staff; which is good around town, too.
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This is a good point about inflatables in moving water. They are Mae West style and will roll you onto your back. Its nearly impossible to get on your belly if you need to swim aggressively to avoid a strainer.
 
Have mentioned this before...there is a one armed fisherman at Crane Prairie operating from a pontoon boat, who ably manipulates his spinning gear and boat's MK.
More impressive is watching him back his flatbed down the ramp, drag his pontoon alongside, sling it, pick it up with the electric arm hoist mounted on the side of the flatbed, nest it and drive off, in less time than a lot of two armed boat launchers.
Where there's will....
 
I haven’t adjusted anything other than to find a renewed love in flyfishjng and to realize it’s a hobby I want to spend more time on and less with the rat race of the outside world. My recent prostate cancer diagnosis has me adjusting my priorities and looking for more enjoyment out in the world.
 
PhilR said:
Just turned 60, and have a couple of strategies.
- I use a thrift store ski pole for balance.
- I keep a whistle on my waders in case I need to call for help.
- I have collected a bunch of younger fishing buddies.

I need to do more cardio and weight training, but I do keep dumbbells in my office for conference calls.
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As for dumbells, are you referring to coworkers?
 
Regarding exercise and diet:
Protein - active adults actually need more protein than younger ones due to our bodies inability to process protein as effectively as when younger. Not much of a red meat eater, I supplement chicken and fish with whey protein shakes 2x a day, with collagen added.
Creatine - if I don't take it every day I have less energy left after workouts, as our cells rely on phosphocreatine to create ATP, a nucleotide which provides our cells with energy. After I convinced my wife to start using creatine as well, she felt a definite uptick in her energy after workouts. Aside from the energy benefits, there has been abundant research performed on the benefits of creatine for the aging process.

"sarcopenia, defined as the age-related decrease in muscle mass, strength and physical performance, is associated with reduced bone mass and elevated low-grade inflammation. From a healthy aging perspective, interventions which overcome sarcopenia are clinically relevant. Accumulating evidence suggests that exogenous creatine supplementation has the potential to increase aging muscle mass, muscle performance, and decrease the risk of falls and possibly attenuate inflammation and loss of bone mineral."
 
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SurfnFish said:
Regarding exercise and diet:
Protein - active adults actually need more protein than younger ones due to our bodies inability to process protein as effectively as when younger. Not much of a red meat eater, I supplement chicken and fish with whey protein shakes 2x a day, with collagen added.
Creatine - if I don't take it every day I have less energy left after workouts, as our cells rely on phosphocreatine to create ATP, a nucleotide which provides our cells with energy. After I convinced my wife to start using creatine as well, she felt a definite uptick in her energy after workouts. Aside from the energy benefits, there has been abundant research performed on the benefits of creatine for the aging process.

"arcopenia, defined as the age-related decrease in muscle mass, strength and physical performance, is associated with reduced bone mass and elevated low-grade inflammation. From a healthy aging perspective, interventions which overcome sarcopenia are clinically relevant. Accumulating evidence suggests that exogenous creatine supplementation has the potential to increase aging muscle mass, muscle performance, and decrease the risk of falls and possibly attenuate inflammation and loss of bone mineral."
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You mean 'SARCOPENIA'....😄
 
Is there a club for this ?

:)
 
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