Steven was born without any
arm muscles,making it impossible for him to hold a rod like other
anglers. Amazing angler Steven Chambers can be sure of at least one bite when he goes fishing...his own!
The 36-year-old fisherman is the talk of the river bank when he sets up his tackle - because he fishes with his teeth.
Steven was born without any
arm muscles,making it impossible for him to hold a rod like other
anglers.
But that has not stopped the dad-of-four,who has built up his neck to a whopping 19 inches,enabling him to use his mouth to grip the rod and cast out his bait.
He is now a force to be reckoned with in angling matches near his home in Melton Constable,Norfolk.
Despite gripping the rod in his mouth,he can cast and strike just as well as the rest of the competitors.
"I use a 14ft rod with five foot of fixed line reaching out from it" he said proudly today.
"I cannot use a reel but have one on the rod as it acts as an effective counterweight when I have a fish on the line."
His skill has bagged him some impressive
fish over the years,including a four-foot long pike weighing
19lbs,and over 54lb of bream at one session.
But it is not all smiles for the friendly angler,whose amazing technique does have its drawbacks.
"When you have a fish on the end of the line and a rod in your mouth,it is a bit hard to call someone to help you with a landing net!
"I have also had problems with rods breaking in my mouth as I bite down on them.
"The ones we use these days are hollow and when I grip them,a lot shatter.
"Ever since they stopped using cane rods,I have made my way through quite a few."
Steven has now had a special nylon mouthpiece made,which allows him to grip the end of his rod without it breaking in his mouth."It has made things a whole lot easier" he added.
The keen fisherman also does a lot of painting and writing in his spare time,and has taken part in various gallery displays.
He is now hoping a children's book he has written and illustrated will go into print next year.