Chicago No Limits Fishing Helping Veterans Reel in the Fish

Photos by the author.

Anthony Powell lifted his hand from the wheelchair brake and waved the fishing pole away.

“I’m allergic to fish,” Powell chuckled. “I’m here so that my chapter members can fish,” he said as he pointed at the two other anglers casting into the Chicago River. All were members of the Vaughan Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, based at the Hines VA hospital in Maywood. All were – well, with the exception of Powell, that is – there, sitting in the sun and the shadow of metal recycling plants and the distant downtown skyline doing something they hadn’t done in many years: fish.

Powell’s desire to serve others was fitting for this event, a shore and boat-based fishing experience offered at no-cost by the organization Chicago No-Limits Fishing to those who had served their country. Founded in 2023 by two buddies, Dave Hanson and Ken Carwell, Chicago No Limits Fishing (CNLF) provides opportunities for individuals with disabilities to experience fishing and boating on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. All CNLF trips take place aboard a fully accessible pontoon boat; all are offered at no cost to participants. These trips have opened a door to fishing and boating that many participants never thought was possible. For many, these four-hour fishing trips are their first time on a boat, their first time seeing the Chicago skyline from the water, and their first time catching a fish.

Try as he might, that would include Anthony Powell, the reluctant angler. Only a few minutes after waving away a fishing pole, a Chicago No Limits Fishing volunteer shoved a rod into Powell’s hands and told him, reminiscent of the orders Powell’s drill sergeant had voiced long ago, to reel in the fish. All cheered as a grinning and slightly unsure Powell fought the fish and hauled it, a hefty looking common carp to the water’s edge. Obligatory photos of Powell and the fish, his first ever, followed.

Powell beamed long after the carp had been returned to the water.

“You tell them that the man who is allergic to fish and never goes fishing was the first person to a catch one,” he announced to PVA members and surrounding anglers. “Give me that rod,” he said to another volunteer.

Powell was hooked. He surely wasn’t going to pass up another opportunity to catch a fish or, when a spot was available on the pontoon boat later that afternoon, to try fishing the Chicago River from the boat. In fact, Powell would go on to catch 15 fish that day: the big carp, a golden shiner, a largemouth bass and some very nice bluegill. He was elated with his day on the water and the shore. As is often the case at a Chicago No Limits Fishing event, a little encouragement and an inclusive environment was all it took to unlock the exciting world of fishing and boating for a new angler.

Interested in a fishing experience with Chicago No Limits Fishing?

Fishing trips are available at no cost to those with physical disabilities and up to two family members or companions between June and early September, space and weather permitting. Registration is required. Regular trips begin and end at DuSable Harbor in downtown Chicago. Chicago No Limits Fishing is a volunteer organization with 100 percent of all donations going directly to programming, equipment and operational costs. To learn more about this organization and future fishing trips, visit chicagoadaptivesports.com/chicagonolimitsfishing.

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Jonathan Schlesinger is the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Urban and Community Fishing Program Coordinator for Chicago. The Urban Fishing Program offers free fishing clinics and aquatic resource classes to Illinois residents, including school groups, youth organizations and summer camps. Schlesinger is eager to grow the number of anglers in the city of Chicago, including kids, those who come to fishing later in life, and to work with partners who are making the fishing community more inclusive.