How Luke Louden's love of fishing always keeps him going

Luke Louden has always loved the sea, so when he upped sticks and moved 400 miles from his English hometown to the south west of Scotland it was a dream come true to be so close to the water.

 

The 34-year old grew up in Buckinghamshire but it was annual fishing trips to the South of France where he and his father spent the summer living in a caravan that first piqued his interest in all things marine.

 

The magnetic pull of being on the water has only grown over time and now Luke is a regular fixture at fishing events run by Wetwheels, a charity which provides adapted boats for wheelchair users.

 

“Family friends of my dad’s adapted his boat with stainless steel plates so I could move around the boat and built a harness to make sure I'm supported when I’m fishing,” he said.  

 

“I remember I caught an absolutely huge fish - about 240lbs - and after seeing my post on Facebook someone invited me to fish on one of Wetwheels’ boats down in Portsmouth.

 

“That was three years ago and now I fish with them whenever I can.”

With four children all under ten years old, the chance to become immersed in the technicalities of fishing - away from the noise and busyness of everyday life - is something Luke always relishes.

 

Particularly given his attraction to gruelling adventures - tough mudders, marathons, flying planes - the Whauphill local is ever-motivated by his children to pursue physical challenges.

 

“I used to work as a sports developer so I have done every sport you can imagine. I used to work 100 hours a week because I could never - and still can’t - just sit still,” he said.

 

“I want my kids to know just because something isn’t easy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. We love going to the beach and national forest near home, just being outside and breathing it all in.”

 

Like Luke, Wetwheels is a big believer in active participation - allowing club members to skipper, steer and learn seamanship skills - but the real pull is their shared affection for the ocean wave.

 

“For someone who hates sitting still, it makes no sense that I will happily sit and fish for 12 hours,” he said. “But I love being on the water, it’s very calming and freeing.

 

“I love that the Wetwheels events are all about family too, there’s beach cleaning, crab fishing, it’s just great for the community. I’ve thought about trying to set up a similar group near home but we’ll have to see about that."