The fishing hadn’t been great, but you won’t hear South Point resident Keith Brammer complain.

“So far I haven’t caught anything,” Brammer said with a smile. “But that’s OK.”

Brammer, who was paralyzed in 2002, is grateful for any time he can get in the outdoors. He had the perfect opportunity Friday afternoon with the Wheelin’ Sportsmen Fishing Day at the Lake Vesuvius boat ramp.

This was Brammer’s first time at the event, now in its third year, but he has twice been hunting with the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Wheelin’ Sportsmen group, which encourages people with disabilities to spend time outdoors.

“You can’t explain the feeling of getting back out there and hunting after being paralyzed,” Brammer said. “It’s an awesome feeling to get back out in the woods and see nature. It’s beautiful.”

Brammer wasn’t exaggerating. The fishing took place in an intermission of sorts, between a morning shower, and some rain that was predicted for later in the evening. For now though, the waters were slightly choppy, but undisturbed by ripples as the sun created golden slivers in which to cast dozens of lines.

Naturally, not all of the reels belonged to people with disabilities, but state NWTF official Buddy Fry said that they were better represented than in previous years.

“It looks like there are more disabled people here this year than there has been, I think we have more people this year,” Fry said. “It’s something we’re glad to be able to do, because for some of these people this is the only time in the year, the month or even their lifetime that they’ll have a chance to get out here and do this.”

That’s not the case with Brammer, who had just been on a fishing trip with his three children. For the Friday event he had brought along his wife Elizabeth and five-year-old son Wyatt, making the Wheelin’ Sportsman Fishing Day a family affair.

“My little girl’s in school, or she’d be out here with us,” said Brammer.

But the event, and really every event he attends with Wheelin’ Sportsmen, is more than just quality family time to Brammer.

For him, it’s a time to break free of his disability for a few hours, and be as free as the next guy.

“Being a Christian, seeing God’s work is awesome what he can do,” Brammer said. “It’s just great to get out here and feel the wind blowing in your face, instead of being stuck inside your four walls.”