ou’ve all heard of people who don’t have enough sense to come in out of the rain. I’m one of them and had the occasion recently to meet about 25 of my like-minded soul mates.
Being a fisherman will make you adjust to any condition: high, low or rough water; sunny, cloudy or rainy weather, and the abundance of, or lack thereof, fish to bite what is on the end of your line. Whatever combination of water, weather or fish you encounter, these are called “fishing conditions.”
I met these determined, wet souls when I helped the Project Healing Waters group team up with the Glenns Valley Conservation Club, located near Waverly, Indiana. Project Healing Waters is a group that uses fly fishing, education and outings to help disables active military personnel and veterans rehabilitate physically and emotionally.
The organization needed a clubhouse for fly-tying lessons and an adjacent lake with an unobstructed shoreline to give fly-fishing instructions to their members. It was a perfect match, one that Glenns Valley eagerly embraced.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
A light rain trickled down from the gray overcast skies, and it was doubtful the fly-fishing instruction would happen. It appeared that it was going to be an indoor, fly-tying day.
But appearances can be deceiving, for when I drove up nearly all of the members had crossed over 100 yards of wet grass and were lining the banks, eager to hone their skills, maybe even try a fly rod for the first time. Hopefully the endeavor would ultimately wind up in the catch and release of a bluegill.
Hardy souls are these people, the volunteer instructors and their students. In fact, nearly all of the Project Healing Waters events, equipment, classroom space and fishing locations are the result of volunteers and donations.
Tom Reust, a veteran who helped me on a February upland gamebird hunt, belongs to Project Healting Waters. He had many thoughts about the impact fly-fishing and fly-tying can have on people.
“I was introduced to Project Healing Waters fly fishing a little over four years ago. When I was first introduced, I thought how can this group make an impact on my life? How can it help me, I have been fishing for years?” he said. “Well I could not have been more wrong. During my first activity, a fly-tying event, I was paired with an amazing volunteer and he assisted me with tying a Clouser minnow. I still have that fly in the box that was given to me on the first day.”
But the connection did not end there, Reust said.
“The volunteer called me that week to check on me and invited me for a popup outing that following weekend. He continued to introduce me to other volunteers and I created bonds with them based on a commonality of all things fly-fishing,” he said.
He realized that he had things in common with people outside of the military.
“During a little over four years with this program, I have seen a big change in myself. I now have a group of people I consider friends if not family. We get together and have outings outside of the scheduled events. We communicate often through social media and telephone calls,” Reust said. “The events they host are therapeutic and relaxing and lead to a better outlook on life. Whether I am tying flies, building a fly rod, fishing with another participant or volunteer, my mind is cleared and the stress of daily life goes away.”
The organization has changed his life, Reust said.
“I cannot say where I would be right now if I had not found this program but I can say that I am in a much better place now than I was four years ago,” he said. “I look forward to every event and I do believe that of all of the veteran programs that I have participated in, this one has had the greatest impact on me and the other participants I talk to. There is absolutely no cost to the participant.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”At a glance” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
If you have any interest in seeing what Project Healing Waters fly fishing is all about please look at the organization’s website and find a program near you. Information can be found at projecthealingwaters.org/programs.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
