Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a representative of Project Healing Waters- Greater Kansas City.  I was flattered by the notion that they wanted me to a guest fly tyer at one of their annual meetings.  When I say that I was flattered, that is an understatement.  For so many reasons, I was honored by this request.  First, I couldn't believe that a group of retired service members (which are basically the toughest and bravest men I can think of) wanted ME to do something for THEM.  The irony was not lost on me and I immediately said yes when asked.  I didn't even look at my schedule because there was just no way I was going to turn this down.  Second, I was in shock that there were people that thought my flying skills were strong enough to actually help others learn new patterns and techniques.  In all honesty, most of my flies are pretty quick and easy and I didn't think anyone would be interested in my skills.  But I guess there's no accounting for taste.  I mean for Pete's sake, folks are buying my flies through my Etsy store.  Either my flies aren't too bad after all or people feel sorry for me.  Either way is fine.  Anyway, moving on.

During my preparation, the group notified me that they wanted some largemouth and hybrid/striper flies.  I settled on my favorite streamer (The Brave), a mouse fly, and a gurgler.  All of those flies are really versatile and are applicable for both species as well as big trout and smallmouth.  So after gathering some materials and writing up a little description of each, the big day came.

When I arrived, there were already some members of the organization gathering materials, swapping stories, and setting up their tying areas.  They gave me a VERY gracious welcome and introduction and I was grateful for the chance to thank them for their years of service and sacrifice.  After everyone got settled in, I gave a little background on the first fly and then we were off and running.  For the next two and a half hours we joked, laughed, and told more stories than you could have shaken a fly rod at.  We talked about fishing spots that most folks were familiar with (like Bennett Spring) and other spots that were new to me (I guess Drexel, Missouri, has a pretty good public lake).  At the end of the night, I think we all walked away with a little more fishing knowledge than what we started with.  Those are the details and specs of the evening and while those were great, they are only half of the story.

What I experienced that night was enlightening to say the least.  First of all, these folks (mostly gentlemen) were some of the most polite, most respectful, and most enthusiastic fishermen that I have ever had the pleasure to be around.  It was obvious that each and every one of them was as passionate about fly fishing as I am and oh my goodness did that feel good.  To share time and experiences with other folks that get as excited about fishing as me...well it kind of restored my soul a little bit and I didn't even know that it needed restoring.  There is something special about being with people that are like-minded as well as polite and considerate.  The fact that many of these individuals struggle with hidden issues was almost completely lost until the end of the evening when I got a chance to talk privately with a few guys and organization facilitators.  I heard stories of tragedy and pain and loss that snapped me back to the reality of what some of these amazing people are dealing with.  The things that these people have seen and experienced are hard for people outside of the military to even comprehend and they sacrificed a great deal for those same people.  They went through these things so normal, everyday folks like me didn't have to.  Things like PTSD are wounds that cannot be seen with the naked eye but cause just as much pain or sometimes more than any physical ailment.  That isn't to take away from the people that suffered from physical injuries because I saw that as well that evening...it's just different and harder to identify.

It was an honor and a privilege to spend an evening with these amazing service members and the pleasure was all mine.  When they thanked me for being there and gifted me a Project Healing Waters hat, it got me a little emotional and I wanted to thank them in return one hundred fold for what they had done for me.  This was a drop in the bucket compared to how much I wish I could actually thank them and give them in return.  I am very hopeful that I will get to work with this group more in the future and that I can continue to help those that benefit from fly fishing and fly tying.  I would encourage you to do the same in any way you can because isn't it the least we can do for people that sacrificed part of their lives for us.  For that matter, shouldn't we all help out folks that need it!  The world needs more of that!  If you're interested in getting involved or finding a way to give of goods, services, or monetary donations, just click the link below.

Link to Get Involved and Learn More: https://projecthealingwaters.org/