Looking back to 2005
Project Healing Waters (PHW) started early in 2005 as a
shared idea. I had just retired from my
second career in private industry, having completed 30 years in the Navy, 10
years prior. I had always been an avid outdoors person and now, with time on my
hands, was intent on spending as many days a field, as I could, fly fishing and
bird hunting. Having had the
“opportunity”, in 2004, of spending a week in one of the Walter Reed Army
Medical Center (WRAMC) wards recovering from surgery, I was able to observe the
recovering wounded who were also patients there. After I retired, I thought of those wounded
Service men and women and an idea formed that perhaps I could interest a few of
them in fly fishing. I figured as long
as I was going fishing anyway, I’d be more than happy to take those interested
on my outings.
With this idea in mind, I progressed in my thinking, and began to scale up my initial plan. The National Capital Chapter of Trout Unlimited’s (NCC-TU) Annual Angling Show was to be held in March 2005 and, having attended in the past, thought it might a great way to interest recovering wounded in the sport, as potential fly fishers. I made a call to the leadership at the NCC-TU, and was soon introduced to George Gaines, then the President of the organization. We talked about my idea, and he indicated that the Chapter had raised the same issue sometime earlier, but had not yet had an opportunity to act on the idea. We immediately agreed to work together, and I volunteered to lead the effort, in conjunction with NCC-TU’s whole-hearted support.
I then made contact with the Chaplain’s Office at Bethesda
Naval Medical Center,
and George followed up with some leads he had at WRAMC. At that point we were trying to find out the
right people to talk to about our plan and get connected to the recovering
wounded, or Wounded Warriors as the Service men and women are called. We needed to know how to get our message out
and, as a first step, invite as many Wounded Warriors to the Angling Show as
possible. We were able to attract a few
of the staff at Bethesda to the
show, and although we did not have any of the wounded attend, we did have a
chance to publicize our new project and gain the considerable support of numerous
volunteers. One of those was John
Colburn, Editor of the Mid-Atlantic Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers
(FFF) News Letter, a retired Army Warrant Officer, and fly tier par excellence. John would become an active supporter of PHW,
connect us with the FFF, and ultimately establish and teach the fly tying
classes (see John’s piece on his efforts). Most significantly, we were able to meet with individuals that explained
the recovery process for wounded men and women and connected us with the right
people at WRAMC. That particular “right”
person was Colonel Bill Howard,
After meeting with COL Howard, we were off and running. He enthusiastically extended his support,
recognizing the therapeutic opportunity that fly fishing would offer his
charges. The initial meeting led to
further meetings with some of the wounded troops and an introduction to fly
casting at one of the ponds on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home
(John Colburn lives there and made all the arrangements). At that first casting session, George and I
enjoyed the further support of Sandy Burk, Mark Eustis, and Alfredo
Suescum. Later, Capt Tim Valentine,
After another casting session on the grounds of WRAMC, we
were ready to take to the water. The
first opportunity was Beaver Creek in Western Maryland. George contacted Doug Hutzell, and on one
very hot (90+) day in July, we were in his back yard fly fishing the
Creek. Not much happened fish-wise, but
it was our first opportunity to go fishing with the Wounded Warriors and
everyone had a great time. By now we had
several solid PHW participants, the likes of 1LT Eivind Forseth, USA; SGT Sean
Locker, USMC; SGT Rob Bilkle, USA; CPL Mike Oreskevic, USA; and SPC Rich
Ingram, USA. We would end up taking that
team to the Spring Ridge Club in Pennsylvania.
I had previously contacted the Spring Ridge Club, located on
the fabled Spruce Creek and Little Juniata in Central Pennsylvania
and explained all about PHW. Mike
Harpster, the Club’s General Manager, was quick to extend an invitation to fish
their private waters on the Spruce Creek, and late in August we arrived for an
overnight stay, guests of the Club. The
guys warmed up on the waters of the Little Juniata in the afternoon and took
several nice fish under the tutelage of the many Spring Ridge guides that had volunteered
to lend a hand. After everyone stowed
gear, the Club’s staff put on an incredible feast that evening, and left
everyone wondering if they’d be able to move by the next morning. After a hard rain that night, we speculated
how the fishing would be, as individual groups headed to their first assigned
beat. There was not long to wonder – the
high, murky waters of the Spruce Creek had evidently turned the fish on, and
the fellows were into fish right away. It was strictly a nymphing day, but the guys had it down pat and caught
some of the biggest Rainbows and Browns that I’d ever seen. It was a marvelous experience for everyone,
and we left the Spring Ridge Club that afternoon most grateful for the
wonderful fishing experience and the extraordinary hospitality they had
provided.
Shortly after the Spring Ridge outing, the group was able to
gather at Dusty Wissmath’s Fly Fishing
School and have Dusty and his
friend Steve Harry, spend the day teaching the fine points of fly casting and
fly fishing. After the practice on his pond, it was time to put on some real
flies and catch a bass or two. Barry Yancosek, who works at WRAMC, joined the
group and now is a committed PHW volunteer and fly fisher. Petty Officer Jose
Ramos, a wounded Navy Corpman was introduced to fly fishing on this trip and
had to be dragged away from the water when it was time to leave.
As we moved into the Fall, Mark Eustis took charge, and
arranged several trips to the Eastern Shore (Kent
Island) to fish for Stripers or
Rock Fish, as they’re called locally. There would typically be a crab feast at Harris’s Crab House, while the
group waited for it to get dark, and then it was off to the piers and jetties to
cast for schoolie stripers that were attracted to the lights. When the action was hot, it was very hot, and
fish were caught until energy levels gave out. It was a good way to finish up our first year and, as November
approached, the fishing for 2005 concluded for PHW - just in time for me to
head West, for a walk-about with my two bird dogs, Grace and Madge, along with
a head full of ideas for PHW for 2006 and a renewed appreciation for the
service and sacrifices of the men and women of our Armed Forces.
Ed Nicholson
