Long Beach Update

October 2007

Our group consists of outpatients at the Long Beach Veterans Affairs Medical Center who are in the Day Treatment Program. The group is continually changing somewhat as some patients graduate and others join the group. We typically have 13-15, both men and women.

We started with fly tying, weekly for an hour, from May 23 until August 15. After a break of a few weeks, we started teaching fly casting lessons on the Purple Heart Athletic Field at the VA campus. Seventeen students and the Director of Recreational Therapy showed up for the first class. As with the tying classes, we’ve learned that it is optimal to have one volunteer for no more than two patients. Nineteen rods, reels and lines were donated by Duane Dotts, Cajun Bill Clements, Steve Mras, Pflueger and Scientific Anglers.

The first class introduced the roll cast, followed by the pick up and lay down in the second class, and then false casting in the third. Casting lessons will continue for six weeks, followed by a two hour session at the Long Beach Casting Club pond for practice on water with lunch and a “graduation” party.

All the volunteers have been amazed at how well the veterans are casting. Without having an opportunity to practice casting between lessons because of their living situations, some are throwing really nice loops. Some are buying their own equipment. We are all really looking forward to fishing outings in the near future.

This group photo was taken at our casting class. It represents such a change. When we first started teaching in May, no one was willing to have his or her photo taken. Later in June, a few of them were willing to be in a photograph. Now the entire group was crowding around, fussing with each other to stand up straight and get closer, just like the rest of us.

Carole Katz
Program Lead