PROJECT HEALING WATERS
October 17, 2008
BY JOHN BERRY
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Inc. is a not for profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation (both emotionally and physically) of veterans and disabled active duty military through the healing effects of fly fishing and fly tying. The organization was first started about four years ago by Ed Nicholson, a retired Navy captain who was visiting patients at Walter Reed. He was looking for something that they were interested in. It has since grown to twenty programs in fifteen states. Project Healing Waters is run in conjunction with two other not for profit organizations, the Federation of Fly Fishers and Trout Unlimited. The concept is to teach fly casting and fly tying to wounded personnel at VA and military hospitals through twenty affiliated programs in fifteen states with volunteers from local fishing clubs.
My brother Dan, a Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor, has been working with some of the wounded active duty personnel on their fly casting in Memphis. I sat in on a session and was very impressed with the determination and positive attitude of the warriors. Other Mid South Fly Fishers Club members have been teaching them fly tying.
A major part of the program is to take wounded warriors fishing. In a couple of weeks, they are going to hold an outing here which will be coordinated locally by Rim Shoals. The idea is to take eight wounded warriors fishing for three days. These guys are all wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan and most are amputees. They will fish both the White and Norfork rivers. There are a host of local groups that are providing meals or services including: the American Legion, Angler’s Coffee Café/Blue ribbon Fly Shop, Cotter Area Chamber of Commerce, Knights of Columbus, Mountain Home Veterans of Foreign Wars, North Arkansas Fly Fishers, the North Central Veteran Council, Trout Unlimited White River Chapter, Trout Unlimited Memphis Chapter and Wapsi.
The festivities begin on Monday the twenty seventh of October with a meet and greet at Rim Shoals. This is where the participants get to meet their guides and discuss the next days fishing. On Tuesday, they gather at Cotter Big Spring Park for breakfast sponsored by the Cotter Area Chamber of Commerce. At 7:30 AM, they begin their float and fished their way down to Rim Shoals. Lunch is at Rim Shoals and then they spend the afternoon fishing in the area. Dinner is at Rim Shoals. On Wednesday, they gather at Anglers coffee Café for breakfast and the shuttle to the Norfork River for another day of fishing. Lunch is at the confluence with the White River sponsored by the Mountain Home Veterans of Foreign Wars. They then shuttle back to Rim Shoals for a dinner sponsored by the North Arkansas Fly Fishers. On Thursday they begin the day at Rim Shoals with a breakfast provided by the local Trout Unlimited Chapter then it is a float trip down to Buffalo City. Lunch is provided by the Knights of Columbus and eaten during the float. As you can see this is a lot of fishing and a lot of coordination to make it happen.
The guides for this group are Duane Hada, Denis Dunderdale, Davy Wotten and Me. We are all working at reduced rates. I am especially pleased to be a part of this group. As a Viet Nam veteran, I feel a natural kinship with these guys and I look forward to spending some quality time with them on the water. If you see us out there, give us a wave. Stop and think about the service and sacrifice the guys have made for us.
(870) 435-2169
berrybrothers@infodash.com
www.berrybrothersguides.com
TWO ONE HUNDRED FISH DAYS IN A ROW
September 19, 2008
BY JOHN BERRY
There was some incredible fishing in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav. I was involved with a speaking engagement for a fly fishing club in Northern Kentucky and missed the most of the action. My wife Lori had been able to tap into it and she was able to enjoy some of the best wade fishing available this year. When I heard that Hurricane Ike was headed our way, I decided to take advantage of any low water that we might be presented with. Both of these ferocious storms caused a significant amount of flooding down stream. In an effort to mitigate this flooding, the Corps of Engineers had curtailed generation on both Bull Shoals and Norfork Dams. The situation created some of the first reliable low water in six months. The trout had not seen much of anything but brightly colored San Juan worms in months. With the fish more concentrated in the lower water, anglers able to wade to their favorite holes and fish that had never been effectively fished over in months; it was a prescription for great fishing.
On Friday morning, I noticed that the White had been off since midnight. I discussed the possibility of fishing with Lori and she said that she had a proposal to put out but she would be finished by lunch. I started getting our gear together. About that time Justin, a doctor from Oklahoma City, called and asked if I was available to guide on Saturday. We booked the day. Around Noon, Lori and I loaded our yellow lab, Ellie, and headed for Rim Shoals. When we got there, the water was still a bit high and dropping. We chose to walk Menokah’s trail to trail head two. We carefully crossed the river and began fishing along the island.
I caught a fish on my first cast, an omen of the things to come. Lori did not take very long to get in the game. What ensued was one of the best days of fishing I have ever had. We caught one after another. Ellie was going crazy trying to keep up with the action. She got so fatigued from keeping up with the action, that she ended up lying on the bank too tired to chase another fish. Lori and I were worn out and sunset was quickly approaching. We had caught over fifty trout a piece (our first hundred fish day in a long time) and needed no more. I had managed to land a fat twenty inch rainbow and Lori had coaxed in a couple of eighteen inchers.
We were preparing to cross the river to head back to the parking lot when we ran into our friend, Don Allenbaugh, and his dog, Buddy. He was just landing his hundredth trout of the day and graciously offered to ferry us across in his boat. We quickly accepted. When we got home we crashed. I reluctantly left my leather chair to get my gear ready for the next day.
I met Justin and his buddy, Aaron, at 7;30 the next morning. We loaded their gear into my ancient Volvo and we headed for Rim Shoals. There was only one other car in the parking lot and the river was down. We crossed over to the island and walked down to where Lori and I fished the day before. This was Aaron’s first fly fishing trip, so I spent a bit more time with him. He was a quick learner and was soon catching fish hand over fist. He was nymphing with an olive scud which was really working well. He landed an eighteen inch rainbow and then a twenty incher. The only break in the action was for photographs. Justin was doing even better landing one fish after another including an eighteen inch bow and an eighteen inch brown. At lunch, they both had over twenty five fish a piece. I asked if they wanted to try another spot or stay there. They were very resistant to the idea of leaving fishing like that.
We went back across and continued the incredible fishing. We tried several spots and changed over to olive woolly buggers for a while. It made no difference. We caught fish every where. We tried San Juan worms for a while and hooked some huge fish but were unable to get them in. By now it was 6:00 PM and I looked around. The sky was growing ominously dark and it began sprinkling. My clients had caught well over fifty fish each (my second hundred fish day in a row) and it was time to go.
My guys hated to quit (I think they would have fished for twenty four hours), but I sensed the bad weather coming our way. We walked out and took off our waders. We loaded our gear and as we left the parking lot it began raining. I dropped them off at their car and the bottom fell out. The rain was coming down in sheets. We had timed it to perfection. I went home and Lori had supper waiting. It had been two tiring yet rewarding days. I am ready for a couple more just like them.
John Berry
(870) 435-2169
berrybrothers@infodash.com
www.berrybrothersguides.com
Recent Comments