Veterans Find New Life

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. (PHWFF) began in 2005 at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. An angler’s intuition Founder and President Emeritus, Ed Nicholson, was staying at Walter Reed in 2005, where he witnessed wounded service members returning from Iraq, and later Afghanistan. His thoughts kept returning to the peace and serenity he felt while fly-fishing and wondered if fly fishing could help the recovering and injured service members also staying at Walter Reed during that time.

After Nicholson started taking some of those patients out to fly fish, he noticed a change for the better in them, and more and more veterans wanted to give fly fishing a shot.

About a year after Nicholson’s stay at Walter Reed, he started Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. and registered it as a 501(c)(3) in the state of Maryland with a simple mission statement: Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing and associated activities, including education and outings.

With tremendous help from strong partnerships such as Fly Fishers International, local Trout Unlimited Chapters, and many others, PHWFF has blossomed into a project that serves disabled active and veteran military personnel from coast-to-coast, with more than 200 programs across the United States.

PHWFF offers five main program activities: fly fishing education, fly tying classes, fly casting instruction, fly rod building classes, and fly fishing outings, all at zero cost to participants.

The camaraderie and the healing power that PHWFF offers to the disabled veteran and active-duty community cannot be overstated.

One statement that rings throughout the participants is “(PHWFF) saved my life.”

In 2008, PHWFF introduced a fly rod building competition. A few years later, a fly tying competition followed. These competitions give participants a chance to unwind and show off their skills.

Fly tying and rod building takes a lot of concentration, but that’s exactly what these veterans look forward to.

“I am at the point where things are getting better (mentally) and PHWFF has continued to build that progress. Your mind just gets lost in the details. That’s 100 hours you’re spending not stressing. Learning the skills and little techniques…it surprised me how much I enjoyed that part as well.”- John Huffman, Shenandoah, VA Participant.

These competitions allow participants from every PHWFF program to build fly rods or tie flies as they please.

“Those rough days and nights when I can’t get on the water, fly tying has filled that void until I can get out and cast a line. Tying has not only been a stop-gap for me but has elevated my experience on the water. Having a productive day on the water with a fly that I tied has been a game changer. I no longer dread losing flies. I look at it as an excuse to tie more for the next trip.” - Alex Ward, (Ret. SPC U.S. Army) PHWFF Atlanta Participant.

The competitions are open to every PHWFF participant, and the prizes are just a bonus to the unconventional therapy.

“I joined PHWFF just to try fly-fishing. What I found was a place that actually helps veterans heal. I have many disabled veteran friends, with brain damage or missing limbs, who I take to the hospital when needed, on fishing trips, or just to hang out. I brought them into the program and seeing them succeed in making flies and building rods does something good for the heart that I have a hard time putting into words. Add in the amazing friends I have made here, and that makes PHWFF an organization in a league of its own.”- Zachary Griffin, PHWFF Conroe, TX Participant.

PHWFF would not be successful without the help of generous volunteers and donors. In 2020 alone, while dealing with the pandemic, volunteers across the country still logged more than 255,000 hours.

“When our participants get out on the water and find themselves in the middle of a beautiful and serene situation, they don’t have to think of any demons they may have. Because you have to concentrate on what you’re doing, everything about fly fishing—from tying flies to building a fly rod and learning to cast—is very healing. ”- President Emeritus and Founder Ed Nicholson

“I can’t even begin to explain how I feel about PHWFF volunteers and if I do I usually get choked up and my eyes get misty. Thank you, everybody, from the bottom of my heart for caring enough to volunteer and be involved.” –Veteran, Maine PHWFF.

To participate, volunteer, donate, or learn more please visit projecthealingwaters.org

Kendra Cousineau

Kendra is a volunteer for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. Her love for the outdoors originated with her father taking her out fishing and hunting from a young age. In 2003, Kendra moved to Missoula, MT where she quickly realized she would have to learn how to fly-fish or risk being kicked out of Montana. She graduated from the University of Montana in 2014 with a degree in Journalism. All images courtesy of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc