Showing Gratitude to Our Veterans

by Kevin Hagood, CVTU Veterans Outing Committee Co-chair (USMC Veteran)

A veteran is defined as an individual who honorably served within the ranks of our nation’s armed services. Whether a career officer or weathered enlisted man, the members of the Clinton Valley Chapter make it our goal to honor those men and women each day. Once a year, we have an opportunity to give them a chance to be free of the stresses of their past and the day-to-day experiences we all have. Preparation for this event had some new faces leading the charge with great success. Many phone calls, Zoom meetings, emails, and texts filled our lives during this time. But every moment spent planning is why this mission has been prosperous since 2020. We had many gracious sponsors this year and held a spectacular shooting event at Gilbert’s Sportsman’s Club. All the hard work led us to a fully-funded Veterans Outing and surplus funding to get 2023 started right. 2022’s event brought us to the second home of CVTU member Ed Roden, a quiet scene just minutes away from the heart of the Au Sable River. Volunteers anxiously awaited the arrival of our guests, and you could feel the excitement as the veterans trickled in. The place immediately felt like home as veterans conversed with pride and fought over the superior branch as they practiced with their new Orvis rod and reel combos. The dwelling was home to full bellies, drink, laughter, and the curiosity of catching fish on the fly.

The morning brought slight winds and an almost competitive atmosphere as the veterans prepared themselves for a long day of hook sets. We arrived at the Mio Dam access site for a little casting tutorial, as the idea of fly fishing was relatively new to all the veterans. Their disciplined nature, however, compelled them to be successful with the cast. Volunteers prepared a smoked chicken spread as our guests tossed flies along the river’s edge. Once chow was announced, they eagerly lined up because one thing was certain; these boys could eat. Then it was time to get these men to their guides for an epic experience. As the veterans were shuttled off, the volunteers made plans for an adventure of their own and gradually made their way downstream.

As the day neared its end, we made our way back to the cabin to prepare a meal fit enough for our honored guests. You can never go wrong with steak and potatoes. A thunderous comradery filled the cabin once the veterans arrived from the meandering banks of the Au Sable River. Each veteran had a satisfied grin and an even bigger urge to share their experiences, and like any fisherman, the big one that got away. We found ourselves bonding over the day’s exploits around a fire or savoring a cigar out back. The laughter faded as the sky darkened and the embers flickered, the long day having filled us all with exhaustion and enlightened dreams.

Sunday left us eating a light breakfast and reminiscing about the prior day’s journey, fish still fresh in the minds of our beloved veterans. The cabin was cleaned up as if getting ready for inspection, and most of us slowly made our way south, bringing home a new chapter to this adventure created just a short time ago.

Wade...Don’t Wander!

Trout Angler Guides

Available for these Michigan Rivers:

Au Sable ‘Holy Water’ Au Sable ‘Trophy Water’ Manistee River Boardman/Jordan Rivers Pere Marquette River Pigeon River Country

Steelheader’s Guide

Also Available: Coaster Brook Trout print Signed and numbered by James Prosek