Dear Catch Magazine Readers,

This Veterans Day, Catch Magazine is honored to once again share the inspiring story of Project Healing Waters, an organization that brings veterans together through fly fishing, friendship, and the healing power of nature. In this special edition, Healing Is Golden, written by Cameron Cushman and D’Arcy Richardson, with photography and film by Cameron Cushman, takes us deep into California’s Sierra Nevada and the Golden Trout Wilderness.

In August 2025, a group of veterans traveled 12 miles by mule and on foot into the backcountry, where they joined forces with Trout Unlimited and the U.S. Forest Service to restore fragile meadow streams and protect the native California golden trout. Through building beaver dam analogs, sharing stories around camp, and casting lines into pristine waters, these veterans discovered something far greater than fishing.

At its heart, Healing Is Golden reminds us that healing doesn’t happen all at once. It happens in moments of laughter, quiet reflection, shared purpose, and the simple comfort of knowing we’re not alone. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer one another is a place to belong and someone to share the journey with. We hope this film inspires you to seek out the places and people that bring you peace, connection, and a renewed sense of purpose. And if that happens beside a beautiful river with a fly rod in hand, all the better!

On this Veterans Day, we extend our deepest gratitude and respect to the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country. We honor their sacrifices, their courage, and their service.

We hope you enjoy this special edition of Catch Magazine

With gratitude,
Todd and Kelley Moen