Diversity Heals is the story of a group of six disabled U.S. military veterans, representing four branches of the military, including three women, three men, three Project Healing Waters programs, for three days of fly fishing on three diverse Central Oregon storied fly fishing waters.
PROLOGUE
Project Healing Waters, Inc. (PHW) began in 2005 serving wounded military service members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, PHW has expanded nationwide, establishing its phenomenally successful program in Department of Defense hospitals, Warrior Transition Units, and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and clinics. PHW brings high quality, full spectrum fly fishing programs to an ever-expanding number of disabled active military service and Veteran personnel. PHW has become recognized as an innovative leader and model in the field of therapeutic outdoor recreation for disabled Veterans through its successful application of the sport of fly fishing as a rehabilitation tool.
PHW helps active military service personnel and veterans in need through a dedicated, developed curriculum of fly fishing, fly casting, fly tying, and fly rod building. In 2023 alone, PHW helped 6,056 participants comprised of all service eras through the generous work of 6,458 active volunteers.
Catch Magazine began its special relationship with Project Healing Waters in 2018 with the Veterans Day publication of “Healing on the Fall”. Since then, there have been three other Veterans Day tributes published: 2019 featured “Three Perfect Days of Healing” set in Central Oregon’s Crooked River, the Upper Deschutes, and East Lake. During COVID, the San Francisco PHW program produced “Casting to Heal,” set at the legendary and historic Golden Gate Anglers Lodge and Casting Pools. Lastly, in 2022, the program featured a return to the Fall River at the Circle 7 Ranch with a photo essay, “Healing Full Circle”.
For this fifth Veterans Day special edition featuring PHW we returned to Central Oregon, set in the beautiful high cascades and high desert that makes this area so special. The Sunriver Anglers hosted this event with donated housing and guides. Three women veterans joined three men veterans from three programs, Martinez and San Francisco, California, and Bend, Oregon on a journey of healing. These veterans visited the Crooked River in a high basalt canyon that reminisces a western movie, the gin clear and picturesque Fall River near Sunriver Oregon, and Crane Prairie Reservoir, famous for big trout and which features a multitude of wildlife.
The Veteran Participants
Danny Leifer – PHW Bend
Danny Leifer was a recon Marine who joined the corps at 18 years old. He deployed twice to Afghanistan and was involved in some heavy duty combat experiences. Just a few hours into his first mission, his detail was ambushed. Fortunately, all his team members got out without harm. But it was these experiences that impacted Danny and made his transition back to civilian life particularly difficult.
Danny got involved in PHW because returning home from the Marines was tough for him. Really tough. “I was having a really rough transition back from the Marine Corps. I had a lot of combat experience and that transition back to civilian life was brutal on me and needed something for my mind to focus on. I really found the Zen in tying flies and found the Zen in fly fishing. Yeah, it’s been a healthy outlet for me.”
Danny wore his signature Hot Pink and Blue shorts and Crocs and wet waded each day. He was hard to miss each day on the water!
Patrick Rowland – PHW Bend
Patrick and his brother grew up in Oregon and New Mexico. In Oregon, he was able to do what he loved, being outdoors. He fished, boated, hiked, and 4wheeled with friends, and enjoyed the small town values of celebrating American Heroes and working hard. Right after his 17th birthday, Patrick enlisted in the Marine Corps and left the summer of graduation. His brother and stepbrother had enlisted in the Marines and the Navy, and when the time came Patrick knew he wanted to do his part to defend our country too.
This is also where Patrick was first introduced to Project Healing Waters. Members would come weekly to teach him to tie flies and talk about their fishing stories, and by having that camaraderie and task to focus on Patrick feel like a whole new world of therapy had opened: fly fishing! He’s been attending local PHW meetings and is so excited that it is finally time for him to learn how to fly fish with this great organization!
He is currently volunteering at La Pine State Park, is a Hunters Education instructor with ODFW, and became a Big Brother to a great individual in his community.
Patrick was the leader for the largest fish caught during the entire trip. He landed a 22” Rainbow on Crane Prairie fishing on the “Trout Hound”, Volunteer Jeff Wieland’s boat. This fish was caught at an undisclosed and now secret location in Crane Prairie. All the witnesses to this magnificent catch have been sworn to secrecy!
Gus Ballis – PHW Martinez
Gus Ballis was born on July 27, 1955, in Amarillo, Texas. He graduated from high school from Palo Verde High School in Tucson, Arizona in 1973. After graduating, he joined the United States Air Force and went to boot camp at Lackland AFB.
Gus was named after his uncle who served as a Marine in the Pacific during WW II and was killed in action during the Korean War. His father was career Air Force and served in Europe during WW II and in Vietnam. Gus’ grandfather was an Army veteran who was wounded in Europe during WW I. I am a proud Veteran from a lineage of proud Veterans. All of them had/have significant service-disability ratings that occurred as a result of serving our country.
Gus spent his entire career ensuring that his employers complied with environmental and worker protection regulations. Following his father’s example, he has always been involved with volunteering his time and money to various charity organizations. He strongly believes we all need to help make the world a better place.
Gus started fly fishing 5 years ago to help deal with his disability issues. The effects have been amazing! PHW has really helped to dramatically improve his fishing skills. He would tell you that the bonus of being with other disabled veterans is something he never expected would be so incredible. And so many of them are not only very knowledgeable, but they want to teach the newcomers. He has also been learning the art of fly tying. Next comes mastering the art of reading the bug hatch. His goal is to someday become one these “old-timers”!
Sheronda Myers – PHW Martinez
Sheronda Myers has been with PHW circa 2019. She served as a Marine from 2000-2008. Spending four years as a heavy diesel mechanic with the 2d Maintenance Battalion, Camp Lejeune, NC, and completing one tour in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The next four years were spent as a data network specialist on MCAS Miramar and Camp Pendleton, CA.
Sheronda was in awe of the scenery and wildlife throughout the Central Oregon waters we visited. On the opening night dinner, Phil shared with all the participants that we would be fishing Crane Prairie reservoir later that week, an area known for a plethora of wildlife, including Bald Eagles. Phil warned, “Don’t watch the Eagles”, as it is a well-known fact that every time one would glance at an eagle, a trout would strike and take the indicator under and quickly let go before the inattentive angler could react. At the conclusion of the week, Sheronda remarked that she will always watch these magnificent eagles, as another trout will come along before the next eagle.
Martha Begay – PHW San Francisco
Martha served in the U.S. Navy from 2000 to 2017 at many locations throughout the world, including Virginia, Bahrain, Iceland, Japan and on board the USS Nimitz. She served as a 1st Class Chief Petty Officer in Information Systems Technology. Upon leaving the Navy, Martha enrolled in City College San Francisco, where she is studying IT and Network Security.
Martha is an expert caster, and those skills were evident as we fished the Central Oregon waters featured during this event. She landed numerous trout on the Crooked river under the expert tutelage of volunteer Dave Dunahay. We watched one rainbow trout that took the fly multiple times on the Fall River. While she never caught that trout, her stick-to-itiveness was admirable as her cheering squad on the bridge above the river gave lots of oohs and awes!
Connie Louie Handleman – PHW San Francisco
Driven by her passionate desire to serve, veteran and PhD Psychologist Connie Louie-Handelman joined the U.S. Army at the age of 56. In 2011-2012, she was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan where she found the soldiers fighting more than the enemies they encountered in the battlefield. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Connie authored The Hidden War – Memoirs of a Psychologist Treating Warriors at a Forward Operating Base in Afghanistan, which recounts her experiences during this deployment. Upon return to her home, Connie worked for the Department of Veteran Affairs at the San Francisco Veterans Center as a readjustment psychologist. Connie’s participation in the San Francisco program of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing offered her opportunities not only to pursue her interests in both fly fishing and photography, but also to address her hidden wounds of war.
“San Francisco Project Healing Waters was welcoming from day one. I easily connected to the joy of fly fishing and understood members’ hesitancy of sharing, yet cognizance of their and my lingering war experiences. With time, we can move forward by catching and releasing trauma bit by bit.”
Connie described herself as “A newbie to fly fishing.” However, she has a thirst for learning this sport and was fully engaged in improving her casting and knowledge during the trip.
Intro to the Central Oregon Venues
Crooked River
While our original itinerary was planned to fish Paulina Lake at 6400’ elevation in the Newberry National Monument, a late season snowstorm, high winds and cold temperatures caused us to abruptly change plans and opt for the Crooked River, an hour’s drive from Sunriver. It proved to be a good decision. The Crooked River flows through a picturesque canyon and is a tailwater fishery that emerges from the bottom Bowman Dam. The silty colored water disguises the fertility of the fishery. It boasts more than 8,000 fish per mile, made up of native Redband Rainbow Trout and native Mountain Whitefish. Annually this river produces prolific hatches of caddis and mayflies. Additionally, the surrounding terrain is rich in terrestrial insects, including hoppers, ants, and beetles.
Fall River
The Fall river is a robust spring creek that flows 12 miles before entering the Deschutes river. It is a picturesque stream that features bountiful trout populations, excellent hatches, and is fly fishing only. The river bubbles out of the ground at a chilly 39 – 40 degrees and gently flows through the lodgepole and ponderosa pine forest on its way to the Deschutes. Anglers target fussy Rainbows and the occasional Brown Trout trout in its gin-clear waters. Often it is necessary to leader down to 6X and 7X tippets and fish small mayfly and midge imitations in sizes 16 – 24. About midway from the headwaters to the Deschutes is the Fall River Hatchery. The hatchery was built in 1929 and has had numerous improvements in the succeeding years. It occupies a parklike setting on the banks of the Fall River with manicured lawns and many easy places for the fly fisher to access. There are numerous other easy-to-access locations throughout its 12 mile run to the Deschutes River.
Crane Prairie Reservoir
Nestled in the shadows of the Cascade range, Crane Prairie boasts a gorgeous view of Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top and South Sister. Crane Prairie was named for the Sandhill Cranes that nest in the meadows surrounding the lake. Its water sources come from the spring creeks, including the Upper Deschutes River, the Cultus River, Deer Creek, and numerous other springs that deliver clear, cold water into the reservoir year round. Its nutrient-rich waters play host to prolific hatches and extreme trout growth, which accounts for Crane Prairie’s reputation as a trophy trout fishery. The Rainbows that inhabit this lake are nicknamed Cranebows and are recognized as ridiculously hard fighting fish. The lake also boasts trophy sized Brook Trout that grow to 20-plus inches, and Kokanee Salmon that also grow fast in its waters and average 15-18”. Crane Prairie is not an easy lake to master. Its 3,400 acres and significant structure, along with old river channels make finding fish a challenge. But fortunately, we had some experienced guides and volunteers to help show the veterans to the best spots.
Welcome Dinner
Upon arrival, veterans and volunteers gathered at the home of our host, Phil Fischer, a PHW volunteer and member of the Sunriver Anglers. The Veterans from each program were meeting one another for the first time. They would soon be fishing companions and lifelong friends who would share a bond of fly fishing and healing.
In addition to a welcome dinner, the women veterans cooked tacos and rice after fishing the Crooked River. The following day, the men veterans stepped up and served lemon chicken, mushroom rice, and a Greek salad after fishing Fall River.
A Fly Box Gift
Several volunteer fly tiers got together in advance of this outing to tie up flies for each of the veterans. We delivered approximately 24 dozen flies for fishing the various venues. A fly box was given to each veteran containing a mix of flies for fishing lakes, and flies for fishing local streams.
Day 1 – Crooked River
The Crooked River, an hour’s drive from Sunriver, was to be the venue for the day. We arrived at Cobble Rock Campground about 9:30a to beautiful clear skies and warm conditions. This was quite a change from our original destination at Paulina lake at 6,400’, where snow, cold and wind was forecast. It turned out to be a good call to change venues, as the choice to freeze in a boat all day or be warm and comfortable with lots of fish in the net, was a no-brainer.
Electroshocking Fish Survey of the Crooked River
During our visit to the Crooked river, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was conducting fish surveys using an electroshocking raft. Fish near the boat are temporally stunned by an electric current and float to the surface where they are captured, counted, and measured. This survey turned up numerous fish in the 18” plus range, which is a surprise, as those are not often caught by anglers. This year’s survey corroborated the whopping numbers in the river, with over 2,000 Redband Rainbow Trout per mile, and almost 7,000 Mountain Whitefish per mile.
We watched the electroshocking crew capture numerous fish in the stretches we had been fishing minutes before. The local Bald Eagles had a field day following the crew, as some of the fish were disoriented by the electric shock and were easy prey. We watched two eagles bring back fish after fish to their nest just across the river from where we were fishing.
Right across the river from where we were fishing was a Bald Eagle nest.
Day 2 – Fall River
The second day of this PHW event featured the Fall River. A short 25 minute drive from Sunriver, the Fall River is a spring creek that features very cold clear water. Which makes for challenging fishing. The fish are plentiful and easy to spot in this river but are not easy to catch. Often it is necessary to leader down to 6X and 7X leaders and fish with size 18-22 mayfly and midge patterns. We met at the Hook Fly Shop in the Sunriver Village to stock up on a few last minute flies and other gear. Then caravaned to the Fall River Hatchery grounds, which is a beautiful park-like setting along the river. The water is clear and cold; 39-40 degrees when emerges from springs. Waders and wool sox are mandatory on this river, unless you’re a Marine…. more on that later. We were fortunate to have a beautiful and consummate Central Oregon day with clear skies and no wind.
Fall River Hatchery Tour
At midday’s break from fishing, we embarked on a tour of the Fall River Hatchery. The hatchery grounds are well manicured and open to the public. Don, our hatchery tour host, led us through a tour of the facility and spoke about the processes for gathering eggs, hatching fry, and growing the fish in rearing ponds. These rearing ponds are fed with cold clear spring water directly from the Fall River. The springs at the headwaters are only a short 5 miles from the hatchery, where water emerges at a very cold 39 – 40 degree temperature (repeat from above). The hatchery facility is an important resource for growing Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout and Cutthroat Trout for stocking the area’s many lakes and streams.
The Hatch House is where it all begins. Here, eggs are hatched in trays and then grown to fingerling size indoors in raceways. Later, the small Trout are transferred to outdoor raceways where the fish grow to catchable size or larger, before they are released in the area lakes. We had the opportunity to grab handfuls of pellet fish food and feed the fish in the outdoor raceways. When the pellets hit the water, the trout feverishly fed creating a frothy splash on the water’s surface. We were very appreciative of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel sharing this educational experience.
At the conclusion of the hatchery tour, the group split up and several headed upstream to the Fall River Campground. This area offers easy stream access, and lots of downed timber in the stream for trout to hide under!
Day 3 – Crane Prairie Reservoir
Day three dawned with a brilliant Central Oregon sky and low winds; perfect for a day on Crane Prairie reservoir. The veterans, volunteers and 5 boats met at the public launch next to the Crane Prairie Resort promptly at 8:00 AM. Lunches, courtesy of the Sunriver Anglers, were loaded into the boats and we were ready to go with expectations of encounters with mythical Cranebows. The boats quickly scattered to various locations around the lake, with some opting for deeper cooler waters along the original river channels, and some opting to target shallow flats. Both held fish but tempting them to take the fly proved challenging. Mid-morning several of the boats found a nice damsel hatch happening in 4-6’ of water on a flat. Quickly word spread and we rallied around this area trying to figure out a consistent fly solution for this hatch. Fish were caught, but the day proved challenging.
PHW Mountain Book Returns
It was a full circle moment as the PHW Mountain Book made its way back to Central Oregon. The Mountain Book is a tradition in the US Army, handed down from hilltop to mountaintop, soldier to soldier. These books are left at the top of hard fought terrain summited by soldiers, and as tradition has it, all who summit sign the book to let others know who made it to the top of the mountaintop. The original PHW Mountain Book was a gift from Asa Stamps, a veteran participant at the 2019 PHW event in Central Oregon. This book is a small green journal in which the veterans and volunteers inscribe their experiences and reflections of PHW outings. It serves as a history of healing for the those who participate in these events and is dedicated to the volunteers in service and those that serve the nations fighting men and women. This mountain book and its photos are entrusted to each subsequent PHW group to record their story of each outing. Since its inception in 2019, the Mountain book has captured 37 PHW fly fishing trips and over 175 individual entries. At the Central Oregon outing, new memories were captured, and new friendships were cemented as each journal entry was recorded. The following is a sample of entries from this event.
As a newbie in fly fishing, I was hesitant to come on this three-day trip. But I know I would be taken care of by knowledgeable guides, thoughtful volunteers, and all the generous people behind the scenes. Sure-enough every time (which was often) my fishing line snagged in a tree, a bush and a rock, there was always someone there to help me. I was on the receiving end of a fire hose of learning the art of fly fishing. But everyone was patient and kind, wanting me to succeed. And I did! With each passing hour I learned and practiced a new technique, snagged my line less often, and even caught a few fish. I cannot thank all the people involved and my fellow veterans for making this an unforgettable experience.
This, by far, was the best trip for me to date! It began with a wonderful meet and greet with Phil and Nancy. So many Veterans, volunteers, and participants over a lovely dinner (I even left with a recipe). We stayed in a beautiful VRBO with every accommodation under the sun! Everyone had their own room and bathroom. The hot water got hot so fast I went to bed that night researching water heaters for my home. Fishing was wonderful in the freezing waters. The waters were so clear and beautiful. I particularly enjoyed all the wildlife the area presented. Bald Eagles, Osprey, deer, chipmunks, owls…so many species I don’t get to regularly see. The dinners at each house were also different! The women served tacos, rice. Whereas the men served lemon chicken, mushroom rice, Greek salad, and beef stew (they had to up their game!). The best part was meeting the Oregon PHW folks. So much information and comradery. I really appreciate them, and the people that made this possible.
Thank you, Brian, Jeff, Phil, Nancy and Suzie!
My experience with Oregon was a pleasant one. I got to meet new veterans and volunteers from different walks of life…. Vets who experienced things differently in the military. We have our demons that we struggle with. And our fellow vets understood where those demons come from. It’s hard to explain how the comradery brings us closer. But we all shared the love and respect of one another. I think we enjoyed the peace that fly fishing has brought to us. I know it has brought peace to me. Thank you to all the folks that put the trip together. I had a blast, and it will be something I will never forget.
I am grateful, so, so grateful for the community. Anything that brings Veterans together to share mission, experience, and stories is priceless. These stories save lives.
I have to keep this short because I’ll take up pages. On this trip I made lifelong friends as always and healed like no other. My handwriting sucks, but this trip didn’t. Semper Fi.
This was an interesting trip to a beautiful location. The two rivers were not good fishing locations. But what made it great were the several local PHW Bend Chapter members that provided an intense amount of advanced instruction. I learned so much! It was a fun group og fellow vets and volunteers. Thank you!
Sunriver Anglers Sponsor PHW Event
The Sunriver Anglers were the primary sponsor in Central Oregon for this year’s PHW event. Its volunteers obtained donated housing for the veterans and volunteers in Sunriver, donated lunches on the water, and hosted welcome and closing dinners at a member’s home. At our opening venue on the Crooked River, the veterans were joined by Sunriver Angler members for Mike and Rynie Quan’s famous streamside burger BBQ in a joint PHW, Sunriver Anglers feast. The camaraderie was evident as these folks shared tales of fish caught during the morning’s outing on the Crooked River.
The Sunriver Anglers was founded in 1977 to promote the enjoyment of fly fishing through instruction, outings, events, and service. Sunriver Anglers encourages, advocates, and supports conservation and protection of watersheds, with a particular focus on the Deschutes, fish habitat and wild fish populations.
Sunriver Anglers sponsors educational opportunities, like Trout in the Classroom, Kokanee Carnival, which focuses on outdoor, hands-on youth education.
Sunriver Anglers sponsors educational opportunities, like Trout in the Classroom, Kokanee Carnival, which focuses on outdoor, hands-on youth education.
Sunriver Anglers annually host a free fishing day where underserved youth are afforded the opportunity to gain fishing experience in an event co-sponsored by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Forest Service.
The Sunriver Anglers encourages, advocates and supports conservation efforts. Annually it provides several hands-on efforts that club members can participate in to help preserve and improve the environment we enjoy so much. Some of these efforts include fish stocking on back-country lakes, removal of invasive fish from our high lakes and working with ODFW to clip the adipose fins on hatchery stocked trout.
Guides and Volunteers
This trip would not have been possible without the selfless participation of local professional guides and volunteers. These individuals donated their time and expertise to show the veterans a slice of Central Oregon fly fishing heaven.
Steve Erickson – Guide, The Fly Fishers Place
Steve Erickson is a guide for the Fly Fishers Place in Sisters, Oregon (Flyfishersplace.com) who joined us guiding the Crooked River and Crane Prairie. Steve also was a volunteer on our 2019 Central Oregon PHW event. The resident old man at FFP, Steve has been guiding with owner Jeff Perrin for over 14 years. His angling experience includes both moving and stillwater aquatic environments across the United States and internationally. His primary focus is on the rivers of Central Oregon, including the Deschutes and McKenzie, but he maintains a strong and growing enthusiasm for stillwater fishing. He was instrumental in making the McKenzie River float trips a prominent option at the Fly Fisher’s Place. Steve is an enthusiastic teacher of both novice and experienced anglers, and he is an invaluable resource for learning new techniques and building the skill sets you will want in our angling adventures.
Josh White – Guide, The Hook Fly Shop
Josh is the owner of the Hook Fly Shop (Hookfish.com) located in the picturesque town of Sunriver, Oregon. With years of experience under his belt, Josh has become a seasoned and knowledgeable guide on the diverse waters of Central Oregon. His expertise and passion for fly fishing are evident on every trip he leads. Josh’s dedication goes beyond business; he is deeply committed to sharing the joys of fly fishing with others and often collaborates with local organizations to give back to the community. Josh guided our veterans on Crane Prairie reservoir, providing them with an enriching and therapeutic experience on the water. His individualized touch and deep understanding of fly fishing make each excursion not just a fishing trip, but a memorable adventure for all involved.
Dave Dunahay – Volunteer, Central Oregon Fly Fishers
Dave Dunahay volunteered to help guide the veterans on the Crooked River. As a long time, resident of Central Oregon and expert fly fisher, Dave is a tireless volunteer in the Central Oregon Fly Fishing Community. In 2020 he was named Flyfisher of the Year at the Central Oregon Flyfishers annual banquet. Dave was an invaluable resource for helping the veterans improve their casting and technique, and everyone who fished with Dave caught several nice Rainbows.
Jeff Wieland – Volunteer, Sunriver Anglers
Jeff is a long time resident of Sunriver and a Sunriver Anglers member. He has a real passion for fly fishing, bird dogs, and preserving our water resources. He has served for many years on the Upper Deschutes River Coalition, working collaboratively on Deschutes River water issues. He was heavily involved in the Basin Study Work Group Steering Committee working to set a vision for Deschutes Basin water. Jeff guided the veterans on the Crooked river and on Crane Prairie. His boat, “Trout Hound” is a fixture on Crane and his knowledge of the lake was key to solving puzzles on catching fish during this outing.
Bill Hinchliff – Volunteer, PHW Bend
Bill has been fishing since he was old enough to carry his own rod. After moving from South Dakota to Oregon with his family, he was excited to fish for Trout and Salmon instead of Bluegills, Crappie, Catfish and Carp. Bill bought his first fly rod, a yellow fiberglass Wright and McGill rod in grade school, and soon began trying to tie flies with a friend. He would go to Meier and Franks and watch Audrey Joy tie flies on her sewing machine vise. She tied so fast on that spinning vise that he was challenged to learn anything … if only we had YouTube then. His fly fishing stopped for a while in high school and college, but after college, he recaught the fly-fishing bug and hasn’t stopped since.
Bill and his wife Tina moved to Redmond Oregon 17 years ago and after retiring 10 years ago, he started tying flies again. Thanks to Central Oregon Fly Fishers winter tying classes his skills increased dramatically, and Bill had much more time to fish. Searching for something else to keep him busy, he found Project Healing Waters and became involved as a volunteer. COVID came along shortly after that, and the Project Healing Waters activities stopped. He is very grateful the local chapter resumed in 2022 and has resurrected itself to what it is today.
Tim Quinton – Volunteer, PHW Bend and Central Oregon Flyfishers
Tim was born in Minneapolis, MN where his father Russ was assigned as a Staff Sargent in the US Air Force. His family moved to Brooklyn, NY shortly after Russ was discharged and continued to move throughout the east coast (VA, MD, NJ) over the next 13 years.
Tim was admitted to the US Coast Guard Academy (New London, CT) in 1973 and graduated with the Class of ’77 with a commission as an Ensign with a Bachelor of Science degree. Throughout the next 28 years Tim’s assignments included 5 Cutters (Kodiak AK, Seattle, and San Diego), the 13th CG District Rescue Coordination Center (Seattle), the Pentagon, 4 USN liaison positions, and several land-based CG facilities. He retired in 2005 at the rank of Commander (O-5).
After Tim retired from the CG he worked in several jobs, including as a fly fishing guide in Central Oregon. Tim is a member (9 years) of the Central Oregon Flyfishers, the largest fly fishing club in Oregon; he was President of the club from 2020-2022, and currently serves as the Education Lead. He joined PHW in March of 2022, and continues to participate and contribute to the local Bend chapter, helping new fly fishermen in the chapter learn this amazing pastime.
Sam Mothner – Volunteer, PHW Bend
Sam Mothner worked at the Confluence Fly Shop as a sales associate in Bend, Oregon. He has volunteered with PHW assisting veterans learn fly fishing and casting skills on the water. He is a Presidential Leadership Scholar and honors college graduate of the University of Montana with a BS in Resource Conservation and minors in Wildlife Biology, Wilderness Studies, and Business Administration. A driven and passionate individual dedicated to educating communities about the importance of resource conservation, preserving the character of the environment, and contributing to urban planning initiatives.
Bruce Wilhite – Volunteer, PHW Bend
Bruce Willhite jointed the Navy in 1975 and spent 26+ years as a UDT/SEAL (class 087). Bruce’s myriad of duties spanned the globe from Sunny San Diego to Tampa FL, Republic of Panama, Korea, Philippines, Kuwait and Virginia Beach VA. Specialized in the Man-pack Nuclear Weapon System (B54 SADM), Combat Submersibles (SEAL Delivery Vehicles) and designed and constructed the “Mission Support Center- (MSC)” for Admiral Bill McRaven. Maritime Analyst at the United States Special Operations Command performing numerous classified capabilities studies. Upon retirement performed duties as Sales Director/Program Manager with Titan Corp. and SAIC for various Homeland Security Initiatives.
As a Disabled Veteran himself Bruce has been involved in various roles with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing since 2021 as a Participant, Volunteer, National Trip Lead and Asst. Program Lead (Bend, OR).
Program Leaders
Pete Howes – Volunteer, PHW San Francisco
I started fishing in my early youth on the streams and ponds of New England. I sat next to my dad as he tied flies and built rods when I was 7. Bait and spin casting evolved to fly casting by 12 and I have fond memories of riding my bicycle to fishing spots.
Taking breaks from my work as a paramedic in San Francisco, I often travelled to the eastern Sierra where I enjoyed years of hiking into streams that seemed to have little pressure and healthy numbers of fish.
I joined the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club and enjoy the programs and activities. In 2018 I started to volunteer with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing San Francisco. My involvement in the program has been very rewarding for me as I have participated in outings, beginning casting assistance, and fly tying.
Val Wadsworth – Program Lead, PHW Bend
A native of Idaho, Val Wadsworth enlisted in the U.S. Navy right out of high school in 1979. As a Navy Cryptologic Chief Warrant Officer, he traveled the world in support of the Naval Security Group Command during the Cold War era. His final tour was in Washington DC at the Executive Office of the President in the White House, providing support for the National Security Council and White House Situation Room. Upon retiring in 1999, Val attended the University of Maryland earning a Computer Science degree and started a small business in computer network design and support.
After a 40 year hiatus from the hunting and fishing of his youth, Val learned about Project Healing Waters in 2017 and was immediately obsessed with fly fishing. In his first year as participant, he was fortunate to go to the Freedom Ranch for Heroes in Montana. In 2019 Val became a PHW volunteer and in 2020 became the Assistant Program Lead of the La Plata, MD program.
In 2021, after 30 years in the DC Metro, Val and his wife Sandy moved to Bend, OR to be near family. At that time, the PHW Central Oregon/Bend program was inactive due to COVID. After talking to PHW Regional and HQ staff, Val accepted the role of new Program Lead and has restarted the program. In his short tenure leading the Bend program, it has grown to 43 veteran participants and 20 volunteers.
Brian Miller, Program Lead, PHW Martinez
Brian Miller is Program Lead with the Project Healing Waters (PHW) program affiliated with the VA Medical Center in Martinez, CA and the Diablo Valley Fly Fishing Club (DVFF) in Walnut Creek, CA. A DVFF member since 2010, Brian began supporting PHW in 2015 as a sponsor for the joint Redding/Martinez fly fishing tournament on the Lower Sacramento River. The following year, Brian joined PHW Martinez as a volunteer along with his son Britton as a veteran participant/volunteer. A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, Britton achieved the rank of Captain, serving as NATO Air Operations Officer for ISAF HQ in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2009. Father and son have been fly fishing and healing on the water together ever since.
While not personally serving in the military, Brian’s father was a U.S. Navy veteran, serving on the U.S.S. English in the Korean War era. For Brian, Project Healing Waters now fills the void between his father and his son, allowing him to finally give back to our disabled military veterans who have so proudly served our country.
In 2018, as principal author, Brian collaborated with acclaimed fly fishing photographer Val Atkinson and publisher Todd Moen of Catch Magazine for their Veterans Day issue. “Healing on the Fall” tells the story of a Martinez/San Francisco joint outing on Fall River, CA. Subsequent Veterans Day issues include “Three Perfect Days of Healing” (2019), “Casting to Heal” (2020), and “Healing Full Circle” (2022).
“Project Healing Waters has made me whole. While I have fly fished for over 30 years, I could never have imagined the healing power of fly fishing until my son returned from Afghanistan and we went fishing. There’s an immediate and sacred bond when our disabled veterans are on the water. And It’s especially powerful to witness veterans of multiple ages, regions, campaigns, and branches of service coming together in one place. The chemistry, camaraderie, and communion with nature are instant and almost magical. Project Healing Waters clearly delivers on our promise to heal the wounded bodies and souls of our nation’s warriors on some of the most beautiful waters on earth.”
In addition to leading this Central Oregon PHW event, Brian assisted with the photography for this story.
Phil Fischer – Volunteer, PHW Bend, Sunriver Anglers, and Photographer
Phil Fischer is an avid fly fisher, fly tier and photographer who retired to Sunriver in 2010 to be near the fabulous scenery and fly fishing waters in this area. He has more than 50 years of experience tying flies, teaching fly tying and fly fishing. He owns Phil’s Custom Flies (www.philscustomflies.com). Phil has published numerous articles and photos on fly tying and fly fishing.
Phil became involved with Project Healing Waters in 2019 when he coordinated the first Central Oregon outing. He has since volunteered his time taking veterans fly fishing on our local waters and sharing his fly tying expertise. He also serves on the Board of the Sunriver Anglers, where he is currently Vice President and writes a fly tying column for the club newsletter and local newspaper. He regularly speaks at fly fishing clubs throughout Oregon and California on the excellent fly fishing found in Central Oregon. His programs always feature excellent photography of the lakes and streams in our area.
Epilogue – A Partnership for Healing
For this year’s event, a partnership of three diverse PHW Programs came together in Central Oregon: Bend, Oregon, and Martinez and San Francisco, California. Three women and three men received the healing power that fly fishing brings on some of the most beautiful waters Oregon has to offer. These PHW programs provide the leadership, framework, and support that our disabled military veterans deserve in their long journey of healing.
PHW Bend Program
The Bend program is affiliated with the Bend Vet Center and is sponsored by the Central Oregon Flyfishers, local fly shops and community support. The program restarted in May 2022 after a COVID hiatus and currently supports 43 veterans and with 17 volunteers. The program supports fly tying instruction, fly fishing outings, education, and rod building. They participate in an annual rod building competition and a fly tying competition. Further, they sponsor program participants on PHW National Destination trips, such as Freedom Ranch and Oak Heart Lodge.
This program has developed some relentless veteran fly fishers that have truly fallen for the healing power of this sport.
PHW Martinez Program
The Martinez program is affiliated with the Martinez VA Outpatient Clinic and sponsored by the Diablo Valley Fly Fishing (DVFF) club in Walnut Creek. We are one of 12 programs in the PHW Southwest Region. We currently have over 40 engaged veteran and active military participants of all ages, eras, and campaigns. We also have over 30 experienced DVFF fly fishing volunteers who lead and support many aspects of our program. We recently launched a PHW Sacramento satellite program partnering with the Granite Bay Flycasters club.
Fundamental to the PHW Martinez Program are a series of monthly skill-building workshops which include Foundational Fly Fishing, Entomology, Fly Tying, Water Safety, Fly Rod Building, and Fly Casting. Fly Fishing Outings are scheduled year-round on numerous waters across Northern California, Nevada, and Oregon. In 2024, these included the Trinity River, Baum Lake, Pyramid Lake, Manzanita Lake, Lassen Meadows, Lower & Upper Sacramento Rivers, and Fall River. Project Healing Waters HQ also sponsors its participants to attend National Outings at Freedom Ranch for Heroes in Montana and Oak Heart Lodge in Michigan.
PHW San Francisco Program
The PHW San Francisco program was formed in 2017 and is affiliated with the San Francisco VA Medical Center. The program brings disabled veterans together with certified volunteers from the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club at the historic Golden Gate Angler’s Lodge & Casting Pools. It is here that PHW veteran participants learn both the art and the science of casting a fly rod, in effect harnessing the air and their minds with the beauty of the cast.
The program helps disabled veterans with their rehabilitation by engaging and supporting them in all things fly fishing, from fly tying to rod building, fly casting and outings on nature’s holy waters. It sponsors healing trips on Northern California’s rivers, streams and lakes, along with opportunities to send participants to National outings.
The program currently supports more than 20 Veterans and 15 club volunteers offering all facets of fly fishing instruction.
None of these programs would exist without the leadership, dedication, and experience of a cadre of volunteers, and support within the Veteran’s communities. And it is in this spirit, we dedicate this article “Diversity Heals” to their spirit of volunteerism.
If you would like to learn more about Project Healing waters and become involved as a Veteran participant or volunteer, please visit: https://projecthealingwaters.org.
