We are honored to present you with a special Veterans Day Catch Magazine issue. Project Healing Waters has created an essay this year called “Diversity Heals.” It 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. Today we celebrate the incredible patchwork of people who have sacrificed their time, safety and lives for our great country The United States of America. Thank you to those who have served and who are serving today. We hope you are inspired, motivated to heal and of course inspired to go fly fishing by this Veterans Day issue.
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 (PHW) exists to help disabled veterans heal from both physical and psychological trauma through fly fishing. Founded at Walter Reed Army Hospital in 2005, there are now 152 local programs actively serving more than 9,800 veterans across the US. Fly fishing is the vehicle—but healing is the objective. Structured programming allows veterans to reconnect with one another over fly tying, rod building, fly casting, and most critically on group outings that allow them to find peace in nature, with each other, in a way that words alone cannot begin to touch. It’s literally life-saving for many veterans who have felt isolated for years after their discharge.
At the same time, PHW searches for ways that their community of veterans can give back, combining their efforts at healing themselves with action to heal the beautiful and often threatened places where they fish. It’s a win-win: participants find their way back to a sense of purpose while immersing themselves in healing landscapes.
Healing is Golden traces the story of a hearty group of veterans from Project Healing Waters who ventured into the Golden Trout Wilderness (GTW) in 2025 to lend a hand to this extraordinary place alongside their US Forest Service and Trout Unlimited counterparts, and in doing so to lay down some of their own burdens.
The Veteran Participants
Dan Hurtado
“This trip to Golden Trout Wilderness was a year in the making, working with Trout Unlimited and the US Forest Service. We faced wind, rain, hail and everyone was so strong—so much respect for all of us. So grateful to put this together.”
Dan Hurtado is an active-duty member of the United States Coast Guard and has completed multiple deployments to both Antarctica and the Arctic. A graduate of the US Naval Diving & Salvage Training Center, Dan fulfilled a childhood dream by completing multiple solo dives beneath the Antarctic ice.
Continuing his lifelong connection to the water, Dan has become a dedicated fly fisherman, His passion for fly fishing began while backpacking to alpine lakes and especially enjoys “blue lining”–hiking deep into remote areas to fish isolated creeks and streams.
Dan joined Project Healing Waters to share his passion, experiences, and help build stronger community, through veteran outings, fly tying and conservation projects.
Mike Scott
“A truly remarkable trip, not for the faint of heart. Two nights of acclimatization at altitude of 10,000 feet, then five days in the back country assisting Trout Unlimited preserve habitat. That was the best part of the trip. It heals the soul. Thanks to Winston Rods, Trout Unlimited, US Forest Service, and PHW for making this dream trip possible.”
Mike was born on June 19, 1964, in La Mesa, California, and was raised in Concord, California. The son of a career US Navy submarine veteran, Mike grew up with a deep appreciation for military service and the values of commitment, resilience, and teamwork. He graduated from Clayton Valley High School in 1982 and, within five days of graduation, enlisted in the United States Marine Corps through the delayed entry program. Mike reported to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in September 1982 and graduated from boot camp in December 1982. He later completed aviation electronics training at Naval Air Station Millington, Tennessee, and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, becoming a flight line avionics technician. His Marine Corps service included assignments at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, before his active-duty service concluded in September 1986.
Following his military service, Mike returned to California and used his veterans benefits to earn a degree in Civil Engineering from San José State University. He began his professional career with the State of California, became a Registered Professional Civil Engineer, and later earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix. Mike went on to spend nearly 30 years with a major international consulting firm, advancing to the position of Senior Vice President and managing the construction of major bridge and highway projects throughout Northern California. He currently serves as an Area Construction Manager for a mid-sized engineering firm.
Mike lives in Oakley, California, with his wife, Lisa. After first meeting as teenagers, Mike and Lisa have been married for 36 years. They have three adult children and one grandchild.
Mike joined Project Healing Waters as a participant in February 2020 and began supporting program outings as a volunteer in 2022. In October 2023, he assumed the role of Assistant Program Lead for Outings and Water Safety, and will become the PHW Martinez Program Lead in 2027.
Lorina Walker-Kaloi
“I found Project Healing Waters in 2019, almost by accident. I attended a different veteran’s event where fly casting was going to be one of the activities. It was incredibly windy and fly casting was canceled, but I was given the information to find PHW at the Martinez VA.
Lorina Walker-Kaloi served in the US Army from 2004-2007 with one tour of duty in Iraq as an 88M (driver).
“From the moment David Lipscomb put a rod in my hand, I felt absolutely addicted to learning more. From the start I was welcomed and at that time I was the only female in the room. But I was welcomed and encouraged to come back. I quickly made some great friendships and tried to show the same kindness that was given to me. I found a tribe and a passion at a time when I felt very alone.”
“GTW was by far my favorite trip. The views were just amazing. Words don’t do it justice. The work we did in the meadows was super fun. Every person was friendly and seemed to really enjoy themselves. The actual hike was challenging. I’m really glad I spent time in the gym!”
Tim Young
“After my long career in the military, I pursued a second career in the civilian world as a municipal Firefighter/Paramedic. My life has been surrounded by life-saving activities and now that I’m fully retired I am trying to carry that mission forward by helping fellow veterans in their healing process. You have to give it away to keep it. This mission allows me inner peace and an ability to continue to work on slaying my own dragons as well. Some hobbies of mine include motorcycle riding, fly fishing, golf, reading and spending a great deal of time outdoors enjoying the beauty that is out there. I have two grown children, Colin and Allyson who mean the world to me.”
About his experience in the GTW, Tim says,
“Another what could words ever attempt to convey trip! This one though was a challenging and new PHW success. Friendships solidified, Brotherhood/Sisterhood again realized. Mission success!”
Tim Young is a retired USAF Pararescue Specialist. He spent 26 years in the Air Force and retired at the rank of Senior Master Sergeant (E-8). Tim’s career entailed military rescue operations both in the combat and humanitarian civilian arenas. He’s had many great successes in life-saving scenarios. The Pararescue career field specializes in aerial operations both out of fixed wing and rotary type aircraft. The qualifications of a Pararescueman include parachuting, scuba diving, mountain climbing, gunnery, tactics and strategy, and of course advanced paramedic duties.
Dave Allen
“I got out of the Navy in 1984 and immediately enrolled at Diablo Valley Community College where I spent 2 years there making up for what I had not learned in my urban high school. I was then accepted at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where I graduated with a BS in Engineering Technologies”.
Upon graduation, his career took him to various companies in the mail sorting and cash sorting industries and the San Francisco Federal Reserve. Dave retired in 2021.
“I heard about Project Healing Waters from a counselor at the VA Martinez Outpatient Clinic. I joined in June 2021 and since then, I have made many new friends through the trips, meetings and events that PHW puts on. I have learned to tie flies, I have made several rods and I am always trying to get better at fly fishing.”
His thoughts on the GTW experience:
“Wow! What a fantastic trip! Great company of my fellow vets. Great backcountry and such great fishing. I was the slow poke of the group but my companions understood and kept me going. Many thanks to my fellow vets, PHW, TU, USFS, Winston, and everyone else that made this trip happen!”
Dave Allen grew up in rural Michigan, the older brother to two sisters. His father was an auto mechanic and his mother worked as a waitress. He joined the US Army in 1972 right out of high school and after boot camp was assigned to Strategic Communications Command in Stuttgart, Germany. He left the Army in 1974 on a family hardship discharge after his mother died so he could help his dad raise his younger sister, helping out where he could. In 1975 he enlisted in the US Navy, where he trained to be a radioman.
Dave did tours on two different submarines, the USS Tecumseh, SSBN 628 and the USS Permit. SSN 594. Between the boat tours, he was an instructor at the Mare Island Cryptography Center.
Blain Tomlinson
“Thank you so much to your group! The GTW was an amazing experience. It was a real win to have PHW team up with TU and the US Forest Service. Healing vets/healing habitat is what it’s all about!”
Blain Tomlinson was born and raised in Birmingham, AL and Spokane, WA. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1988 and reported to the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, VA. Blain served four years of his six-year contract as a Marine Intelligence Officer until a serious injury ended his military career.
He went on to work more than two decades in the medical device field, holds three US Patents and was founder/CEO of WalkJoy, Inc. for ten years. Prior to WalkJoy he was Executive Director of St. Joseph Health System’s (Providence Health and Services) Mission Innovation Institute, Executive Director of AW Traumatic Brain Injury Foundation and Vice President Healthcare for O’Melveny & Meyers Consulting.
Tomlinson consulted to Defense Advanced Research Program Agency (DARPA), co-founded the Orange County Life Science CEO Roundtable and a lecturer series on Entrepreneurship at the University of California Irvine’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering.
He served on the Board of the Orange County Licensing Executives Association, USVI Marine Vocation Program and is Assistant Program Leader for the Long Beach, CA PHW Program. He was also the PHW California Representative for the National Advisory Committee of Veterans Administration Voluntary Services (VAVS).
Tomlinson graduated Magna Cum Laude from Carroll College in Helena, MT, was in the PLC JAG USMC Officer Candidate School program, attended numerous GE Crotonville – Global Leadership Training classes and self identifies as a fly-fishing addict.
Cameron Cushman
True to his motto, and as an old hand in the GTW, Cam embraced the challenges this week brought.
“The Golden Trout Wilderness is without question a place that I mentally feel at home. I have been fortunate enough to spend a lot of time there over the years. To be able to bring it full circle and join a PHW program there not only as the filmmaker but getting to help the team with tips and sharing some of my favorite spots. The GTW is definitely a special place and hopefully more PHW participants get to experience it. Thanks to the incredible people on the trip for allowing me to stick a camera in their faces for the week.”
“Embrace the uncomfortable” has become something of a personal motto for Cameron Cushman. Not because being uncomfortable is enjoyable, but because some of the most important things he’s done have required stepping into situations he was told he couldn’t do anymore.
Cameron spent six years in the US Army as an Infantryman, including a twelve-month deployment to Afghanistan. After medically retiring from service, his path forward looked very different than what he originally planned.
Complications from multiple surgeries left him dealing with significant health issues and forced him to adjust to a new reality much earlier in life than he anticipated. That process took years, and a lot of it wasn’t pretty. Eventually, the outdoors became one of the places where he began finding his footing again. Fly fishing, hiking, and simply spending time outside gave him an outlet and eventually became a major part of both his personal life and his work. He credits the Devils River in Texas with saving his life and giving him the strength needed to carry on for his family.
That experience also shaped the stories Cameron wanted to tell.
As a filmmaker, he has spent much of his career working with Veterans, nonprofits, outdoor organizations, and brands to tell stories about real people and real experiences. He has worked alongside Veteran organizations for years, producing films and campaigns, documenting the people they serve, and advocating for the Veteran community through both his work and his own experiences.
His career has taken a somewhat unconventional path. After the Army, he went back to school, built businesses, worked in television and marketing, and eventually turned filmmaking into a career. Today, his work spans documentary, commercial, and narrative filmmaking, with much of it still rooted in the people, places, and communities that helped shape him.
Through all of it, Cameron has tried to hold onto a pretty simple idea, difficult circumstances don’t have to dictate what comes next and they have given him the strength to do things he may never have.
His advice is equally simple:
“You don’t have to accept a bad hand of cards. Be uncomfortable, and do hard things.”
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.
There are places in this country that feel older than memory. Places where the landscape seems to carry weight, not from modern life or advancements, but from time. The Golden Trout Wilderness in California’s Eastern Sierras is one of those places. It is not easy to reach. It does not offer comfort in the traditional sense. It does not bend itself to your convenience. And that is precisely why it is as special as it is.
During the final weeks of August 2025, a group of veterans with the Project Healing Waters Program in Martinez, California stepped into that country together. Packs strapped tight. Boots, hopefully broken in. Rod tubes lashed down. The kind of experience that most people dream of. This is their story.
The Golden Trout Wilderness spans more than 300,000 acres of designated wilderness, rising from roughly 7,000 feet to well over 12,000. It sits largely within Sequoia National Forest, brushing up against the edges of Kings Canyon National Park. Granite basins carved by glaciers. Alpine meadows that bloom for a few short weeks each year. Cold, clear headwaters that give life to the Kern River system. The terrain is open and exposed, yet at the same time dense and intimate. It demands attention and the proper effort.
It also holds what may be one of the most beautiful species of trout known to man. A fish that arguably shouldn’t be as beautiful as it is when it comes to living in such a harsh place as the GTW. That fish is the California Golden Trout. It was officially designated the state fish of California in 1947.
The Golden Trout evolved in isolation in high elevation tributaries of the Kern River basin. For thousands of years, it existed only in these cold, nutrient-poor streams above 9,000 feet. Its flanks glow with gold and orange. A crimson stripe cuts across its side. Black speckling decorates the tail and dorsal fin. Most are not large by modern angling standards, often reaching lengths of only 10 inches in their native habitat. While Goldens introduced into lakes can reach lengths upwards of twenty inches, these are rarely sought after compared to their native creek-born counterparts.
Today, there are multiple states that have stocked Goldens, but no state holds as many as California, both within their native range and outside of it. On this trip, the group would cover multiple creeks that fall within the Golden Trout Wilderness, while both fishing and working.
You don’t hike miles over mountain passes into thin, almost desert-like air for inches. You go for something else entirely.
You see, places like the GTW often need support. Today, Golden Trout populations are struggling. Experts fear they could be extinct in their native watersheds in as little as 50 years if nothing is done to save them. The threats are straightforward: changes in weather patterns, interbreeding and competition with non-native rainbow trout populations, and livestock grazing. Generations of habitat loss and hybridization have limited native Golden Trout to a tiny fraction of their historic range and numbers.
Organizations including Trout Unlimited, the US Forest Service, CA Department of Fish & Wildlife, California Trout, and Fly Fishers International have dedicated years of rigorous planning and decades of work to expand, protect, and restore Golden Trout. They have been fencing streams to protect from grazing livestock, planting native shrubs to reinforce the stream beds, and building man-made Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs) during the second phase of the California Golden Trout Project, launched in 2021. No machinery is allowed due to the sensitive nature of the habitat, so all restoration work must be done with hand tools.
Their goal is a large one. In the coming years, the State and organizations doing the hard work have plans to restore over 75 miles and 7,000 acres of critical headwater habitat, a lifeline for the threatened populations of these incredible trout. PHW was privileged to be asked to join a Trout Unlimited/US Forest Service team to help with some of this critical work. They combined their restoration work with several days of backcountry fishing to create what for many of them was the trip of a lifetime.
The story of this PHW trip into the Golden Trout Wilderness begins several years earlier, woven together through the visions of two of the participants whose deep love of this land independently drove them to find a way to share it with others in the PHW community.
Blain Tomlinson was the Board Chair for Project Healing Waters and a member of the Board of Trout Unlimited when he began dreaming of a way to partner these two programs in an effort he called Habitat Healing Veterans. For a couple of years, they discussed options for a joint project, but nothing had yet come to fruition.
Unbeknownst to Blain, a young PHW Martinez volunteer and active Coast Guard serviceman named Daniell Hurtado was busy planning his own pilgrimage to the GTW at the same time. Dan remembers it this way:
Years ago, when I first started getting into backpacking and fly fishing in Washington state, I heard about a Golden Trout high up in isolated Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area. Those who were in the know spoke in hushed tones at first, then grew into grandiose stories as if they were mythical fish that only the worthy would hope to land, equal to a Loch Ness monster sighting. After several memorable trips but no Golden Trout, I began to believe the Golden Trout were as rare as Bigfoot.
“A decade later I was transferred to California where I would have another chance at the Trout that eluded me. but this time a genetically pure strain in native water. Driving along Highway 395 in the dry desert looking west at the formidable Eastern Sierra, I began to question my planned 40-mile solo backpacking trip, and those feelings of apprehension remained until I got to the trailhead. After all my planning, I failed to account for the altitude and how ill-prepared I was going from sea level to 10,500’. That first climb was rough!
When he returned from his trip, Dan approached PHW Martinez Program Lead Brian Miller with a proposal: why not plan a conservation and Golden Trout fishing trip in partnership with TU and USFS for PHW Martinez veterans? Brian agreed enthusiastically and reached out to Blain, asking him to become the Executive Sponsor for the trip. Connections made. Dream realized! As Brian reflects:
“When Dan first approached me with his idea, I could immediately imagine how the GTW experience of healing would magically unfold. We selected four deserving veterans to join Dan and Blain, who together would weave and leave a lasting imprint on the land and each other.”
Blain was thrilled to see this finally come to fruition.
“For me, three good things converged: the USFS needing support because of staffing and budget cuts and being able to fill some of that need; being able to watch the collaboration come together; and being immersed in the beauty of the GTW with this group of veterans.”
Back to the trip. It’s now time for a little introduction. My name is Cameron, and I am the photographer and a writer of this piece. I also am a combat veteran and the filmmaker who embedded with the group in the GTW. I am an avid visitor of the GTW, and a lover of all things Golden Trout.
On August 20th, I leave my house and begin the sixteen-hour drive to Lone Pine, California. I arrive late that evening, after a long push from Montana, where I meet up with a fellow veteran and great friend, Will Wendelman. We spend the next two days fly fishing in the area before the PHW group is set to arrive.
We cover tons of water, with time spent chasing Goldens in the GTW, as well as fishing other local water bodies all the way up to the Mammoth area. We catch dozens of Goldens, Cutthroat, as well as some Browns and Rainbows. I utilize this time to dial-in my 65-pound pack and my 17-pound camera package that I will carry across mountain after mountain chasing this fine group that is arriving in the next few days.
On August 22, Will and I meet up with a portion of the group on the Owens River where we make our introductions.
We leave the group to do some fishing, which gives Will and me time to say our farewells before the big kickoff day.
August 23rd, the group sits outside a grocery store in Lone Pine, California where they get their final snacks and goodies before driving up the mountain to set up their basecamp at the Horseshoe Meadow Campground. This is where the group spends the next two days acclimating to the elevation before making their big push deeper into the GTW backcountry.
Now let’s meet the rest of the PHW team. Dan Hurtado, Group Leader, PHW Martinez Volunteer, active duty Coast Guard, and lover of the backcountry. Dave Allen, US Army veteran, using this opportunity as a shakedown for backcountry big game hunting trips later in the season. Mike Scott, US Marine Corps veteran, PHW Martinez Volunteer Outings Leader and Water Safety instructor. Lorina Walker-Kaloi, US Army veteran and wilderness enthusiast. Tim Young, US Air Force Special Operations veteran, trained in advanced paramedic procedures and long-range high altitude overland navigation. Blain Tomlinson, US Marine Corps veteran, the then PHW Board Chair and Executive Sponsor of the trip. The team’s plan is to link up with conservation project partners Dan Johnson from Trout Unlimited (TU) and Egan Cornachione from the US Forest Service (USFS) to help on the meadow restoration efforts.
What neither the group nor I are expecting on this trip is the number and intensity of summer storms we experience. I have been fortunate enough to spend multiple years in the GTW, and never in all my years have I experienced the level of weather that we do on this weeklong journey. From day one to the final day, almost every single day is filled with heavy rainstorms paired with the never-fun electrical systems that can tag along.
I bring the group to one of my favorite spots, and within a few minutes the rain begins. Fortunately, the thunder and lightning hold off for about an hour and a half, which allows the group to hook into a few of their first Goldens. The group slowly but surely makes our way back to camp where we enjoy a brief lunch before linking up with the TU folks for our first experience of restoration work, as well as receiving a bit of orientation on the entire area, work process, and impact on the bodies of water that we will be restoring.
The mission for the day is to get a better understanding of the work that has been done, the work being done, and the work that needs to be done. After a hike through a few meadows and across a few creeks, the group is at our first worksite, an area where they are establishing Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs). These are temporary man-made beaver dams. By using surrounding natural materials, these BDAs serve multiple functions. They artificially slow the water flowing through the landscape, reestablishing the floodplain and ensuring adequate flows year-round for spawning fish and juvenile habitat. During the summer, the BDAs create deep, cool water and in the winter, stable warmer water as sanctuaries for the fish.
On the walk to the worksite, the TU team takes us by multiple areas that have had intensive work done where fish are now flourishing to future spots that have yet to be touched. This work is very much a team effort, guided by the US Forest Service and supported with the extra resources other partners contribute, including and especially Trout Unlimited. Dan Johnson, TU’s lead on the trip, has been working with TU for four years.
<em>“It’s been pretty amazing to be part of it. I grew up in a family of salmon anglers and we ran a guide service in Alaska. As with many folks in conservation, fishing was my gateway. I got a job with Patagonia. That got me into conservation—they brought Patagonia staff out to work with TU as volunteers. Then I got a call from my current boss Jessica Strickland, who told me there was a job opening with TU.” </em><br><br>
Officially, Dan is now TU’s California/Nevada Public Lands Manager—responsible for public lands advocacy, but he was originally hired as an outreach and engagement specialist, making TU work accessible to the public. He straddles all of this work now, and loves every minute of it.
With a good backstory on the work that TU and the State have done, the team is split up and handed various tools to get to work. Some hike up into the timber to find downed or dead trees to bring back down to the creek bed, others toss on their gloves and begin placing small branches into an already started BDA. With plenty of new hands between the two teams, the work for the day is finished quickly.
Lorina Walker-Kaloi lights up as she remembers this work… hard work, the team did building the BDAs.
<em>“I liked working on the Beaver Dam Analogs the best–it felt full circle to help rehabilitate the GTW while also getting to enjoy the fishing and peace it offers. It was like fishing wasn’t the whole point–the work was the focus and fishing was a reward. I’m super grateful for getting to work with TU and the USFS. I appreciate and almost envy these groups because it’s their actual job to be stewards of the backcountry I find so much peace in.”</em>
On the other end, Dan Johnson holds great appreciation and respect for the veterans, their help, and their shared love of wilderness. He had little contact with veterans before this—neither he nor his immediate family had served in the military, so working with veterans was all new for him. Dan had read about Project Healing Waters—he knew that these were veterans who “had been through some stuff” and used PHW as a vehicle for healing through camaraderie and nature, but he didn’t fully appreciate the impact until he saw it for himself.
“You can read it on paper and it makes sense, but in that moment [in the GTW] it came alive. I get paid to run around and play with fish—they’re the reason I’m able to have such a privileged life. One of my favorite memories from the trip was this image I have of Blain Tomlinson. I knew of Blain before but had never met him. There we were hiking over Trail Pass, getting hailed and rained on, and Blain is charging up the giant hill with a cigar in his mouth.”
For Dan, that moment embodies the grit and determination our group of veterans bring to this work as well as to their daily lives.
Egan Cornichione is the USFS project lead for the wilderness stewardship projects:
“I coordinate with nonprofits and volunteers for backcountry trips to remove fence and debris. I am also the project lead for the Forest Service for the second phase of restoration by Trout Unlimited in Big Whitney, Stokes, and Tunnel Meadows…The restoration and stewardship work being done in the Golden Trout Wilderness would just not happen without partner organizations to fund and support the work. That PHW has been an eager partner in engaging with the work to protect and improve stream conditions is so critical in bringing more resources and attention to the many stressors facing the Golden Trout, and hopefully to the many opportunities to improve their long-term survival in this sensitive ecosystem.”
In short, everyone is in this together.
With the introductory workday complete, we all head back to camp where the USFS/TU team treats the group to a fantastic taco dinner. Conversations are had, new friendships formed, and before we know it, the sun is down.
We have another day of acclimating to the elevation in front of us, and the group spends the day in various ways. Some hit the water, some relax by camp, and some go do a bit more work with the TU folks. As for myself, I spend most of the day recharging gear, packing my pack so nothing will budge to give me the most pleasant experience possible with a 65-pound pack full of camera gear and camping gear to survive with for a few days in the mountains.
The big day finally arrives, August 25th. The day when the group brings all their packs and gear to Rock Creek Pack Station, the horse and mule packing outfit that generously donated their services for this trip, to get weighed and sent out on a mule train. Everyone but me sends all their heavy camping gear, food, and most of their items off with the outfitters to be dropped along the trail at a pre-determined spot somewhere near our backcountry camping area.
Rock Creek Pack Station in Bishop, California has been around since 1919, and since 1947 three generations of the London family have owned and operated the outfit to provide educational opportunities, hiking support, and specialized trips into the backcountry with their herd of about 130 horses and mules. For current owner Craig London and his wife Carmen, packing and sharing the extraordinary Sierra wilderness with their guests have been lifelong passions.
Craig has been packing since the tender age of three and a half, and started working in the family business at age 12. A highly skilled veterinarian trained at UC Davis, Craig cares deeply for his animal family—he has real bonds with the horses and mules that may work as pack animals for 20 or more years.
In the Rock Creek Pack Station website video, Craig talks about using his now-retired veterinary skills to help his neighbors with their animals. But Craig is generous in many other ways, this trip to the GTW being a great example:
“When people have a problem and I can help them, that’s what I can do. Project Healing Waters called and wanted to hire us to pack in their gear to GTW. When I heard it was for a group of veterans, I told them I’d be glad to do it for nothing.”
Craig and Carmen are very active members of their local Elks Lodge (BPOE) and Craig saw this as an opportunity to fulfill the Elks’ commitment to helping others.
“My family’s been in this business for decades. It’s very unusual for us to give anything away for free. But helping veterans on their mission to be of service was a no-brainer.”
With a quick trip to the pack station wrapped up, the group heads back down to the main trailhead outside of Horseshoe Meadows to take a group photo, pack some snacks, a light load of fly gear, some layers, and whatever else they want to have in a small daypack before beginning the strenuous journey deep into the GTW.
With daypacks filled, legs stretched, and bladders emptied at the last civilized bathroom the group will see for the next week, we begin our hike out of Horseshoe Meadows and into the GTW. The hike begins through a small stand of timber before opening into a meadow setting with loads of exposure and sand that is hoping to find its way into your footwear. Early in the hike, you get a false hope of ease. With a slightly downhill and flat hike for the first mile or so, your thoughts of this being a strenuous journey push to the back of your mind.
However, that quickly changes when you start your ascent up over the 11,000 foot Trail Pass but with blue skies and warm temperatures, the group is feeling very optimistic about the week, even while searching for air as we reach these high elevations.
The day is only beginning and ends up being the longest push of the entire trip. With work needing to be done on some older BDAs in another drainage, we hike up and over mountains, around mountains, and down mountains before arriving at a small creek to link up with some of the TU folks. With a brief lunch made up of jerky, ready-to-eat meals, and whatever other snacks the group had in our packs finished up, we toss on our gloves and head towards the work site.
The skies, on the other hand, have different plans in mind for the group. With maybe fifteen minutes of work in, the skies quickly change from blue to dark and ominous. The rain comes fast, and before we know it, hail starts pounding the ground.
Within minutes of that, the sky starts to rumble–the last thing you hope to hear when you’re eight miles into the backcountry. So, the group huddles under trees, covers gear as best we can, and waits for it to pass.
We also are running out of daylight, so once the lightning and rumbling of the sky stop, we begin our trek back up the mountain towards Trail Pass once more. Through intermittent rain and fluctuating temperatures, the group finally arrives back at the top of Trail Pass. Now to head down into another drainage which ultimately will be our home for the next several days. At this point, I believe we have covered all the routes that come and leave Trail Pass.
With a few miles left in front of us, we begin our descent. After a couple of quick breaks here and there to rest the legs, we finally make it to where the pack team has dropped the group’s gear. Before picking everything up, we push to an area that Dan (the trip lead and all-around incredible human) has designated for the group’s headquarters for the next week. The group comes and goes at our own pace, grabbing our gear, setting up tents where we can find the flattest ground with little to no rocks or sticks, and before we know it, the group is sitting back in camp chairs eating our first dinner in our backcountry camp.
With a well-deserved evening of rest in front of everyone, we spend the next few days chasing the incredible fish that brought us here.
The group falls asleep under the stars, wakes up to the crisp morning air that we love to breathe, and has some breakfast. Some of the group hang back at camp while four of us head to a tiny spring that comes out of the ground about a half-mile away to bring water back to camp. When I tell you that this water is some of the cleanest you can find, I would be confident enough to say that you could probably drink it straight from the source without filtration. But we take the safe option and make sure that all the water we are consuming is filtered throughout our time in the backcountry.
Once back at camp, the group starts rigging up their brand-new donated Winston rods, alongside Bauer Reels and Scientific Angler lines. By ten in the morning, the group is creek-bound to spend the day chasing as many Goldens as they want.
The group naturally spreads apart, some heading upstream, some downstream. I jump from individual to individual if I can see them–some disappear around the bends in the creek. One thing that’s certain, everyone is catching fish. But like I mentioned earlier in this story, weather isn’t always on our side. The skies darken, the rain arrives, as well as the wind and lightning. Everyone scrambles back to camp to hang out in their tents or whatever cover they have set up. This becomes the routine for most of the trip. Several hours of great fishing in the morning followed by afternoon storms, with some of the days even seeing storms come through mid-morning. But the morale is high. For this week, the only thing on most of the group’s minds is being immersed in the beauty of the Golden Trout Wilderness and getting to share it with a group of individuals who all understand one another.
For the veterans on this trip, as with other PHW outings, nature is a respite from the everyday stresses of life. When they pick up their packs and fly fishing gear, they lay down the burdens of their PTSD and the isolation many feel when they get home from the service. They find healing in the company of people who understand, listen, support; and peace in the wild places they visit. For them, these aren’t just trips—they are often a lifeline when they need it most, and a commitment to being there for their fellow veterans.
This sentiment was apparent as each individual prepared for this rigorous adventure into the GTW. This was not a normal PHW fly fishing outing, where you drive to a destination, walk and wade or fish from a boat with guides, and then go back to a comfortable accommodation—this was a full-on expedition that required months of planning with contingencies for emergencies, weather, animal encounters, and other unforeseen circumstances. All of these veterans know the potential consequences of being caught unprepared, and they took their prep very seriously.
To a person, all of them mentioned focusing on being an asset to the group, not a liability. They worried about falling behind on the trail. Of not being able to do the physical work this trip would demand. They trained. Lifted weights. Ran. Carried heavy packs around. Gathered the gear they needed to be safe. Studied relief maps. Prepared for the outing as they would for any mission. And had each other’s backs as they anticipated the journey into this new territory. They looked forward to the hard work and the chance to give back—to each other, and to the Golden Trout. Tim Young says it eloquently:
“The responsibility being given to me to make all the medical consideration decisions was something that once again brought meaningful purpose to my life. I was not invisible, if but only for a short time. I know those reading these words get what I mean by purpose. Who are we after we’re done being who we were?”
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.
