Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Project Healing Waters Needs Your Help
I have been working with the veterans and volunteers from Project Healing Waters, Fly Fishing, Inc. (PHWFF) here in Eastern Washington for a few months now. It is an important part of my life and a much more important part of the veterans that we serve. Our program is succeeding and growing. We have gone from just a handful of folks to more than 30 in just a few months.
Therein lies the problem, we have more members than we have fly tying equipment and supplies. Some of our vets also tie flies at home as it provides them with mental comfort, we need more supplies for this activity too. As you may also presume we are in need of funds to operate, we raise the funds to keep the program afloat.
If anyone can donate new or old gear, be it for fly tying, fly fishing, hooks, feathers, fly tying tools that would be wonderful. As PHWFF is a non-profit organization we can provide you with appropriate documentation for a tax deduction. Monetary gifts are also much appreciated, they are also tax deductible.
We tie flies with our vet's several days a week at two different locations in the Spokane area, build fly rods, go fishing, participate in Two-Fly events, (see the posting below) and in general provide a positive place for the veterans minds to be. When one of the guys told me that he wouldn't be alive if it weren't for PHWFF it really hit home.
We work with both men and women and are growing all the time. If you know of a wounded or disabled veteran that might benefit from PHWFF you can also contact me and we can privately communicate with them and introduce them to our program to see if it fits their needs.
Send me a message if you can provide some gear or financial aid, we will determine a method to get it.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Josh Blake on
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Rick its a great thing that you are doing. I won't say fly fishing or tying saved my life but it definitely helped me get control of it. I have a bunch of stuff I'd be happy to send and you are sure to make good use of. Send me a PM and I'll try to have it out before Christmas.
Josh
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Permalink Reply by Paul Price on
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Hello Rick- I admire your participation in this helpful group. I have some friends that are members of PHWFF here in Portland/Vancouver.
I have a Sage DS 590 Graphite II #5 line 9' 0" 3 1/2 oz fly rod with a Fenwick World Class 67D reel and case that I would like to donate to your cause. I have never used it. I bought it at a Sportsman Show 10 years ago. I'm not a fly fisherman. I can't see those darn flies, too small and my eyesight isn't as good as it once was, except when the bikinis come out.
Ponder this offer and let me know where to send it. I'll get it to you.
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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on
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Update and Thanks, several of our members have made donations to the Eastern Washington / North Idaho Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing group. At our Tuesday session I present Norm Scott, the leader of our group with a check, and a selection of feathers, fur, rod building supplies and tools.
Thanks again to those whom have contributed and also thanks to those of you that have mentioned that you are going to contribute. You can't see all the group but we had a good day of tying and companionship. We have two groups tying at the same time on Tuesdays.
We had a busy day, with two new tiers, one of which had only tied two flies and one whom had never tied. I wish that the software would let me rotate the photo but it won't so you will have to look at this fly tying box somewhat sideways.
While it isn't the fanciest box out there I think it is pretty well done for someone with no sight! Two weeks ago the builder and I discussed what might work for a box. No written dimension, not a box to copy just a verbal description and some possible dimensions. We sometimes think that it is hard to build a wooden boat. While not as complex I still think it is pretty special that a totally blind individual can transform word pictures and a few guided touches of the tools and such that we work with into an actual box using his new table saw, drills, and other power and hand tools to build anything let alone a fly tying box.
Both of these gentlemen are blind, some of you might have seen the fellow in the orange coat before when we did the Two Fly event last summer. He has been tying for many years and as long as he can find the supplies and tools in front of him he can tie a respectable fly. The other gentleman has only tied one fly before the day I took this picture. He built the tying box above and has started tying with the group. They are both Veterans. It is a real learning experience to determine how to teach someone how to tie a fly when they can't see what they are doing, word pictures have to be used.
For example, "okay now let's place the stem of the feather, oh can you feel the feather?"
"Okay now you have it in the right place, put the shaft of the feather parallel and in contact with the hook."
"Remember that bobbin of thread hanging down, well find it and wrap the thread around the hook snuggly three times."
"Which end of the hook do you want it?"
"Away from the eye."
"No not that end the other and don't forget that there is another feather hanging down you have to avoid."
And so on.
These guys teach me a lot, working with them provides a real feeling of accomplishment. If I can learn how to teach a blind fellow to tie perhaps we can pass that knowledge on to others and other groups with other vets how to tie. Fellows have invented tools and vises for singlehanded tiers.
All in all PHW is a great program and the help you folks give is greatly appreciated.
Respectfully,
Rick Newman
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Permalink Reply by John Weston on
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Rick, that is a very nice box. even with just my one eye, I don't think I could do any better. wow. then teaching someone who can't see tie a fly, wow, that is soo cool it brings tears to my eyes thinking what sprit these vet's have from all they have indured. since you know some of my VN life you can understand my feeling for all my brothers. thanks for all your help and the rest of the folks who help.
JW
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John you are most welcome. My mother-in-law recently asked me who benefited the most from my involvement, me or the vets? I said that we both benefited, we all learn from each other and share some special times. Watching the changes even in the short time I've been around is quite remarkable. John, if you ever want to meet the folks in your area I can help you out. There are some great folks right in your backyard. You have a lot to offer them too. I'll bet that there are a few that might want to learn to build wooden boats or kayaks.
Rick N
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Permalink Reply by David Jensen on
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Rick,
What is available in Oregon, especially proximate to the McKenzie? As a USMC vet, I appreciate your work. I would be honored to guide these vets down our river.
David
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David, I don't yet know but will find out. I know there is a group active in the Portland area.
These guys and gals have earned my respect and it is very rewarding to share their lives and help them out. We can't give them enough. A lot was given to us by them, both those that served and those that gave the ultimate sacrifice. My wife's uncle served on Corrigedor, endured the Bataan Death March and then had to work in the Japanese military factories all while suffering daily. I have only recently learned of the details of the deprivations that he and others suffered. He is still alive and very lucid. It is an honor to know him and others like yourself, John Weston and unnamed others.
Rick N
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David, here's the link to the Pacific Northwest region's group. http://www.projecthealingwaters.org/Portals/0/Documents/Programs/No...
There are folks in Bend, Salem, Tualatin, White City. There is also a map type link if you just go to www.projecthealingwaters.org
Rick N
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Thanks to those folks that have donated fly tying and rod building materials as well as funds to help our Vet's prosper. The included pictures show three of the Vet's that will be using the donations. Thanks again.
PS, If anyone knows an individual or organization that can help with a monetary donation send me a message.
With warmest regards to everyone,
Rick Newman
Project Healing Water Fly Fishing
Spokane Washington
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Rick,
I have a lot of scissors, forceps, etc some were used once and some not at all that we use in the ED. These are disposable so if you think you cold use them, I can ship them to you.
The Washington Fly Fishing Club has been involved in Project healing waters in Seattle. We have also started a program with folks who were homeless because of mental illness and now have housing teaching them to tie and fly fish.
Warren
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For the last two days I have been attending a conference held here in Spokane, "Healing Community for Veterans." We made some good connections and I look forward to introducing more Veterans to fly tying, rod building, fly casting and fishing. We'll see how it goes.
When I returned home yesterday I opened the mailbox to find a small but very heavy box. I rushed into the house to find the tools that Warren Gibbs had promised in the message shown below. They will be well used and appreciated by our Veterans. Thank you Warren.
To update what has been happening with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing here in Spokane and North Idaho we have had a busy winter tying flies, three times every Tuesday, once on Wednesdays, twice on Thursdays and once on Fridays. Many of our Veterans spend much of their time at home tying flies.
The national PHWFF office provided twelve fly rod kits and a local rod builder donated his time to teach the class for five Saturdays so far. A good fishing friend of mine, Randy Campbell suggested that we build some rod wrapping stands so he and I built twelve of them. I hadn't built one before and it has been fifty years since I built a Wright & McGill spin / fly rod combo. So I have been learning along with the Vet's the skills necessary to build some very nice rods. Their rods will be sent back to the national PHWFF office to be judged and then returned to the Veterans.
Tomorrow the Spokane Fly Fishers, our parent fly fishing group will start teaching fly casting to approximately 50 fly school students and 18 Veterans. The class runs for three Saturdays. We will be busy!
We are now in the planning stages for fishing trips, we plan to bring the PHWFF Veterans along on some of the 17 trips we have planned.
I have to say that I have learned a great deal about working with people, the Veterans also teach us as much or more about life than we teach about fly fishing. As I told my mother-in-law when she inquired? Rick, who gets the most from this program, you or the Veterans? My immediate response was, "We both do!"
One last thing, we can still use donations such as those that have already been made. Money is also a very useful item.
Thanks for reading,
Rick Newman
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