Wednesday, October 28, 2009


Project Healing Waters Milwaukee holds its second successful Fishing Outing

Bluegill fishing puts veterans’ skills to the test.

Milwaukee, WI - Veterans participating in the Project Healing Waters Program in Milwaukee enjoyed a morning of fly fishing on Thursday, October 1. The event took place at the Wern Valley Sportsmen’s Club, located in Waukesha County. Eight veterans were partnered up with volunteers from the Southeastern Wisconsin and Aldo Leopold Chapters of Trout Unlimited. The volunteers served as fly-fishing mentors for the veterans, who are learning the skills of fly fishing as part of their recreational therapy.


Wern Valley is the setting of several spring fed ponds which hold good numbers of bluegill and bass. The vets and their mentors soon spread out around two of the ponds and began casting beetles, wet flies, and nymphs. Fishing was slow for the first hour with a several hits and a few small bluegills landed. With a warm front forecast to roll in later in the afternoon, hopes remained high that the fishing would turn on. It wasn’t like someone flipped a switch, but as time went on more and more bluegills were being caught. It’s possible to attribute this to the rise in temperature but more likely due to the fact that the vets were putting it all together. With confidence building, casts became longer. Red turned out to be the hot color, making fly selection easier. Anglers were setting the hook just at the right time, resulting in more hook ups.



A strong camaraderie has developed between the participants in the program and the volunteers. Everyone cheers for the others around them, creating a great support network. A picnic style lunch was provided shore side by VA staff who accompanied the veterans. Many took a quick break to eat and tell some stories, then head right back out to the ponds to get a little more fishing in. No one caught any of the large bass that are said to be lurking in the ponds but a fair number of bluegills were caught. As rods were being packed up, one of the vets asked “can we do this on the ice?” Several volunteers replied “you could but you’d need to get a lot better at casting to get the fly through a hole in the ice!” All shared a good laugh and started thinking of the next trip.



Project Healing Waters would like to thank the Wern Valley Sportsmen’s Club for providing access to the ponds for the participants in this program. Thank you to all of the mentors for volunteering their time, equipment, knowledge, and patience. The program would not be the success that it is without the efforts of these volunteers. SEWTU will continue “healing those who serve” through the implementation of the Project Healing Waters Program in Milwaukee.