The healing waters of fly fishing
A Canadian flag marks the entrance to a dirt lane way off of Sixteen Road in Pelham.
The trail winds its way past a field of soybeans, golden in the fall sunlight. Past rows of grape vines. Past wildflowers in blazing displays of purple and yellow.
At a point when the hardwood forest approaches on the left, and the asphalt road has disappeared into the rear view mirror, the lane way opens up to a pond.
On this day, it is a sanctuary of sorts to 10 guys.
They are current and retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces. They all have been injured or are living with an illness.
Amputations, chronic, debilitating back, knee and neck pain, post traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety.
They will spend the day with volunteers from the Niagara Chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada learning to fly fish.
The day is part of a program of Soldier On, an organization that provides sport and recreation opportunities to soldiers healing from physical and psychological wounds.
Army. Navy. Air force. It doesn’t matter.
They are all connected by the need to heal.
“We’re trying to given them an avenue to promote recovery,” said Sgt. James MacIntyre, Soldier On’s regional representative.
“We’re trying to motivate them to get out and stay active and be healthy.”
Across Canada, they can participate in a number of activities. Sailing. Downhill skiing. Multi-day backpacking trips. Hockey. Horseback riding. And day hikes.
On a snow-covered hill, they might feel liberated. Empowered. Fly fishing on a pond in Pelham could be calming and reflective, he said.
“They could use fly fishing to continue their journey of healing,” said MacIntyre.
“It’s about the mindfulness of being out there on the water,” said Dennis Edell, chairperson of the Niagara chapter of Trout Unlimited.
“It puts your mind right in the water with the fish.”
There’s a certain zen to fly fishing. A certain peace of mind. Indeed, there’s a reason the group calls the fly fishing experience, Healing Waters, he said.
Volunteers pair up one-on-one with the veterans to teach them about the art of fly fishing. Later in the day, they will learn fly tying. And then on Thursday, they are off for some more fishing north of Toronto.
Volunteer Rick Schell drove from Orillia to help out.
“When you look at what they’ve done, you want to help and support them,” he said.
“It’s calming to be on the water. You shut everything else off.”
Trout Unlimited Canada’s mission is to conserve, protect, and restore Canada’s freshwater ecosystems. Locally, it’s made up of people who like to fish, and people who are mostly interested in conservation. They are currently working to rehabilitate 12 Mile Creek. They hope to one day bring back the Brook Trout that have disappeared for reasons including development, sediment in the water, slower flows and water that’s too warm.
This is the fourth year it has hosted Healing Waters.
“We want to show our appreciation and honour them by helping out when they’re in need,” said club secretary Brian Green.
“This is something we can do to show some gratitude to these guys.”