PHWFFC
07-11-2010, 10:05 AM
I know there was a brief discussion about our program etc. some time back, I wanted to give you folks an update on our progress.
Through sheer persistance we have finally been able to put soldiers and flyrods in the same place at the same time over the last 12 months.
We are currently running or ready to start six programs across Canada and there are more coming along as we wait for our CRA Tax number, which we are hoping will be done shortly, with an immense amount of help from our Lawyer I should say, who has worked Pro Bono for us since early last year.
We have just finished sending two soldiers from the Edmonton area on a trip with Dave Brown outfitters in B.C. Dave footed the bill with some fundraising on his own, we were able to send guys down with equipment and expenses coverd for two days of great fishing with a number of U.S. Troops as well.
There are four more heading of to Ontario to fish with American Soldiers up at Wilderness North Lodge.
We have a tying (winter) and fly fishing program running and growing in Edmonton and Calgary Hook and Hackle Club will be working with us as we bring soldiers in their area into the programs.
Calgary Hook and Hackle is also integrating one of our non military clients, who is enjoying fly fishing once again with some adaptive equipment.
I'll post a few pictures here, but I also wanted to remind you all that we found our roots in Alberta and now the benefit is travelling across the country, the generosity of Albertans has been humbling.
Our Soldiers are Canadian and thus no matter what province they are from, they have served us as a country, through many generations.
We have two Viet Nam Vets in our program, one here in Edmonton. I was able to give him a few hours of casting instruction before he left for a fishing trip.
I saw him laying out some good 30' casts and said "Hey! Three hours ago you had never held a flyrod."
He turned and looked at me with a smile and said,
"If there had been programs like this around when I came back, there would be more of us alive today."
sort of a humbling experience for me and for many of our instructors across Canada who have told me time and again, that they feel like they are learning more about themselves than they are teaching their clients.
This is what PHWFFC is all about, but more importantly, this is what fishing can be all about.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/Inconnu_2006/47a0d925b3127cce9854899a48800000003.jpg
Canadian Soldier(left) and American Soldier blown up in different countries, sharing the same water.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/Inconnu_2006/47a0d922b3127cce9854899c038a0000003.jpg
A kiss goodbye from a Veteran from another era.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/Inconnu_2006/47a0d922b3127cce9854896203740000003.jpg
Hangin' out between trips.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/Inconnu_2006/IMGP2275.jpg
Major Mark Campbell, presented with a Sage flyrod from Fish Tales Fly Shop in Calgary.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/Inconnu_2006/30152_10150212393880486_896705485_1.jpg
Okay, well we are working on the "who bites what" part of the training.
Through sheer persistance we have finally been able to put soldiers and flyrods in the same place at the same time over the last 12 months.
We are currently running or ready to start six programs across Canada and there are more coming along as we wait for our CRA Tax number, which we are hoping will be done shortly, with an immense amount of help from our Lawyer I should say, who has worked Pro Bono for us since early last year.
We have just finished sending two soldiers from the Edmonton area on a trip with Dave Brown outfitters in B.C. Dave footed the bill with some fundraising on his own, we were able to send guys down with equipment and expenses coverd for two days of great fishing with a number of U.S. Troops as well.
There are four more heading of to Ontario to fish with American Soldiers up at Wilderness North Lodge.
We have a tying (winter) and fly fishing program running and growing in Edmonton and Calgary Hook and Hackle Club will be working with us as we bring soldiers in their area into the programs.
Calgary Hook and Hackle is also integrating one of our non military clients, who is enjoying fly fishing once again with some adaptive equipment.
I'll post a few pictures here, but I also wanted to remind you all that we found our roots in Alberta and now the benefit is travelling across the country, the generosity of Albertans has been humbling.
Our Soldiers are Canadian and thus no matter what province they are from, they have served us as a country, through many generations.
We have two Viet Nam Vets in our program, one here in Edmonton. I was able to give him a few hours of casting instruction before he left for a fishing trip.
I saw him laying out some good 30' casts and said "Hey! Three hours ago you had never held a flyrod."
He turned and looked at me with a smile and said,
"If there had been programs like this around when I came back, there would be more of us alive today."
sort of a humbling experience for me and for many of our instructors across Canada who have told me time and again, that they feel like they are learning more about themselves than they are teaching their clients.
This is what PHWFFC is all about, but more importantly, this is what fishing can be all about.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/Inconnu_2006/47a0d925b3127cce9854899a48800000003.jpg
Canadian Soldier(left) and American Soldier blown up in different countries, sharing the same water.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/Inconnu_2006/47a0d922b3127cce9854899c038a0000003.jpg
A kiss goodbye from a Veteran from another era.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/Inconnu_2006/47a0d922b3127cce9854896203740000003.jpg
Hangin' out between trips.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/Inconnu_2006/IMGP2275.jpg
Major Mark Campbell, presented with a Sage flyrod from Fish Tales Fly Shop in Calgary.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/Inconnu_2006/30152_10150212393880486_896705485_1.jpg
Okay, well we are working on the "who bites what" part of the training.