Project Healing Waters Tidewater Trip

Another epic day as a volunteer with Project Healing Waters, this time on the Nestucca River in Hope of landing a few Sea Run Cutties with an assigned Veteran from the PDX Chapter! The weather was epic, a couple of podcasts were downloaded to hopefully give me a few tips on Sea Run Cutties and it was time to rally down to the coast along with 5 other members of my Salem Chapter of PHWFF. Searun cutties were our target and Pink Spider flies were our ammo!

Thomas was my guy, destined to be when I approached him at the top of the gangway, lending a hand to get down to the boats. I asked him if he had been assigned to his boat yet and he responded with "It's only my 2nd time fishing so I'm being paired up with an experienced angler."

To that, I said, "Well then, we'll see you on the water, have a great time today!" And made my way down to the cataraft where everyone was loading up with their passenger and taking off in hopes to be the first to get a fish on a line.

So there I was...there Thomas was...and then the boat assignment...Thomas was mine! "OMG THIS POOR GUY!" is all I could think!!! This guy was promised experience and here I am in the "Big Blue Bumper Boat"!!!

We left the dock and started our voyage. This was hammer time...time to use the tools that I have been storing in my proverbial tackle box of lessons, time to fingers crossed, put Thomas onto some fish!

Pink Spider on and 3 tiny cutties landed. Thomas was STOKED!!! I was way MORE STOKED!!! It took me 3 months to land my first fish, 3 MONTHS!!! We were on the board and we made memories.

Thank you Project Healing Waters for providing this program to those who have served and for entrusting in me a chance to give back and have a blast doing so!!!