NC Handicapped Sportsmen @ Pechmann Ctr 7-9-08

[Al]

Wednesday afternoon (July 9, 2008) was hot and humid in the Fayetteville area but that did not deter about a dozen members of the North Carolina Handicapped Sportsmen group from assembling at the Pechmann Fishing Education Center for an afternoon of fly tying and fishing. This is the third event we have hosted for them and even though I arrive home tired and sticky with sweat I always say to my wife, "I may look beat, but we did good today". You can't work for long with a group of people who have had every curve ball in the world thrown at them but are still smiling and enjoying the great outdoors without feeling that way.

From the beginning they have expressed an interest in fly tying. We received a donation of six entry level fly tying kits from Gander Mountain and have been putting them to good use with both the handicapped sportsmen and many of Ft Bragg's wounded warriors. Our volunteer "master tier" was out of town so I took over and showed them how to tie, (you guessed it), the Allieworm and a foam beetle.


Many of them had nimble fingers and tied up some pretty good looking bugs. Everyone of them had a ball and many were copying down addresses of locations to purchase vices and tying supplies of their own.



One fellow brought his daughter who tied up some very good looking foam beetles.


Due to the heat and humidity a few elected to stick with the tying but most were anxious to do a little field testing on the ponds. The foam beetles were an instant hit on the bream ponds.


Big fish of the day was a nice catfish which fell to an olive Woollybugger.


Fish On! This little girl had a blast. Future "Joan Wulff" in the making.


Lots of smiles and thank you's today. I don't remember when I had a better time working myself to the point of exhaustion. Expect the other volunteers, without whom we could not hold these events, would say the same.

[Oldman]

Way to go Al. I agree, you done good. Get some rest. Thanks to you from all veterans.