Wounded Warrior & Mil App Day @ NCWRC Pechmann Ctr 2-8-12

[Al]

We had a pretty nice afternoon at the NCWRC John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center on 2-8-12 as we opened the doors to honor those who serve in our military so that this great country can enjoy the freedoms which each of us takes for granted. These Wounded Warrior / Military Appreciation fishing events are held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. Active duty, Reserve, National Guard,  Retired, VA card holders and their families are all welcome.  We provide all the equipment and a fishing license is not required.



Many of our participants enjoy the challenge of tying their own flies.  It is doubly sweet when they catch a fish on something they created out of hook, thread, yarn and feathers.



We always reserve the majority of our time for fishing. During the cool season, two of our ponds contain trout which have a special attraction to "flatlanders" who spend most of their time fishing in warm water farm ponds or reservoirs.



It might have been a small fish, but it brought out a huge smile!



The trout may be the stars of the show but the catfish ponds always attract lots of folks who love to feel something substantial on the other end of the line. This young man is the son of a medically retired Marine who often makes the trip from the Camp Ljeune area to attend our events.



Several kids out today. Wonder what tales they told mom when they got home?



"I need a little help here!"



This is what we call quality time with the family!



It doesn't get much better then this.



At closing time, John, our ace volunteer fly tyer and casting instructor, was last seen trying to fool one last fish before we locked the gate with him on the inside.

We had a little bigger crowd  today but our dream is to have so many show that we have to call more volunteers.  We have trout in our ponds and they will be with us for at least two more cycles of Wounded Warrior / Military Appreciation events. Our next one will be Wednesday, March 14, 2012. We specialize in fly fishing but have over 200 spin casting outfits for those who want to dunk a worm or try some "stink bait" on the catfish. Family members are welcome. If the kids are in school we don't mind if you arrive a little late with them fresh from the school bus. Hours for these events are from 1:00 - 5:00 pm, but if the weather is nice and the fish are biting we can be talked into staying a little later.