Two flies, more fish, one great event.
Every year at the end of April for the past decade, Project Healing Waters has hosted veterans from across the country for the annual 2-Fly Tournament at Rose River Farm. It's just up the road from Criglersville on the Old Blue Ridge Turnpike, almost to Syria, Virginia. 2017 is our 11th Annual.
The Rose River Farm is a ‘sometimes magical, always special’ place. When the Farm isn’t hosting this great Healing Waters 2-Fly tradition, folks come to fish the stream, breathe the mountain air, and stay in luxury cabins built in the valley.
The valley is astoundingly beautiful, and I gotta say, fishin’ ain’t half-bad, neither. http://www.roseriverfarm.com
Truth be told, competitive fishing isn’t really my thing. I’m more a go-get-lost-in-the-water sort of fisherman. Concentration takes you away – all your focus is on the eleven-inch trout considering that eighth-inch fly you tied a few days ago. I’ve found most trout ignore me, and while I’m standing in a mountain stream I’ve no real problem with that. So I usually leave guiding to others. And in that way, I’m probably like some of the veterans who fish in the 2-Fly. But winning has it’s rewards, and it’s our goal to help our vets capture some of that feeling.
So at the 2-Fly, veterans are teamed with pro guides, and everyone picks two flies to use for the day. There are points awarded for quantities and size, and at the end of the day, prizes and satisfaction are distributed liberally.
As it happens, 2017 is the 11th Annual 2-Fly Tournament. Just like the past events, veterans and guides from around the USA will gather, laugh, fish, share some stories, fish some more, and on Saturday evening collect under a big tent for dinner and some speechifying. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
– some interesting folks show up to visit and speak with our veterans. And many of our Healing Waters folks share stories of their own. It’s a big tent that seems remarkably small when we’re all inside.
We’re proud to help and be a part of this great event. We fish some, visit with old friends and fish together, meet new folks and connect with peers and fish with friends we hadn’t met yet, and this Healing Waters community of thousands of veterans gets closer. And we grow.
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