Flies and fly tying for peace of mind

A Cathlamet Marine is one of a group of veterans bringing peace of mind to fellow veterans through a program centered on fly fishing.

A lot of veterans are coming back now from Iraq and Afghanistan with amputations, disabilities and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the program attempts to do something for them, says Bill Talley, who served 22 years in the US Marine Corps, and learned personally about PTSD from his tour in Somalia.

A severe anxiety disorder, PTSD can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. Those experiencing PTSD may experience again the event that caused the trauma; they may exhibit difficulty with sleep and show anger and hypervigilance, and also at times, they may show suicidal or threatening behavior.

Talley is now a regional contact for the Healing Waters Fly Fishing program, a program started in Maryland to help military personnel and veterans overcome the obstacles associated with their service related disabilities.

Program participants meet with other vets to learn the art of tying and fishing with the artificial fly. The fine motor control needed for tying flies is wonderful physical and mental therapy, Talley said, and the men also have a chance to discuss experiences with people who have had similar experiences.

"It's a chance to sit down and talk about what we've been through," he said. "It's part of the healing process.

"The fishing trips are the icing on the cake."

Participants come from all wars and actions, Talley said, all the way back to Vietnam.

The program is designed for people with disabilities. It is tied in with veterans' hospitals in Vancouver and Portland and with the Wounded Warriors Battalion at Fort Lewis.

The program, through donations from individuals and companies, supplies materials needed for tying and fishing, and the groups do head out to fish.

Talley recently led a group to a trip down the Yakima River; they've also fished the Kalama and, in Oregon, the Breitenbush rivers this year.

"It doesn't matter if you're not disabled," he added, "if you're a vet, you can come, and bring your kids, too."

Contact Talley at (360) 560-1526. See the program's website, http://www.projecthealingwaters.org.