Project Healing Waters

One Man's Trash Screening Events

We had our first showing at the 2017 Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3t) in Buckhead and a lot of great feedback.  There are two more chances to catch the film this month, with the possibility of a third. Friday April 7th @ Alpharetta Outfitters, Event starts at 6:30pm, film at 7:00pm and then a look at some behind the scenes footage, extras and some tips and tactics for fishing in the Okefenokee.  Hydration provided by Sweetwater Brewing!

Saturday April 8th, F3t @ Young Harris College Rolins Campus Center, Doors open at 5:30pm, Dinner served at 6:30pm with films starting at 7pm.  Come support the Young Harris TU 5Rivers Club, Project Healing Waters and the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition.

Stay Tuned For info on the third.  Hope to see you there!

 

PHW Follow Up & Thanks

Since we've put a bow on the second annual PHWFF gear drive, I wanted to take a moment to say thanks to all those who were instrumental in making the second annual gear drive go off without a hitch. While the final numbers aren't in yet, thanks to the many generous individuals and fly shops alike we were able to haul in some pretty sweet gear. Some of which has already been placed in the hands of service vets. This year, like last, we were able to outfit two deserving veterans at the social dinner and I have to say it's a pretty awesome feeling helping to outfit these guys from head to toe for an enjoyable day on the water.

I have to admit it's humbling to hear these guys speak about their experiences and the positive affect fly fishing has had on their lives. I think most of us take everyday life for granted and I know I'm as guilty as the next. These guys and girls sacrifice so much for the rest of us and being able to interact and discuss fishing with them, puts things in perspective and makes you realize how blessed we all are. I don't mean to brag on the Winged Reel and Pig Farm Ink crew, but Regional PHW representative Curt Boatman, has said many times "people approach me all the time with lots of talk and little, to no action. Winged Reel and Pig Farm Ink came to me with little talk and lots of action". I'm proud as hell to be a part of giving back to such a great cause, but I share the above message in hopes that more folks will reach out to worthy causes within the fly fishing community and give back.

Often times it has nothing to do with giving donations, but more about donating your time to a sport that has touched all of us at some point and time in a meaningful way. Fly fishing is often associated with elitism and while there is some of that I think it's deeper than that. The fly fishing community is like a small fraternity and elitism is often mistaken for our ability to quickly weed out the bullshit. I'm not sure if there's a more willing group in the fishing community, than fly fisherman to stand up for the places and causes we believe in. So take a day on the weekend and go help with a stream restoration project or visit the Project Healing Water's or Casting for Recovery site and ask how you can help. You can't put a price on the satisfaction you'll get from giving back!

Again I want to say thanks to all of those who donated and give a special thanks to Tin Lizzy's Cantina for hosting the social dinner. The service was superb and their willingness to donate 20% of each guests bill back to PHW is truly awesome! We're beyond grateful for PHW allowing us to make the gear drive an annual event and we look forward to raising the bar again next year!

 

Tin Lizzy's PHW Event

Hard to believe it's already time to start cutting off donations for the 2nd annual Winged Reel / Pig Farm Ink gear drive benefiting Project Healing Waters. It seems like there's never enough time for the the enjoyable things in life and this is definitely a cause we're very fond of and wish we could devote even more time to. With that being said we're giddy like school girls waiting to see how this years drive will turn out on the donation front. Like we mentioned in a previous post, last year's effort will be hard to top but early signs point toward a good haul again this year. More importantly this year we've been able to spread the word even farther across the land, with several Orvis stores coming on board, as well as reaching locations in Texas and Massachusetts. Aside from the donations, getting the message of Project Healing Waters out there is extremely important in order for them to reach those service veterans who may not have otherwise known an organization like Project Healing Waters existed. For that fact alone we're extremely excited about this years event! When planning for this year's social event, in which all gear will be turned over to Project Healing Water's, the stars aligned for the Atlanta metro area to finally host the Fly Fishing Show at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth Georgia. Saturday of the show proved to be the perfect day to host the social event with all of the like minded folks already in the area for the show. In searching for a location, Tin Lizzy's in Duluth (in close proximity to the Fly Fishing Show) stepped up and not only welcomed us with open arms but also pledged to donate 20% of each guests bill back to Project Healing Water's! This will provide the opportunity to socialize with members of the fly fishing community while simultaneously giving back to those who have made great sacrifices in the service of our nation. The event will commence at 6pm EST on February 4 and as previously mentioned the location is in close proximity to the Infinite Energy Center.

We will be at the show as well as the social event and look forward to seeing some old faces as well as meeting some new ones. For more information about how you can help this great organization click here or drop us a line info@wingedreel.com. Thanks again to everyone who has shown support for this event!

 

Gear Drive Thanks

We wrapped up our 1st annual Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Gear Drive.  We wanted to take a moment to thank all who helped make this happen: Thanks to the local shops that helped by putting up posters, spreading the word, accepting donations and giving kindly themselves.

Unicoi Outfitters , Tuckaseegee Fly Shop , Alpharetta Outfitters , The Fish Hawk , Blue Ridge Fly Fishing , Southern Highroads Outfitters , Cohutta Fishing Company , OGRE Outdoors , & Fern Valley On The Soque

We hope and look forward to your participation next year!

Thankful for the folks at Pig Farm, particularly Greg Morgan and the local dirty south crew who helped organize and spread the word about the event.  It would not have been as successful without this partnership.

Thanks to the folks at various media outlets in the industry that helped spread the word and who also gave kindly to the cause; Cameron at Fiberglass Manifesto, J.J. at Alaska Guidelist, the folks at Moldy Chum, the folks at MidCurrent and the local Georgia TU chapters.

Thanks to those individuals who donated.  I had the pleasure of speaking to a few and it’s so great to connect with folks who are interested in helping this cause through the sport we all admire.

Thanks to the folks at 5 Seasons Brewery- North for hosting our after party.

Thanks to Project Healing Waters for giving us the opportunity to work with their excellent group of folks and for doing what they do.

And most of all, thanks to our Veterans and Military personnel who have sacrificed for our freedoms.

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2015 PHWFF Gear Drive

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At this time of year I find myself thankful for so many things.  As many do, I reflect on all the wonderful people I’ve had a chance to meet and daydream of goals for next year.  It’s also the time of year to give as generously as we can to bring joy and cheer to others.  In all that reflecting I think it’s important to remember our military personnel who fight or have fought hard for our freedoms.  The best gift I might be able to give is the one that has given me so much joy in my own life. I’m really excited to announce Winged Reel is partnering with Pig Farm Ink (the same folks that brought us the infamous Iron Fly events) to host a Gear Drive benefiting Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veteran’s through fly fishing and associated activities including education and outings.

This is the perfect opportunity to donate your gently used gear to a great cause.  Please stay tuned as this Gear Drive grows.  We will continue to post local shops where you can drop off your donations as they come on board.  At the end of the gear drive on January 30th we hope to host a social event here in the Atlanta area with raffles to further raise money for Project Healing Waters.

Here is a current list of participating fly shops excepting your gear donations:

Unicoi Outfitters - 7280 S Main St, Helen, GA 30545 -  (706) 878-3083
Tuckaseegee Fly Shop - 3 Depot St, Bryson City, NC 28713 - (828) 488-3333
Alpharetta Outfitters - 79 S Main St, Alpharetta, GA 30009 - (678) 762-0027
The Fish Hawk - 3095 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305 - (404) 237-3473
Blue Ridge Fly Fishing - 490 E Main St, Blue Ridge, GA 30513 - (706) 258-4080
Southern Highroads Outfitters - 253 Georgia Hwy 515 East, Blairsville, GA 30512 - (706) 781-1414
Cohutta Fishing Company - 39 S Public Square, Cartersville, GA 30120 - (770) 606-1100
OGRE Outdoors - 5750 Asheville Hwy, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768 - (828) 877-8622
Fern Valley On The Soque - Clarkesville, GA - (770) 597-4219

If you wish to mail your donations, you can send them to: Pig Farm Ink, 1276 Castleberry Dr., Buford, GA 30518 or Alpharetta Outfitters, 79 S Main St, Alpharetta, GA 30009

If mailing your donations, please be sure to mark your package PHWFF Gear Drive and include a copy of the In-Kind donation form you can print by clicking here.

If you would like to find more ways you can help promote this event, please contact me at justin@wingedreel.com.

Happy Holidays!

If you are unfamiliar with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Please take a moment to watch this short film.