Guide instructing veterans on fly tying

SHERIDAN, Wyo. — For longtime guide and fly-tier Gordon Rose, the sport of fly fishing has been a both a career and a lifelong passion.

For military veterans like Nathan Hansen, the opportunity to tie flies and catch fish in the Bighorn Mountains is a form of therapy that helps take their minds off their wartime experiences.

In a conference room at Sheridan VA Medical Center on Monday night, nine veterans quietly listened as Rose patiently explained the steps involved in tying an elk hair caddis fly.

Using an overhead screen, Rose described how to create simulated wings from elk hair and to use fluffs of cotton to build the body of the insect, which is a popular meal for trout living in Wyoming waters.

Many in the room had served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and none had any fly fishing experience. They carefully watched Rose as he explained the detailed technique involved in fly tying.

Each veteran was equipped with his own materials donated by Rose and a vise. Several matched Rose step by step as he delivered instructions on technique.

Others waited until the demonstration was finished, getting individualized assistance from Rose and other volunteers from the Little Bighorn Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

The veterans are participating in a program Rose launched earlier this month called Sheridan WYO Healing Waters, a local offshoot of a national nonprofit program called Project Healing Waters dedicated to helping disabled military veterans through fly-fishing.

Rose's program is the first of its kind in Wyoming and serves as a form of recreation therapy for veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"It's about helping veterans live a fulfilling and contented life outside of combat," Rose said. "It's really neat working with these guys and seeing what they're dealing with."

A lifelong fly-fishing enthusiast and Sheridan resident who sells custom-tied trout flies through his business, Quill Gordon Fly Fishers, Rose learned about Project Healing Waters from a national news story. Realizing Sheridan would be an ideal location to launch a local program chapter, he contacted recreational therapists at the VA and coordinators with the national office of the Healing Waters program.

Spending his own money on supplies and materials, Rose launched the program three weeks ago and is pleased by the early results.