Guided fishing trip for vets

Military veterans took to the water with guides for a fly-fishing trip to Roscoe on June 11, 2025. Veterans from Trout Town Flies, Project Healing Waters, The VA Hudson Valley Health Care System, the Port Jervis Police Department, Clear Path For Vets, The Orange County Sheriff’s Office, The Orange County District Attorney’s Office, The Orange County Veterans Service Agency and Heroes, Cowboys & Companions, Inc. participated in the event.

The vets were given hand-tied flies, tippet material and leaders from the Trout Town Flies shop. They were also issued waders, boots, rods, and reels to use for the day before heading to the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum.

Some vets had fished many years before while others were novices. Practice casting was done in a nearby field and offered a lot of tips on the art of fly fishing before hitting the water. During the training session, other veterans set up the Catskill Fly Fishing Center pavilion and began cooking for the picnic lunch.

All the guides were right next to the vets in Willowemoc Creek, giving individual instruction and expert advice. When the fishing was done, everyone enjoyed the picnic lunch at the pavilion.

After the meal, the vets went to the Catskill Fish Hatchery for a tour with Joshua Laedke, a Fish Culturalist Specialist who works at the hatchery for the Department of Environmental Conservation. He explained how the hatchery works, how many fish were raised and answered questions that the vets had about the operation, fish stocking and about fishing in general.

Fishing is a way of helping people forget about the pressures of life (at least for a while) and is a sport that can be enjoyed for an entire lifetime with friends and family.

“I am very much impressed that the guides of Trout Town Flies donated so much time, effort and fishing equipment during their busiest time of the season to treat several veterans to a day of fly fishing on a historic Catskill trout stream” Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler said during the picnic lunch. “This fishing trip would not have been possible for this group of veterans without the guides’ generosity and skills.”