Veterans Service Partnership Couples Trip to Slough Creek

By Alan Folger

I shouldn’t have been surprised that night falls so late and dawn comes so quickly on Slough Creek.  With its northern latitude, and the fact that we were there during the Summer Solstice, I should have expected it.  What I didn’t expect was to be wakened by a howling timber wolf.

“We,” were a group of four disabled veterans and their spouses and five TU volunteer guides on a magical one week adventure to arguably the best dry fly waters on the planet.  The weather was perfect; the accommodations were amazing, and the fishing for Yellowstone Cutthroats was unbelievable.  Few that fish the fabled Slough Creek make it beyond the Second Meadow.  We were domiciled many miles upstream, just outside of Yellowstone Park in Montana.

Sponsored and funded by the TU Veterans Service Partnership (VSP) through a very generous foundation grant, our veteran couples traveled from Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma and Colorado, and most of them had very little experience with a fly rod, or with trout, for that matter.  

After a twelve mile wagon ride to our destination and a good night’s rest, our anglers geared up on day one, got paired with their volunteer guides for the day and headed for the “Crick,” as Dave Kumlien, the VSP Western Coordinator, called it.   

Around mid-morning, as was to occur throughout the week, the Green Drakes emerged and the water was dimpled with rising fish.  At the direction of their volunteer guides our couples cast their dry flies into the foam lines as whoops and hollars of joy were heard throughout the valley.  The TU guides included Tese Shekitka, Harry Murphy, Beau Freund, Dave Kumlien, and me, Alan Folger. 

For six straight days the fish counts rose as their casting, fly selection, and stream reading skills improved.  On a daily basis our guests learned the intricacies of dry fly, streamer and nymph fishing, all the while taking in the beauty of our surroundings.  And yes, we guides wanted our folks to catch fish on this trip, but equally important, we wanted to equip them with the knowledge to fish independently and catch fish on their home waters for years to come.  Each couple received a free TU membership, and once they are settled into their assigned chapters, we fully expect to hear of their continued success.

As great as the fishing was, the smiles we saw and the quiet healings that we witnessed were the true meaning of this event.  The healing powers of the water were experienced by everyone and as our Veterans Service Partnership grows and prospers we hope to continue adding similar healing experiences to the nation’s finest – our veterans.

Alan Folger is the director of TU's Veterans' Services Partnership.