On Saturday April 6, The Fredericksburg Fly Fishing Club (FFF Club) and the Wounded Warriors at Nebo (WW at Nebo) teamed up to provide a day of fishing at Stillwaters Ranch for Wounded Warriors from SAMMC (San Antonio Military Medical Center).
There were 10 warriors, a staff member of SAMMC and Justin who helps his dad.
They met at Fredericksburg United Methodist Church for a lite breakfast and to give the troops a break from the van. They were then convoyed to Stillwaters Ranch for a day of fishing & relaxation in the clean Hill Country air.
The FFF Club members were amazing in their efforts to provide fishing equipment, food, instruction, encouragement, and an enjoyable time for all. Club members were already at the fishing site setting things up and unloading boats and kayaks when the warriors arrived. As they got out of their vehicles, club members were introducing themselves and determining what was needed to get the warriors started fishing. Very few of the warriors had their own gear but that didn’t matter. The club came prepared with extra rods, reels, lures and lots of enthusiasm in addition to several boats and kayaks which were made available for anyone’s use. Two warriors had never fished so club members stepped right up and taught them how. Lupe, one of the novices, caught three fish very quickly. Barbara , the other newbie only tempted the fish but she & Lupe sat on the pier soaked up the sun and fished all day. A warrior was overheard telling a club member who was encouraging him to use a kayak, “I didn’t survive Afghanistan to come drown in a kayak”. He later was coaxed into a boat by a fellow warrior. One of the club members helped a couple of the warriors figure out how to fish one handed. In addition, the fishing club members, members of the WW 
The ranch owner, Clayton Leverett was also there with his two year old son to meet and visit with several of the guests. He generously waived their fees and said the ranch was available if we wanted to plan another outing.
It took numerous individuals working together to make this day a success. We thank you for your time and financial support. In addition, we are grateful for the generosity of the following businesses, individuals and organizations:
· Clayton Leverett Waived Fishing Fees for the Warriors & donated FFF's fees to WW at Nebo;
· RW Spencer of Cabelas, Buda, TX Donated Use of a Truck and Aerated Live Well;
· Hill Country Pump Service Donated Portable Handicap Toilet;
· FFF Club Members Donated Lunch, Fishing Equipment, Boats/Kayaks, Time, Enthusiasm;
· WW at Nebo Coordinated event with SAMMC, Donated Breakfast, Dinner, Misc Fishing Equip, Time
Due to our community’s contributions these warriors were able to get respite from their painful efforts to recover from wounds they sustained in combat and in service to us . Some of Saturday’s participants were returning to major surgeries, painful physical therapy, and counseling sessions to overcome their post traumatic stress disorder.
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| Camera Shy Robert Gearing Up |
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| Just Sit Still & Hold On! |
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| Bruce was really popular |
Bruce cooked up burgers, hot dogs and baked beans that drew even the very serious fishermen in for a bite.
Novices and Teachers
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| Clayton and Son taking a Break |
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| The one that Didn't Get Away |
Justin caught a nice sized fish-it was the first fish of the day. Then as luck would have it he caught the last one but threw it back for another day.
The day's "Believe it or Not" Bruce caught this fish by hand - - That's
right, he reached down in the water and came out with the fish. He was
also kind enough to fillet everyone's fish for them.
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