Trout Unlimited helps veterans transition back to civilian life

BELLEFONTE — Many military servicemen and women have trouble getting back into civilian life after returning from duty. The Spring Creek chapter of the Trout Unlimited Veterans Service Program has been easing this transition since 1973.

Between 1 p.m. and dusk on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, May through November, mentors and veterans meet at Fisherman’s Paradise. During each meeting, veterans are taught to fly fish while spending time in a caring environment.

For newcomers, Trout Unlimited provides fishing gear, supplies and a fishing license, along with direction and mentoring. The sheer number of fish, coupled with the catch-and-release rule, allows anglers to catch as many fish as they want.

Continuing with the goal of having fun and relaxing, Trout Unlimited asks only one question to anyone looking to join: Who in your family, since the time of George Washington, was a veteran? If you can answer that single question, you’re in.

With how accepting Trout Unlimited is, diversity among the veterans, mentors and other volunteers is very widespread. Nearly 25 percent of Trout Unlimited members are female and the age range at the moment spans from about 3 months old to late 90s. There are veterans from every war dating back World War II. Veterans and non-veteran volunteers work in nearly every field, all together.

Fishing isn’t all that the program offers, either. In 2016, the Spring Creek chapter won the Gold Trout Award marking the group as the nation’s most outstanding chapter. The chapter’s conservation work to protect and restore Spring Creek’s watershed is another big part of its mission.

Daniel VanWinkle, the operation manager of the Spring Creek Chapter, joined the program four years ago.

“All of these things become picnics and family get-togethers,” said VanWinkle. “It’s amazing the interactions you see. I never would have guessed it until I got into this organization, but it’s really a sight to see.”

As well as holding meetings and doing conservation work, Trout Unlimited has volunteer mentors for any veteran interested in going back to school. Spring Creek Chapter has professionals in every field offered as a major at Penn State who will help veterans.

Jim Lanning, the director of the Spring Creek chapter, is proud of the volunteers who work to mentor the veterans in the chapter.

“You’ll notice that the guys we use, even the hotdog cooker, seem to be overqualified,” said Lanning. “Our hotdog cooker is a PhD.”

VanWinkle is also proud of Trout Unlimited’s volunteers.

“It’s important to know that we are not psychologists and we don’t play psychologists, but we do claim the honor of being a mentor,” said VanWinkle. “To us, that means listening to vets, understanding what problems they might have through conversation while we’re fishing, and if we feel that they need help with anything that’s where we come in.”

“We all have stressors in our lives,” said Lanning. “Being old guys stresses us out, we don’t like that a lot. It really doesn’t matter, if a guy got banged up a little bit we’ll get you in, we’ll get you rolling and you’ll come back because you like it.”

For more information, visit www.springcreektu.org or email Lanning at jlanningvsp@springcreektu.org.