Hooked on Healing

08/31/2026

📺 Hooked on Healing is hitting the news!

Tune in to KRCR News tonight! I had the opportunity to talk with them about Hooked on Healing, what our program does and how we’re using fly fishing, community and time outdoors to support disabled veterans.

We’re excited for the chance to share what we do with more people in our community and hopefully reach even more veterans who could benefit from being part of it.

Keep an eye out for us tonight! 🎣🇺🇸

08/31/2026

🎣 Come Cast With Us Tonight!

Hooked on Healing is a fly-fishing group for disabled veterans, and tonight we’re getting outside for some casting practice.

Join us on the grass at the Redding Auditorium at 6 PM.

Bring your fly rod if you have one. If not, we have extras you can borrow.

No experience needed. Come learn, practice and hang out with other veterans.

08/24/2026

🍕 Pizza + Fly Fishing Tonight! 🎣

Join us tonight at 6 PM at the Shasta Trinity Fly Fishers Clubhouse at Clover Creek Preserve for our Hooked on Healing meeting and a pizza party!

Whether you’ve joined us before or you’re brand new, everyone is welcome to come hang out, grab some pizza and see what we’re all about.

📍 Clover Creek Preserve
⏰ 6 PM tonight

Come hungry! 🍕🎣

08/18/2026

Another great day on the water at Bidwell Ranch!

Dean Barker, Ed Dutra and Todd Cooper spent the day enjoying some beautiful scenery, good company and judging by the pictures, some pretty cooperative trout.

There’s something about getting out on the water that gives you a chance to slow everything down for a while. No schedules, no noise, no demands. Just the water, the fish and the people beside you.

That’s a big part of what Hooked on Healing is all about. Giving disabled veterans opportunities to get outdoors, learn something new, spend time with other veterans and enjoy the kind of connection and camaraderie that can be hard to find anywhere else.

It looks like Bidwell Ranch delivered another pretty great day.

Nice work, Dean, Ed and Todd. Those are some beautiful fish!

08/10/2026

We’re meeting TONIGHT! 🇺🇸

If you’re a disabled veteran in the Redding area and you’ve been thinking about checking out Hooked on Healing, tonight is a great night to just show up and see what we’re about.

6:00 PM tonight
📍 Clubhouse at Clover Creek Preserve in Redding

Never fly fished before? That’s okay.

Don’t own a fly rod? That’s okay too.

We provide the gear and supplies at no cost to our veterans. You don’t need to know anything about fly fishing before you walk through the door.

Come learn something new, meet some fellow veterans and maybe find your next excuse to spend more time on the water. 🎣

Already part of our Hooked on Healing community? Share this post or tag a disabled veteran who should come meet us tonight. 🇺🇸

08/07/2026

https://youtu.be/EtuxHXpP-qA?is=BEfrv6sl_LXDy_wF

There’s something pretty special about a community that shows up for veterans like this. 🎣🇺🇸

Recently, members of Hooked on Healing had the opportunity to participate in the Veterans Fishing Day at Lake Almanor and once again, it was an incredible day on the water.

Events like this don’t happen without a whole lot of people volunteering their boats, their time and their knowledge to make sure veterans get to experience days like these.

A huge thank you to the Lake Almanor Fishing Association and everyone who helped make this event possible. We’re incredibly grateful to be part of it.

They put together this great video from the day, so we had to share it.

And yes… there were some pretty nice fish caught. 🎣

This is a video that the Alamanor Fishing Association hosts every y...

07/30/2026

Every great fly starts with the basics.

In this lesson, Gerry walks through one of the first skills every fly tier should learn: how to properly secure a hook in the vise. It may seem like a small step, but getting it right makes every step that follows easier.

Whether you're just getting started or you've been tying flies for years, there's always something new to learn.

🎣 What was the first fly you ever tied? Share it in the comments!

07/20/2026

Sometimes people ask why we fish.

The answer isn’t really about the fish.

It’s about slowing down long enough to breathe.

It’s about learning something new, building confidence, sharing stories, and finding a community that understands.

Out on the water, rank doesn’t matter. Age doesn’t matter. Background doesn’t matter.

For a few hours, it’s just good people, beautiful places, and the simple joy of the next cast.

That’s what Hooked on Healing is all about. 🎣🇺🇸

07/15/2026

Some days on the river become unforgettable.

Today was one of those days.

Today was Jerry’s first time fishing from a drift boat and only his third time ever fly fishing. By the end of the day, he landed an incredible fish that our guide believes may have been a steelhead and possibly one of the biggest fish he’ll see come out of the Sacramento River this season.

But what made the day special wasn’t just the fish.

It was the laughter in the boat, learning from an experienced guide, watching an eagle soar overhead and sharing the kind of camaraderie that reminds us why Hooked on Healing exists. Fishing has a way of slowing life down and bringing people together, one cast at a time.

A heartfelt thank you to our volunteer guide Zak Deter for generously sharing his time, boat and expertise. It’s because of people like you that our veterans have opportunities to create memories they’ll never forget.

Congratulations, Jerry, on an unforgettable first drift boat trip an incredible catch! Here’s to many more days on the water. 🎣🇺🇸

07/08/2026

What a great casting clinic this past Sunday!

In addition to our regular single-hand casting instruction and one-on-one coaching, Clif added something new with a brief Spey casting demonstration and several Spey rods for everyone to check out.

With steelhead season getting closer, it was a great opportunity for anyone interested in Scandi, trout Spey, or switch rods to get some hands-on experience and ask questions.

Thanks to everyone who came out, shared their knowledge and helped make it another fun day!