Salomone: With Giving Back Outdoors, fishing is about more than just fish
Michael Salomone/Courtesy photo
A common component to the fly-fishing environment is a strong affection for giving back. This inclination flows from an appreciation for the rewards the sport delivers to us. But those rewards are not as easily grasped by some, and it takes focus and deliberate effort to offer opportunities to those people deserving of an angling adventure. Not everyone can obtain angling satisfaction on their own.
Giving Back Outdoors is an Iowa-based company founded by Jeremy McCarty specializing in providing opportunities for veterans, active duty, first responders and underserved youths. The local connection to our area is through Jeff Carpenter, president of the Home Stake Trout Club and the local coordinator for a Giving Back Outdoors annual trout fishing adventure. In conjunction with the 10th Mountain Foundation, donors like Coyote Cafe, Point Mechanical and a few local Leadville businesses — High Mountain Pies, Benny Builders and Osprey Pump — and fly fishing companies such as Colorado Fly Fishing Guides and Vail Valley Anglers, Giving Back Outdoors is delivering an angling experience of a lifetime to five veterans of the modern 10th Mountain Division and their children.
The hope is to foster a repeatable experience the parent and child can replicate later. The idea being: come to Colorado and learn to fly fish for trout, but return home to fish for bluegills — or whatever fish are common back home. Fly fishing and angling in general forms a foundation for healing and growth. Families build bonds that strengthen relationships around fishing. For many of us, angling wouldn’t hold a position of importance without the foundations laid by parents years long ago.
“Giving Back Outdoors is in our fifth year of providing outdoor experiences to under-served individuals, youth, first responders and veterans,” Carpenter said. “We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to connect with nature, learn new skills, and build confidence. We offer a variety of outdoor programs and services, including hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and more.”
This is the second year offering a Colorado fishing trip to deserving individuals. Only 10th Mountain veterans and an accompanying child ages 11-17 are eligible. Participants will stay at Uncle Bud’s and Chuck’s huts, which are part of the 10th Mountain Hut system, from July 14-19.
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“This is the only trip where the participants are drawn from such a focused pool of individuals and is a result of the strong connections our local community has with the 10th Mountain Division,” Carpenter continued.
Please reach out to Giving Back Outdoors at GivingBackOutdoors.org if you know any 10th Mountain veterans that would benefit from future offerings of an experience such as this. Sourcing veterans that qualify requires work. Obtaining viable candidates is a struggle.
Giving Back Outdoors goes all out to give these recipients the trip of a lifetime. The guided angling that takes place on the Colorado and the Arkansas Rivers is world class. Fly fishing the secretive waters of the Home Stake Trout Club is a privilege not to be overlooked. The guests will receive a private tour of the 10th Mountain grounds delivered by the Camp Hale historian.
Carpenter emphasized the success of this program and Giving Back Outdoors in general stems from the power of volunteers. The entire trip is funded through Giving Back Outdoors and functions with the participation of the volunteers. There is a tremendous amount of local business names that headline the donation of funds and manpower to ensure the trip is a celebration centered around angling.
Locals wanting to ensure the cohesive flow of the entire event for these 10th Mountain veterans should contact Giving Back Outdoors to reach out to Carpenter. It takes a lot of qualified individuals to guarantee the successful delivery of an event of this size. Transportation, accommodations, food and fishing all require attention.
The scenery around Leadville is breathtaking. The angling on a variety of our local Colorado waters is world class. 10th Mountain veterans deserve the trip of a lifetime to share with one of their kids; it’s sure to mold memories and build family bonds around fishing that are long lasting. Creating a parent-child connection — with fly fishing as the scaffolding — places a healing focus on relationships and a common shared activity no matter the age.
It takes a massive effort to deliver a rewarding opportunity. The success of the event developed by Carpenter and managed through Giving Back Outdoors requires the assistance of a pack of volunteers. Building bonds around fishing is a worthwhile goal.
