8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 18-24, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com 831 A number of people on float tubes dot the Los Padres Reservoir in Carmel Valley on Wednesday morning, May 13. They are incredibly still, doing an activity that on its face, looks almost boring. Their eyes are fixated on the water. Every once in a while someone flutters their finned feet to move ever so slightly, fishing pole in hand, the line invisible above the water. In fly-fishing, a number of things are happening all at once, despite what it might look like. In this sport, an infinite number of environmental questions are worth considering: the time of year, the time of day, the species of fish in the area—what they’re doing, how old they might be and what they’re looking to feed on. The circumstances are variable and ever-changing, making the ultimate goal, catching a fish, a victory well-earned. “Some people find God, I found fly-fishing,” Les Reeves says. Reeves, a veteran who joined nonprofit Project Healing Waters in February, says fly-fishing is the only thing that’s been able to calm his mind as someone who struggles with ADHD and post-traumatic stress disorder. “It’s the opposite of everything I’ve ever done,” he says. After moving to Monterey in 2007, Reeves hopped around hospitality jobs in the area and struggled to find his footing, ending up at the Veterans Transition Center (VTC) in Marina. He noticed a flyer hanging up at the VTC at a time where he was searching for something to calm his mind and keep him steady. Fly-fishing ended up checking more boxes than he expected. He learned how to tie flies, how to cast, and got excited by the various kinds of trips the nonprofit had to offer, including this outing to the reservoir—an area usually inaccessible to those less able-bodied due to a closed gate. In partnership with California American Water, the water utility company that maintains the dam, organizers were able to open the gate to provide closer parking access for disabled veterans. “You can get on a tube, fish from the shore,” Reeves says. “But what really got me interested was learning to build your own flies. The idea of learning about the different kinds of bugs and how they hatch, and how the flies you tie interplay with the fish in a larger ecosystem is fascinating. “I have a little bit of a checkered past,” he adds, “and this was a way for me to be a part of a community and even bring this joy to my kids.” Project Healing Waters is a national organization with chapters all over the country, serving disabled veterans since 2005. In 2024, the organization established its first Monterey County chapter, which has since grown rapidly and now serves roughly 60 veterans and active-duty personnel across the region. The group travels all over, from Chico to the Sacramento Delta to Yosemite. The nonprofit provides all the gear, much of which can be cost-prohibitive—including waders, float tubes and fishing equipment— along with access to locations like the reservoir. The wind begins to pick up around 11am at the reservoir; this much was expected. It is spring, after all. When the wind gets going, the probability for a successful cast degrades as the surface of the water gains more texture. Veterans from the day’s excursion begin trickling back in, discussing what they caught and where, the various kinds of flies they were using. Silver salmon, rainbow trout and steelhead (all related but at different stages of their life cycles) were caught and released. “Fly-fishing has therapeutic benefits, to help veterans heal from their illnesses or injuries,” says Brian Steckler, program lead for Project Healing Waters Monterey. Steckler served in the Navy during the late 1980s, including work as a minesweeper in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War, before continuing civilian work with the Navy for another 30 years. The nonprofit also launched an initiative called Sisters on the Rise in early 2025, a program designed to support women veterans through fly-fishing. “This is much more than a fishing trip,” Steckler says. “I wanted to help other people get into this, because it’s been my path for dealing with things.” Fish Therapy A nonprofit that supports wounded military service members has a new Monterey County chapter. By Katie Rodriguez “Some people find God. I found fly-fishing.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE KATIE RODRIGUEZ An outing on Los Padres Reservoir on the morning of Wednesday, May 13 brought veterans and active-duty service members to float on the water and go fly-fishing. A NEW FREE, DAILY, DIGITAL NEWS SOURCE. • Telling the stories of Salinas and Salinas Valley • Community news, professionally crafted, available in Spanish ANNOUNCING Visit SalinasValleyNow.com to sign up for the newsletter to be delivered for free via email or WhatsApp
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