Mended Update- May 2024

We have had a memorable Spring! Checkout our trip updates below…

De’Jour- Smith River

A chilly day, but good fishing. Running nymphs and catching rainbows. We tried De’jour’s favorite boat snack -Trolli worms - under an indicator and still no bites. This is the 3rd trip we have attempted to get a Trolli worm eat. It will happen one day.

Hope Academy- Stone Mountain

We did a wade trip at Stone Mountain with the help of Preston Austin of Sycamore Fly Fishing (https://www.sycamoreflyfishing.com/). One of the slowest trips of the Spring, but we still put fish in the net. Tyler said that he prefers the boat, and I have to agree with him!

Black Mountain Children’s Home - Tuckaseegee River

Awesome two boat float with Matt Evans, The Catawba Angler (https://www.thecatawbaangler.com/). We took two students, plus chaperones, and caught fish all day long. Each boat put a 19” inch fish in the net. We had an incredible day!

Andrew- New River

We had some pre-spawn action on the New and it was so exciting. We threw jerk baits all day and got a few eats from some very healthy smallies!

Hope Academy - New River

We had 3 students on this trip, so we got some help from Jackson Cresenzo for a two boater. The water was stained and we dealt with some cold rain all day, but we were still able to put some fish in the boat!

Andrew- Cicada Madness

We were supposed to fish trout water, but cancelled due to a bad weather forecast. The weather turned out to be good and we ended up finding cicadas on a local lake. Big carp were willing to take cicadas off the surface. This was very cool to experience with a student because it was a once in a 17 year event! We ended up landing 3 carp and a catfish on top water which was incredible.

We are making strides in our relationships with the students. Here’s one story from this Spring that comes to mind: One of our students is getting ready to go to college. He is the first in his family to attend college and is very nervous that he is going to mess up the opportunity. His childhood was a tough one to say the least and he is feeling the pressure of this next chapter of his life. I was able to share with him that I could relate to his situation. I had a very tumultuous home life during my college years and I remember feeling like this was my only chance to rise above my circumstances. I reassured him that it was not up to him and that he did not have to do it alone. I reminded him of this truth: God gave him this opportunity and would guide him, lead him and walk with him through this next chapter in his life.

We feel so blessed to be a part of these trips and to spend time with these incredible students on the water. It is a privilege that we do not take for granted. Lots of trips are on the calendar for this summer. We can’t wait to see what this next season holds! Thank you for your continued support and for choosing to partner with us. Your impact is making a difference!