Connecting and Healing on the River

Rob Watson and Carlos De Jesus know it takes a warrior to heal a warrior. As combat veterans of the United States Marine Corp and United States Army, they’ve made it their mission to build relationships, ongoing accountability and connection, and comradery for their fellow heroes in our community. 

Using fly fishing as a tool to promote shoulder to shoulder bonding, Warriors on the Fly provides fishing trips for veterans, often 2-3 at a time with a small group of volunteers and experienced fly fishermen. By pairing the attendees up, they recreate the familiar experience of a one-on-one special opps mission, catering to the unique past experiences of their guests.  

All too often, programs created to serve others can become numbers and events focused, missing out on the vital ongoing relationships that are needed for the people participating to thrive. That’s why when Rob and Carlos set out to create their program, they focused not just on the three-day trip, but on creating a sustainable channel of communication for each person involved. While they aren’t opposed to growth, it’s not their focus. It's about the quality of treatment and connection for the people participating in the program. 

Each trip centers on a small group of people (mixing veterans with nonveterans, and new guests with past participants) to build a community, so when they return home, they leave with a network of people they can reach out to and rely on. As the veteran community is made up of people who don’t typically ask for help, this helps to break down barriers and keep communication open. Carlos personally reaches out to each past participant every two weeks to keep those lines of communication open, making it more likely for someone to reach out for help when the need arises.  

At Ozark Angler, we are so very appreciative of the intentional approach Carlos and Rob are taking with the warriors who have sacrificed to protect us. It is our honor to support and encourage their efforts!