Tidewater Kayak Anglers Association Fishing Tournament— Virginia Beach, Virginia
29 September 2007
The Tidewater Kayak Anglers Association held their annual TKAA Fishing Tournament in Virginia Beach, Virginia on 29 September. Cory Routh, the former president and founder of the TKAA, contacted PHW and invited our anglers to participate. The tournament is the TKAA’s annual fundraiser and the proceeds benefit a charitable organization of choice. This year, the TKAA generously donated the proceeds to Project Healing Waters.
Friday afternoon, PHW convoyed from Walter Reed and battled traffic all the way to Virginia Beach. Those in attendance were Diane and Candice Cochran, Grayson “Norris” Galatas, and a new PHW angler, Chris Millward. Bill Johnston drove down from Pennsylvania to join us. We were accompanied by Elisabeth Mixer, an Army nurse, and John Colburn, PHW’s Executive Vice President. Dr. Bill Thomas, a PHW volunteer, met us in Virginia Beach. He brought his tandem kayaks and offered critical logistical support, to include a delicious dinner Friday night. Thank you, Dr. Bill!
Friday evening, we linked up with Cory Routh and registered for the tournament. We represented the only fly fishers. Early Saturday morning, we convoyed to Rudee Inlet to meet Cory, his father, Larry and another TKAA angler named Larry. As we geared up to fish, Dr. Bill, Cory and “the Larrys” helped us get situated with the kayaks. We anglers launched into the picturesque inlet in hunt of fatty saltwater fish. The weather was gorgeous. The skies were sunny and blue, but a strong wind was making the fishing a challenge.
In addition to the weather and rising tide, managing the kayaks presented another challenge for the anglers. Most of us had never maneuvered kayaks, let alone fly fish from one while drifting. Dr. Bill, Cory, Bill Johnston and Diane Cochran, all of whom are experienced kayakers, offered useful pointers and training. We were paddling by the seat of our pants! Cory trained me to paddle a foot-powered kayak made by Hobie. Since I have limited use of my right arm, I have difficulty paddling. I was able to propel the craft by using foot pedals and a rudder. We learned a new way to accommodate anglers with upper extremity injuries.
Many clousers were tested by curious fish below the surface and most of our hooked fish resulted in long distance releases, which don’t count at fishing tournaments. I managed to land a 17-inch speckled trout, the first one I have ever seen. What a beauty! I thought for sure I was gonna put PHW on the board with that trout, but I got knocked out by 18.5-, 18.75-, and 19-inch speckled trout. Oh, well. Better luck next year. As we flogged the water for hours, John remained at the boat launch as the O & E Officer, meaning he took care of odds and ends. Diane was our den mom for the day. We anglers worked up an appetite and Diane came to the rescue with beverages and pizza. Thank you, Gunny!
We paddled and fished for a few more hours before securing our gear and heading back to the tournament headquarters to turn in our scorecards. That evening, we enjoyed a delicious dinner while participating in the awards ceremony. During the ceremony, the anglers of PHW were presented St. Croix 8 weight 9-foot rods and matching Ross reels, compliments of Cory and Larry Routh of Ruthless Fishing Inc. and Darrel Smith of Smith Automotive. The warriors greatly appreciate their donation.
The warriors and volunteers of Project Healing Waters would also like to express their sincere appreciation to Jay Kocan, TKAA President, Cory Routh, and the kayak anglers of the Tidewater Kayak Anglers Association for inviting us to participate and for their generous contribution to PHW. Their support will help PHW’s mission of helping those who serve. We hope to participate next year. We didn’t place this time, but we’ll be back with a vengeance!
Eivind Forseth
PHWFF Project Coordinator
