“When I’m fishing, or tying that fly, I don’t think about the bad stuff. The camaraderie we have built is very special. It’s like a family.”

“I try to get people involved. Other people like me, with depression, with anxiety. Medicine and counseling only does so much.”

To Phil Allan, a combat veteran who served in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq as a medic in the 82nd Airborne Division, the healing powers of fly fishing can be found in the details — the lures an inviting puzzle, the rushing waters where the fish are? An ever-flowing tonic.

Without Project Healing Waters however — a program through the Erie Veterans Affairs Medical Center — he and his fellow vets never would’ve discovered the restorative powers.

The initiative is a thriving national nonprofit headquartered in Maryland that arose in the Erie Lake region more than five years ago.

More than 90 percent of the veterans that participate suffer from post-traumatic disorder (PTSD).

More from GoErie.com:

“You see the look on their faces, the smiles, while they’re fly fishing. It has this calming effect,” said [initiative volunteer and avid fisherman Skip] Hughes, who works closely with the behavioral health clinic at the Erie VA Medical Center, 135 E. 38th St.

Jeff Rose, recovery coordinator at the clinic, said initiatives like Project Healing Waters play an important role in mental health recovery, helping veterans “rediscover enjoyment, passion and purpose.”

“Recovery is about not letting mental illness define your life,” Rose added. “Whether it’s fishing, art or music, purpose helps them toward recovery and, ultimately, it helps them reintegrate back into their community.”

If interesting in getting involved in the program (member of volunteer) contact Hughes at skip.hughes@projecthealingwaters.org. It’s also open to donations.