When I’m on the river with Mayfly, I’m not a ‘foster’ child. I’m just a kid, hanging out with other kids. There’s a sense of belonging and normalcy. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt that.
Cache Valley Project Mentee

Cache Valley, Utah Project

Lead Mentor: Verlicia Perez

Co-Lead Mentor: Dan Weber

Project location: Cache Valley, Utah

Year project founded: 2018

Mentors on this team: 6

Children mentored to date: 10

Children to be mentored in 2020: 6

Local foster care partners: DCFS

Local companies that support this project: Sportsman’s Paradise and Mountain Valley Trout Farm

Currently looking for support and sponsorship for 2020!

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Cache Valley, Utah Project

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I think every individual must be given the opportunity to unearth his/her highest potential. That’s what The Mayfly Project does for foster children. This program allows them to be seen as human beings, not just foster kids. It provides the opportunity for them to forget their day to day worries that comes with being a foster child and just be a fun loving child who is learning how to become an adult. 

Verlicia Perez

Lead Mentor, Cache Valley, Utah Project

Project Mentors

VERLICIA PEREZ, LEAD MENTOR

Cache Valley, Utah

As a mother of 4 and grandmother to 4, I am a true believer in exposing children to the true essence of nature and all that it entails. Fly fishing has been such a beautifully healing experience for me; one that I cannot wait to share with my mentees. To allow them to experience all that is fly fishing….beautiful loops of colored line passing above pristine waters; anglers hip deep in a mountain stream while clouds of caddis flutter in the adjoining bushes; or a thick shouldered cutthroat held half out of the water while a smiling angler reaches down to unpin a perfectly chosen streamer from its lower jaw, is what I look forward to experiencing with our foster kids and fellow mentors alike.

I believe each angler’s fly fishing journey takes on a form of spirituality. I believe everyone has a right to take their spiritual journey in the manner they see fit. Be it in a library studying the teachings of a philosopher, on a mountain top in Tibet learning from a master, or on the sides of a river in Utah learning from nature, the choice is an individual one. For me, I think I prefer to attend the church of the Logan, Blackfoot or the Salmon. With luck, someday I will become a true angler, and not just a fish catcher.

 
 

DANIEL WEBER

Cache Valley, Utah

I have a love for everything outdoors, to include skiing, hiking, rafting and of course, fly fishing. My favorite part of fly fishing is the environment. Watching it unravel around you is a magical experience, and being able to share this with the children I’ll have the privilege of mentoring will be the most rewarding part of being involved with this program.

 
 

 
 

TIM KING

Cache Valley, Utah

Born on a Pennsylvania farm, Tim has been fly fishing and tying his own flies for the last 50 years. College brought him out west in 1977, where he fell in love with the mountains and the rivers of Northern Utah. As a father of twin girls, fly tying instructor, and committed about preserving our natural resources, Tim is enthusiastic about sharing his love of fly fishing and the outdoors with others. He lives in Providence, Utah with his wife Pam!

ZAK EVERSTEN

Logan, Utah

Zak Evertsen has lived in Logan, UT for 16 years. He grew up in the Ozarks of Southern Missouri where fishing and being outside was a way of life. He graduated from Utah State University in 2008 with a BS degree from the College of Natural Resources focusing on aquatic entomology, fisheries, and wildlife. Fishing is a passion for Zak and he loves sharing time and getting to know people on the water whether it’s chasing trout in cold water, bass in warm water, or bonefish in saltwater. Zak has a 5 year old son and a 10 year old dog named Caddis. 

KENNY GARCIA

Cache Valley, Utah

Kennie started his fly fishing career at the age of 7, watching fish in the Kid’s Canal one day, as the fish were eating hoppers. He tied a hopper to a hook, caught a fish, and he was hooked from there on. Kennie was the kid who, if there was a creek, river, pond, or puddle, he wanted to find out if there were fish in it. He guided full time for 12 years before starting Salt Lake Fly Fishing Company. Kennie spends around 230 days a year on local waters following fish. In the winter, he is a backcountry snowmobile guide, and the spring and fall he loves chasing fish in saltwater or on the flats. Kennie loves teaching and watching people fall in love with fly fishing. If he’s not ‘working’, you’ll find him on a river.

News & Events

From Foster Care to Fly Fishing, Meet Mentor, Breezy Johnston

From Foster Care to Fly Fishing, Meet Mentor, Breezy Johnston

Breezy Johnston, mentor for Pikes Peak, CO project, talks about life in foster care and how fly fishing has become her home-base. We are thrilled to have Breezy joining our team and are so thankful for her willingness to share. We are inspired by folks who have been through the trenches and have found their niche in the world!

TMP’s COVID-19 Response and Fundraiser

The COVID-19 pandemic is creating unprecedented challenges globally, for our country and for our TMP and foster care communities. We are a nonprofit that values action, and we have been passionately working non-stop to continue to support the most vulnerable in our...

The Mayfly Project Mentee Curriculum Development

The Mayfly Project Mentee Curriculum Development

Last year we rolled out our new curriculum with the help of our fly fishing family and TMP partners! The impact of this curriculum has surpassed our expectations--the foster children we work with are able to use the curriculum with their mentors and then keep it to...

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Cache Valley, Utah Project

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