MENTORING FOSTER CHILDREN THROUGH FLY FISHING

The Mayfly Project is a 501(c)(3) national organization that uses fly fishing as a catalyst to mentor and support children in foster care. The Mission of The Mayfly Project is to support children in foster care through fly fishing and introduce them to their local water ecosystems, with a hope that connecting them to a rewarding hobby will provide an opportunity for foster children to have fun, build confidence, and develop a meaningful connection with the outdoors.

The Value of The Mayfly Project for Children in Foster Care

How can fly fishing improve the life of a child in foster care?  A quote from a caseworker from a project outing answers this question…

“I couldn’t believe the change in behavior and spirit prior to our outing with TMP and then post outing—it was night and day. The children came feeling nervous and struggling to stay positive, and then once they started participating in the project their behavior and attitude changed.  Seeing the children smiling, feeling good about their accomplishments and themselves, enjoying time in nature, and excited about life, was worth more than we could have ever expected.”

Our Work

Mentoring

The Mayfly Project is committed to our 1:1 mentor ratio when working with children in foster care because we know they value time with their mentor, and it’s the most efficient way to teach fly fishing. The memories made by celebrating successes, working through wind knots together, and giving high fives after letting go a fish, all surmount to essential experiences for our mentees.

Conservation

During each project outing the children we mentor participate in our Conservation Initiative. We teach the three C’s: Catch and Release, Clean Rivers, and Contamination. Our mentees join in a cycle of healing by taking care of the waters we are privileged to experience and the fish we are honored to catch and release.

 

Our Projects

The Mayfly Project’s standard program is to mentor a foster child through five sessions we call “stages”, just like the life cycle of a Mayfly.  Within these stages, the children learn line management, casting techniques, knot tying, some etymology, river safety, mending tactics, hook setting, catch and release tactics, and the value of conservation. At the end of the five stages the child is gifted their own gear to continue to pursue fly fishing.

How Do I Get Involved?

Mentor

Attend an Event

Give

Everyone needs an escape. For me, my escape is fly fishing. During some of the most trying times of my adult life I have used a fly rod as a coping mechanism. The river is a place where I can immerse myself in God’s creation and forget about everything but mending.

– Jess Westbrook, Founder

Updates

2nd Annual Mending the Line Fundraiser!

2nd Annual Mending the Line Fundraiser!

One month left to purchase your tickets to our 2nd Annual Mending the Line Fundraiser!!!! When – 6pm to 8:30pm – October 12th, 2023 Where – Chenal Event Center – 21 Rahling Circle, Little Rock, AR Guest Speaker – Hank Patterson Expect to enjoy an evening of TMP...

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Making the Long Drives for Kids, Got Fishing!

Making the Long Drives for Kids, Got Fishing!

“But you live in McCall, 4 hours from our local project?” I remember asking Brian Oakland, of Got Fishing, when he first reached out to us and told us he was going to not only raise funds for our Idaho Projects, but he wanted to join our project in Coeur’d Alene. He...

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Butler, PA, Fly Fishing Extravaganza Fundraiser!

Butler, PA, Fly Fishing Extravaganza Fundraiser!

2023 Fly Fishing Extravaganza in Butler, PA!! Join us for our 3rd annual day of instructional fly fishing on private property!! This will be a day of fly fishing, food, raffles, contests and FUN!! Details of the event are as follows: Date:  August 19, 2023 Time:  9:00...

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