I loved being able to fish with you guys. Can’t wait for the next time!
Pearisburg, Virginia Project
Lead Mentor: Zach Smith
Co-Lead Mentor: Randy Jewell
Project location: Pearisburg, Virginia
Year project founded: 2020
Mentors on this team: 12
Children mentored to date: 17
Children to be mentored in 2023: 8
Local foster care partners: CASA, Intercept, DSS
Local companies that support this project: Community support, local county donations.
Apply to Mentor Here!
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Pearisburg, Virginia Project
I know for me fishing is a way of getting away from it all and relaxing, and I hope it can be the same for these children and a way to show them people care and they can achieve great heights through the skills they learn fly fishing.
Project Mentors
ZACHARY SMITH, LEAD MENTOR
Pearisburg, Virginia
I live in Southwestern, VA and have lived here most of my life. Fishing and outdoors has been a passion of mine since I was little. I have fished for most of my life. I started fly fishing over five years ago and fly tying over a year ago. I love being outdoors and fishing is just one of the many activities that I love and have a passion for in the outdoors. It is a way for me to get out and relax at the end of day and be in nature. I am currently an Attorney because I have to pay for all of my hobbies including being an avid fisherman. I have worked with many foster children in the Court systems and look forward to sharing the love of fishing with them.
RANDY JEWELL, CO-LEAD MENTOR
Peterstown, West Virginia
Growing up in Southern West Virginia Randy spent most of his days outside fishing, hunting, and enjoying the mountains. Spending most of his early years learning to fish for bass with his father off the back of a bass boat solidified his love for chasing fish of any species. Fly fishing came later as a teenager, and fly tying came soon after. Fishing for trout proved to be a much more challenging thrill. Being in the water with the fish, not to mention the discriminating palette of the trout made seeking a bite that much more exciting. Experiencing fly fishing for trout in cold mountain streams with a hand-tied fly connects your soul with nature in a way few things ever could. After marrying his wife Jessica who taught public school for ten years he began to see how important it was to be a light in the lives of children. With a brother also being involved in caring for foster children which ultimately led to adoption Randy also saw how love, consistency, and patience could change a life. Randy and his wife have three children and enjoy being outdoors with them whenever possible.
News & Events
Thank You to our DUN Sponsors!
Thank you to our Dun Sponsors for supporting TMP in 2022! Our Dun sponsors were a huge support for our 2022 projects! Huge thanks to Cortland, Loon Outdoors, Orvis, and Bass Pro for donating gear, providing a huge discount for our projects or giving monetarily....
Giving Tuesday, November 29th, 2022!!
Thank you for being an integral part of The Mayfly Project this year! When we say, "It takes a village," we truly mean it! This year we added 9 new projects and 106 new mentors, and served over 380 children in foster care! That's 1,900 days on the water this year,...
Interview with TMP Lead and Clinical Social Worker, Kimberly Cordero
Kimberly Cordero brought The Mayfly Project to Boise two years ago and is our lead mentor for this project. We are also honored to have her as a TMP sounding board to ensure we are creating safe projects for the kids we mentor nationally. Kimberly is not just a great...
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Pearisburg, Virginia Project
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