This has been the best experience of my whole life!
Texarkana, Arkansas Project
Lead Mentor: Matthew Bearden
Project location: Hope/Texarkana, Arkansas
Year project founded: 2017
Mentors on this team: 9
Children mentored to date: 21
Children to be mentored in 2022: 8-10
Local foster care partners: Watersprings Ranch in Texarkana, AR
Local partners and companies that support this project: Enable Midstream and New Liberty Baptist Church (Emmet, AR), Bearden Family, Fant Family

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Texarkana, Arkansas Project
It’s less about whatever skill level we have as fly fishermen or our ability to teach another person to throw a perfect loop and more about the positive impact we can have on their life. That lasting impact comes from time invested talking, listening, laughing and just hanging out. Being a friend, a good human… it really is that simple. The hard exteriors start softening up and the mentees start to be able to just be a kid again.
Project Mentors

MATT BEARDEN, LEAD MENTOR
Hope, Arkansas
Matt grew up in a small town in southwest Arkansas, and with several lakes and the Ouachita National Forest just a few miles away, he spent a lot of his youth outdoors. He was introduced to fly fishing by his grandfather at a young age, and while he admits he may not recall much about those first instructions, the interest has never gone away. Matt enjoys spending his free time these days fly fishing on the Little Missouri River.
He hopes that through mentoring with TMP he will be able to spark an interest in young people in the same way. Matt is excited to help introduce them to something that will encourage them to get outdoors, explore, and enjoy all that spending time on the water has to offer.

KIM BEARDEN, MENTOR
Hope, Arkansas
Born and raised in Southwest Arkansas, Kim returned to this area after college. Kim’s father enjoyed bass fishing, and she spent lots of time with her father and brother on area lakes, ponds, and rivers while growing up.
She is a dental hygienist in Hope, Arkansas, and she enjoys helping others through different volunteer opportunities associated with her profession. But, when away from work, Kim enjoys being outdoors. She feels that being outside allows her time to clear her mind, refocus, and refuel herself. These reasons are exactly what made her decide to be a Mayfly Project Mentor.
“I want to be able to share the benefits of fly fishing with these kids. Hopefully they will find it as fun and relaxing as I do.” -Kim

AUSTIN MORACE, MENTOR
Texarkana, Arkansas
Austin’s hometown of Trout is seated squarely in rural LaSalle Parish in central Louisiana, far from any actual trout. He was first introduced to fly fishing as a young boy by his father. He quickly became captivated with the sport. Spending many hours creekside and on pond banks he “honed” his skills on bream, white perch and bass. During his time at college he received an internship opportunity in Hope, Arkansas. Here Austin met Matt Bearden, a fellow Mayfly Mentor, who invited him to go fly fishing at the Little Missouri River. After a few not so productive trips, Austin finally caught his first trout in the Summer of 2017. Since then Austin has graduated and moved to Texarkana and is pursuing a career at the Arkansas Department of Transportation.
He now strives to learn everything he can about; trout, trout fishing, fly tying, conservation, and a continued respect for the trout and the beauty of The Natural State. Austin is elated to have the opportunity to introduce other children to the joy that is fly fishing and to be able to positively impact a community that has welcomed him with open arms.

RUSTIN REYNOLDS, MENTOR
De Queen, Arkansas

ZACHARY FANT, MENTOR
Hope, Arkansas
I was born here in Hope, Arkansas and raised pretty much everywhere, but in the teen years of life I grew up here in Hope spending most of my time in the outdoors playing sports hunting and fishing with my adoptive parents. As I become an adult and my high school sports career came to an end. I got into the sport of powerlifting and have reached the elite level in the sport, I own a gym called Chalk Zone Powerlifting, I’m also the youth leader at White Oak Grove missionary Baptist Church in DeAnn Arkansas. I believe in helping others who are less fortunate and giving a lending hand to all of those who need help. I hope my experience growing up and even having to go through the foster care system will allow me to relate with the kids, and even understand what they are going through. If I’m able to have a positive impact on just one child’s life all my efforts will be more than worth it.
“ Good better best never let it rest until you’re good as better and you’re better as best ”
News & Events
Giving Tuesday Success, 2021!
WOW!! Thank you to our Fly Fishing Family! We have reached $37,000 on our Facebook fundraiser after Giving Tuesday! We had so many generous donors yesterday and people sharing our fundraiser! TMP's Giving Tuesday Fundraiser There were 55 individual Facebook...
Giving Tuesday, 2021!
November 30th, 2021 is Giving Tuesday, an important day for TMP where we work together to raise funds for 2022 Projects! Check out our new projects we're adding to our map next year. More Exciting News:We have donors that will match us on Giving Tuesday up to...
The Big Event, Arkansas
The Big Event, Arkansas When you hear, "This was the most-normal I have felt in a long time," from a child in foster care, you know the time you spent with them was important. A few weekends ago in Arkansas, we had 4 projects travel to fish at Dry Run near Mountain...
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Southwest Arkansas Texarkana Project
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