Below is a repeat of a 2018 “daily “report” to follow up on a casual meeting yesterday with Mark Tomsett (image below) who is involved with Reel Recovery. SWMBO has offered TRM for future sessions.
Before the explanation of what Reel Recovery is all about we need to apologise to several regular inmates who might be inconvenienced if their usual early November bookings get disrupted. After a session with Mark, SWMBO did our sums and offered TRM facilities for their next “retreat” in November – final dates to be confirmed. Apologies to the “TRM November Club” if we need to change your booking times but SWMBO says the RR retreat is more important. How could we argue?
Reel Recovery was founded in 2003 by a group of avid fly-fishers, inspired by their fishing buddy’s ongoing battle with brain cancer. Witnessing first-hand the beneficial impact fly-fishing provided their friend, they created Reel Recovery to provide the same opportunity for other men battling the disease. Combining expert fly-fishing instruction with directed “courageous conversations”, the organization provides men with all forms of cancer a unique opportunity to share their stories, learn a new skill, form lasting friendships and gain renewed hope as they confront the challenges of cancer.
“What is a Reel Recovery Retreat?”
In a nutshell – a weekend of fly fishing and camaraderie for men with cancer. Though only a few days in duration, a Reel Recovery retreat can be a life-changing event for men battling cancer. The program blends outdoor activity with directed conversations to create a unique environment conducive to relaxed, open interactions. The program is designed to be both experiential and reflective, to develop group camaraderie as well as individual skills, and to build bonds of friendship that provide a reservoir of personal hope. This is a special weekend of support, reflection and adventure.
Mission & Purpose
The mission of Reel Recovery is to help men in the cancer recovery process by introducing them to the healing powers of the sport of fly-fishing, while providing a safe, supportive environment to explore their personal experiences of cancer with others who share their stories.
Our purpose is to address the growing demand for and limited supply of support services specifically tailored for men with cancer. Our overarching goal is to improve the lives of the men we serve. We seek to give these courageous men a respite from their day-to-day concerns so that they might gain a fresh outlook on their fight with cancer; we facilitate discussions that give them strength, encouragement and a new network of friends and support; we provide cancer information and resources to enable better management of their disease; and we provide them new skills to bring joy, enthusiasm and renewed hope as they confront the challenges of their cancer survivorship.
Program Goals
- To provide a safe, reflective environment for the participants to discuss their disease and recovery with other men with shared experiences, thereby providing support and information to help them in their recovery.
- To provide expert fly-fishing instruction that enables the participants to learn a new skill, form a healing connection with nature, and participate in a sport they can continue throughout their recovery and lifetime.
- To provide participants information about cancer-related resources, both in the local community and nationally, to facilitate networking and enhanced management of their recovery.
“Who is eligible to go?”
All adult men (age 21+) who have (or have had) cancer, in any stage of treatment are eligible to participate.
“Do I need to know how to fly fish?”
Not at all – guidance is provided by expert fly-fishing instructors. Time fishing out on the water will be with an experienced fishing buddy who will help you find your way in the water.
“How many people attend?”
A maximum of between ten and twelve men (venue dependent) are invited to participate, to ensure the quality of the instruction and to create a powerful small-group dynamic.
“What will it cost me?”
There is no cost to yourself for the weekend – all you need to do is organise your own transport to and from the venue. Reel Recovery provides all meals, accommodation, fishing equipment and fishing licenses.
Previous TRM reports on fishing as therapy:
The following articles explain better than I can how others have recognised that fishing is a successful method of therapy for mental health. This is mentioned after learning so much in the last year about the effects and cures for depression. It seems to be an epidemic? Yet never in NZ have I seen any recommendations for therapy comprising a good healthy walk or ride in nature’s wilderness to test physical fitness or treating trout fishing as a cure? It seems so obvious that perhaps I may have missed them?
Now after our 16th year here in blissful retirement lifestyle (?) SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed manages everything She sees around here) has developed into a health therapist as well. So often She has watched Jafa’s (Just Another Fantastic Aucklander?) arrive here with their blood pressure completely boiling over, stressed out, uptight, and within a day they calm down and relax and benefit physically and mentally and emotionally from Tongariro fly fishing therapy. She knows how it has saved me! It may have something to do with altitude (and attitude!) as on the Tongariro we are 1000 feet above Auckland/Wellington stress levels in natures 100% pure environment where one cannot help but relax and restart counting our blessings. It is so obvious and beneficial that SWMBO should qualify for Government Health agencies to pay all TRM room rates – I thought you might agree with that – as suggested in the following article.
I am sure the congestion has a lot to do with it – compare the example below of a Turangi traffic jam outside TRM. How could anyone get stressed up or depressed about that?
Anyway, the following sparked this blog which may be of interest to JAFA’s?
- Angler’s Mail
- December 21, 2018
FUNDING is being sought by the country’s oldest fishing club to run a project which will help people suffering from mental health problems enjoy angling.
A Salford club is achieving positive mental health results through fishing.
Salford Friendly Anglers’ Society, which dates back to the dawn of the industrial revolution in 1817, has completed a successful mental health pilot project.
They encourage people into fishing to improve their wellbeing and are gaining many positive results.
Chairman Michael Duddy, told Angler’s Mail: “We managed to get £2,000 from Salford Clinical Commissioning Group to get people with health issues out on the bank.
“By the end of the ten week project we had 20 people in the group. As well as the fishing we made it very social with tea and a bacon butty in the café afterwards.
“Subsequently we were approached by an occupational therapist at Salford Royal Hospital to see if we would take an in-patient who suffers from severe long term depression, out on a fishing trip.
“He’d been suffering from terrible depression and hadn’t left his house in over two years until he became an in-patient at Salford Royal Hospital.
“His therapist asked him what sort of activity he would like to do outdoors, and he said fishing as he had fished as a teenager.
“The group had finished but a number of club members kindly volunteered so last week he was taken by two members fishing on the canal.
“He did some jig fishing for pike and perch although he found the standing really hard, but he had had a great time and is looking forward to going again this week when we will take him to a local commercial where he can sit and fish.
“His therapist was delighted and said it was the first time she had ever seen him smile.
“We are now starting discussions with the hospital about whether they might be able to fund something more regular with other patients, and it looks as though our club will be working with the mental health team at Salford Royal more often in the future.
“This is proof that angling is good for you,” Michael added.
Salford FAS does not charge any membership fees but has managed to build up a portfolio of 12 miles of canals, 13 miles of rivers and 13 lakes.
Thanks to a grant of £60,000 from Salford Council they also managed to convert Agecroft Pond in Manchester into a venue that is a fully accessible for disabled anglers.
Other articles follow:
The Fly Program: Helping men combat depression, PTSD through fishing, mountain biking
ABC Radio Canberra By Penny Travers
Posted 17 Aug 2016, 5:02pm
A unique program is using fly fishing and mountain biking to combat the impacts of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide among Australian men.
The Fly Program aims to get men outdoors in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains and use nature as a pathway to talk about bigger issues.
“Every bloke has a story,” founder Matt Tripet said.
“Rather than putting it in a bottle and screwing the lid on tight, we’ve got to now be a generation of blokes that goes out there and encourages communication, encourages serious conversations.
“Not just talking about the superficial things that we see day in day out, but actually talking about the things that will affect us.
“Typically as guys we don’t communicate in that way very well.”
One in two Australian men experience a mental health problem at some point in their life.
On average, five men each day take their lives through suicide in Australia.
Photo: Fly fishing takes Matt Tipet to his ‘happy place’. (Supplied: The Fly Program)
Mr Tripet started the not-for-profit organisation after his brother-in-law died three years ago.
“The impact of losing a family member to suicide is all-encompassing and still raw in many elements,” he told ABC Canberra’s Drive program.
Fly fishing is my happy place, it’s the place where I space out; it’s therapy, it’s where I’ve dealt with significant troubles and challenges in my own life.
“I find myself at a river, casting a fly line and where that takes my mental state is such a beautiful, happy place to be.”
Fishing With The Black Dog
Posted by Starlo on Aug 23, 2016 |
He’d been lying there, wide awake, for at least an hour when the bedside alarm finally sounded its shrill, electronic squawk. Out in the darkened driveway, the boat was fuelled and hooked to the car, every item of gear meticulously organised and packed from the night before. The weather report was benevolent and he knew the fish were biting. But a heavy weight pressed down on the man’s chest, while dense, black clouds swirled endlessly inside his head. Every thought that careened through his seething brain was a negative one, every perceived outcome a disappointment or total disaster.
Minutes ticked by, dragging into another hour, and the eastern sky began to lighten perceptibly as he wrestled with his inner demons, drowning in those fathomless clouds of swirling darkness. For the hundredth time since waking, he turned fitfully from one side to the other, now drawing his knees up toward his chest as he attempted to curl into a tight, defensive ball. Kookaburras began laughing raucously on the power poles right outside the window. It seemed as if they were mocking and jeering his weakness. The man squeezed his eyes more tightly shut, but the boiling clouds of blackness still filled his head. He wouldn’t fish today… He might not even get out of bed. What was the point? What was the point of anything?
Depression… Society’s reaction to that three-syllable word has shifted dramatically in just a few generations. For our grandparents, it triggered memories of a period of unprecedented financial hardship sandwiched between the great wars of the 20th century. For them, the notion of depression as a mental state or even an illness was less familiar. Everyone experienced sadness or stress in their lives, but they were expected to “get over it”. The idea that depression could be a medical condition as real (and debilitating) as influenza, polio or the other major diseases of the era was completely foreign to most folks, even if it was slowly gaining traction in the medical profession — especially amongst those doctors dealing with traumatised and shell-shocked servicemen returning from distant battlefronts.
Today, there remains a lingering tendency in parts of society to dismiss depression as a character trait: a weakness of personality marked by an inability to deal with the slings and arrows that life inevitably casts our way. There are still some whose well-meaning advice to sufferers is to “buck up” and “get over it”.
Many others understandably ask: “What have you got to be depressed about?” Wherever we look there are people seemingly coping in much worse day-to-day situations than ours. It feels almost indulgent for First World citizens in a country as lucky as Australia to talk about depression while others in less fortunate parts of the world go hungry, or flee en masse from the horrors of war and oppression. But the fact remains that clinical depression knows no boundaries and is rarely a reflection of our affluence, good fortune or physical situation. It’s an illness like any other. Telling someone with depression to “pull themselves together”, “toughen up” and “get over it” makes about as much sense as offering the same advice to a sufferer of measles, malaria or meningitis… or to someone with a broken arm!
Depression and anxiety are real and can affect anyone, at any time. Sometimes, these conditions are triggered by specific incidents of trauma, grief or stress. More often, however, there are no obvious catalysts. The root causes may be chemical, genetic or social, but the end result is very, very real… and potentially fatal.
WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?
British statesman and charismatic wartime leader, Winston Churchill, is widely credited with having coined the term “black dog” to describe the terrible bouts of depression he regularly battled, especially during his earlier life, before World War Two. At his finest, Churchill was a brilliant thinker and strategist with a razor sharp wit and a keen sense of humour, but he was also a man afflicted by bouts of crippling inner darkness. Today, he would most likely be diagnosed as suffering from either manic depression or bipolar disorder.
Despite his close connection with the term “black dog”, history suggests that this canine metaphor stretches back far beyond Churchill’s time, at least to the writings of Samuel Johnson, Hester Thrale and others, and perhaps even down through the aeons to ancient Greek and Roman mythologies.
Whether or not Churchill came up with his evocative black dog metaphor independently, or borrowed it from the writings of others, is less important than the fact that his public acknowledgement of those mental struggles helped to finally bring this important issue out of the closet and into the mainstream.
Today we understand that depression is the single leading cause of disability worldwide. In Australia, it’s estimated that 45 per cent of the population will experience a mental health condition at some time in their lives. That’s virtually every second person. Each year, about a million Australian adults experience depression, and more than two million suffer from anxiety. And those numbers are growing.
A MODERN EPIDEMIC
While depression and anxiety are different conditions (see the fact box hereabouts describing various mental health issues), it’s not uncommon for them to occur at the same time. Over half of all people who experience depression will also exhibit symptoms of anxiety. In some cases, one condition can lead to the onset of the other, or aggravate it.
In more extreme cases, these very common and widespread mental disorders can become truly debilitating, making it impossible for sufferers to function normally, go to work, or maintain healthy relationships with family and friends. Left untreated, severe depression or anxiety can ultimately lead to self-harm or even suicide.
Suicide is fast becoming an epidemic, especially in the developed world, out-stripping many other, more obvious causes of death. On average, at least seven Australians take their own lives every single day. Stop and think about that sobering statistic for a moment… It adds up to more than 2,500 souls each year: more than double the number of people who die annually on our roads these days. Those figures don’t include attempted suicides, nor a significant number of unexplained deaths from causes such as single-vehicle accidents on straight stretches of road, at least some of which are likely attributable to suicide.
Staggeringly, at least three quarters of all those Australians who take their own lives each year are men. There are probably a number of reasons for this significant statistical anomaly, not the least being the fact that men are more likely to choose a lethal, non-reversible method of suicide. But there’s also no denying that most men simply aren’t as well-equipped, emotionally or socially, to either recognise or deal with mental illness, nor as likely to seek the counsel and help of others in dealing with it. Aussie men, in particular, are notorious for bottling up their emotions, suffering in silence, and especially for “self medicating” with alcohol or other drugs. They pay a high price for their apparent stoicism. In fact, far too many pay the ultimate price.
A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
While I’ve never written or spoken about it publicly before, the truth is that I’ve suffered from bouts of depression and anxiety throughout most of my adult life. While the majority of these episodes were relatively mild, things took a significant turn for the worse in the first decade of the new millennium. Eventually I sought help, initially from my GP, who in turn referred me to various specialists. I underwent therapy with a psychologist and was also prescribed anti-depressants, which I took for well over a year.
Garry McDonald is one of Australia’s best-loved actors and comedians. Photo courtesy of Brad Sissens/shottobits
Despite common misconceptions to the contrary, most modern anti-depressant medications are not fast-acting “happy pills”, at least not in my experience. It took many, many weeks before I noticed any affects at all from the ones I took, and even then, those indications were mild. Eventually, however, the black clouds in my mind began to disperse. I explained this to my doctor by telling him that the music in my head had turned back on. He smiled, nodded and clearly understood exactly what I meant, even though it wasn’t something I’d ever considered before. Looking back, I realised that there’d almost always been some sort of music or a song playing in my head, perhaps something I’d heard on the radio that morning, or been reminded of through the day. That music fell silent when more serious depression kicked in, and I lived almost a full year without it. Sadly, I hadn’t even noticed that my inner music was gone until it finally clicked back on one day.
Of course, medication also has its downsides and unwanted affects. Anti-depressants made me lethargic, sapped my motivation, killed my libido and caused me to put on weight (something I certainly didn’t need!). Coming off the medication was also a bumpy ride. But looking back, I must grudgingly admit that those little pills might well have saved my life… I’d been in a pretty bad place.
Over the years, I’ve met plenty of other men who’ve been through similarly dark times. Some are willing to talk about their experiences, others less so. Fortunately, my friend, keen fellow fisher and much-loved Aussie actor, Garry McDonald (better known to many through his alter ego, Norman Gunston) is one bloke who’s always been happy enough to talk about his personal struggles with severe anxiety. These came to a head in a very public breakdown during the 1990s. Garry eventually sought professional help and brought his demons under control, despite another bout of depression in 2002 following the death of his long-time friend and “Mother and Son” co-star, Ruth Cracknell. Today, Gaz will openly tell you that he has learnt to manage his condition rather than beat or control it. He’s also become a vocal advocate for the public discussion of mental health issues, particularly anxiety, which he regards as the submerged and often ignored portion of the mental health “iceberg”.
I first got to know Garry in the midst of his darkest days, near the end of the 1990s, and I’d like to think that some of the wonderful fishing adventures we later enjoyed played a small part in his overall recovery process. I also know for certain that his willingness to discuss such matters has given me the strength to finally go public with my own battles. I owe him a great deal for that.
The author, Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling. Image courtesy of Brad Sissens/shottobits
FISHING FOR ANSWERS
Let’s get something absolutely straight: fishing on its own can’t cure depression, anxiety or post traumatic stress. It would be nice to think that it might, but it can’t.
Recreational fishing is simply not an effective form of therapy in itself. In fact, just like self-medicating with alcohol or other drugs, fishing can actually end up amplifying and exaggerating the very condition we’re attempting to escape. If we take our depression or anxiety into a recreational activity such as fishing, we run the very real risk of creating a toxic feedback loop in which the activity itself becomes a part of the problem, rather than a component of the cure.
Sadly, depressed people tend to make depressed anglers. Negative thoughts and anxieties are easily transferred onto the task at hand, meaning that fishing’s inevitable setbacks and hurdles can actually feed the black dog, rather than driving that cursed hound from our doorstep. Blank days, tangled lines, snagged lures, lost fish, failed trips… Let’s face it; our sport carries its fair share of challenges!
All that said, fishing can certainly form a part of any comprehensive treatment strategy. For starters, physical activity and exercise are proven to produce chemicals in the brain that reduce the impacts of depression and anxiety. When I was at my lowest ebb, I found that a simple walk on the beach (even without a rod in hand) often worked wonders in terms of dissipating those internal black clouds and dragging me out of the pit, albeit temporarily. The big problem is that it’s hard to motivate yourself to begin such physical activity when the dog is standing, slobbering over you. The added incentive of casting a line just may make the difference and provide the motivation to climb out of your bed or armchair.
This link between the activity involved in angling and relief from depression or anxiety is more than a theory. It has been proven in clinical studies overseas. In one widely reported study, levels of cortisol (a hormone linked to stress) were measured in a group of Iraq war veterans before and after a weekend of fishing. Those who’d been on the fishing trip experienced lowered levels of cortisol for as long as three weeks following the event. Researchers from several American universities also noted that the patients who’d fished for a weekend slept better, expressed lower levels of depression and anxiety, reported fewer symptoms of stress, and were far less likely to experience the feelings of guilt, hostility, fear or sadness so often associated with post traumatic stress.
In addition to the beneficial aspects of exercise and exposure to fresh air involved in fishing, I firmly believe that the whole angling process demands sufficient focus on the present moment and the intricacies of the activity at hand to help clear our minds of most other things, including negative thoughts, self doubt, worry and stress. Much like gardening or cooking, fishing demands a hands-on presence in the here-and-now. This is exactly the definition of the new-age concept of “mindfulness”.
Whatever you might think about trendy terms like “mindfulness” (and I’ll freely admit they make me cringe!), there’s definitely something to be said for immersing yourself in an activity that’s sufficiently engrossing to demand attention, without being so hard or mentally taxing that it simply creates more stress. Fishing — and especially active forms of fishing such as lure or fly casting — definitely hit this mark.
Groups devoted to helping people overcome mental health issues have embraced this notion of “mindfulness”, and activities such as fishing now form an integral part of many of their recovery programs. One of the newest and most exciting of these organisations is the brainchild of another good mate of mine. Matt Tripet is the resident trout guide and fly casting instructor at Lake Crackenback Resort, near Thredbo, and with the assistance of a committed team of like-minded folks, he’s created The Fly Program, specifically aimed at helping men with mental issues via a series of outdoor activities built around fly fishing and mountain bike riding in the Snowy Mountains. (You can read more about The Fly Program in a fact box at the end of this feature and watch a video about its launch here.)
THE REAL CURE
The good news is that mental conditions such as depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress, phobias and the like are all eminently treatable these days. Most can be either “cured”, or at least brought under control, through the application of therapy, medication or a combination of the two.
Today, depression and anxiety are most often treated with cognitive therapy (CT) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). These relatively straightforward therapies train patients to identify their own negative or unhelpful thoughts and behaviours, then go on to help them to develop healthier skills and habits for dealing with those destructive thought processes and behaviours as they occur in daily life. If correctly administered by a qualified professional, these modern, cognitive therapies have an excellent track record when it comes to reducing the impact of mental health issues, whether used on their own or in conjunction with various medications.
In my opinion, the single biggest step on the road to recovery from any mental health condition is the acknowledgment that you have a problem in the first place. This acceptance needs to be followed by the sharing of that knowledge with others: family and friends to begin with, but also health professionals who are trained to help. Your family GP is an obvious starting point. Talk to him or her.
For too long Australian men, in particular, have tended to tough it out and suffer in grim silence. The man I described in the opening paragraphs of this feature — the one curled in a foetal position in his bed, head filled with dark thoughts, unable to function normally — is not a fictional character. He was me, just a handful of years ago. But he could as easily be you, or your brother, or your dad, or your son, or your best mate. The good news is, he can be helped… He only needs to reach out.
Important Note: If this blog has raised any issues with you personally, or given you reason to be concerned for someone you know, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyondblue on 1300 22 4636, or MensLine Australia on 1300 78 99 78. There’s also a detailed listing of these and other help lines, websites and organisations below… Never hesitate to reach out for help.
Common Mental Health Conditions
Here’s a brief description of some of the possible symptoms of a few common mental health conditions that are relatively widespread in the Australian population. Please remember that symptoms are likely to vary widely between individuals, as well as from day to day. If you experience any of the following symptoms for more than a week or two at a time, seek professional help:
Depression: A mood of sadness, pessimism, lowered self-esteem and reduced motivation that persists for at least a week or two. Sometimes accompanied by feelings of anger, guilt and irritability. May cause changes to sleep and eating patterns, often resulting in fatigue and lack of energy.
Anxiety: Persistent feelings of worry, dread, pessimism and concern. Sometimes accompanied by a racing heart, tightness in the chest, hot and cold flushes, sweating, trembling, obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviour, including avoidance behaviour. Some phobias also cause these or similar symptoms of anxiety.
Bipolar Disorder: Formerly known as manic depression. Typically characterised by dramatic and sometimes quite sudden mood swings, often from extreme highs to extreme lows.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Typically a reaction to a particularly stressful or traumatic event or series of events, especially life-threatening incidents or extreme violence (real, threatened or imagined). Up to a quarter of all people exposed to such events will go on to develop PTSD. May cause flashbacks, fear, extreme anxiety, feelings of numbness or disconnection with reality and a general loss of interest in day-to-day activities.
The Fly Program
As society’s awareness and understanding of mental health issues grows, more and more groups — both formal and informal — are established to help those struggling with depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. One of the newest of these organisations focuses specifically on men’s mental health issues, and relies on fishing and other outdoor pursuits as its prime source of “therapy”.
The Fly Program’s stated mission is to provide Australian men touched by mental illness with a release, and to improve their quality of life through hands-on participation in the natural world: specifically via mountain bike riding and fly fishing.
This wonderful, not-for-profit program is the brainchild of fishing guide, fly casting instructor and mountain biking tragic, Matt Tripet. Matt has a very deep and personal motivation for wanting to help other men who’ve hit a few snags, ruts and potholes along life’s twisting trail. Three years ago, his much-loved and admired brother-in-law Justyn took his own life. The impact of this tragedy on Justyn’s extended family and vast network of friends was profound. As a result, Matt decided to do something that might help prevent other families from experiencing similar grief. That “something” has finally coalesced into The Fly Program.
In order to fulfill his dream, Matt Tripet has surrounded himself with a highly capable team, including his wife Amelia, who serves as the organisation’s Secretary and Public Officer, as well as fellow Directors Mark Sands, Mark O’Brien, Cade Brown and Michael Fardel. Wallabies and Brumbies Rugby Union Captain, Stephen Moore, is The Fly Program’s ambassador, and the group has already attracted some powerful financial backers, including major sponsor, Anytime Fitness.
You can expect to hear plenty about The Fly Program in coming months. Meanwhile, if you’d like to find out more, make contact with the group, or perhaps pledge a donation (tax-deductible over $2), please check out their community page on Facebook (search for “The Fly Program”), go to www.flyprogram.org.au or email info@theflyprogram.com.au
HELP IS AT HAND
Here’s a list of Australian organisations offering emergency assistance to people suffering from various mental health issues:
Lifeline: 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au
beyondblue: 1300 22 4636 www.beyondblue.org.au
MensLine Australia: 1300 78 99 78 www.mensline.org.au
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
Salvo Care Line: 1300 36 36 22
Black Dog Institute: www.blackdoginstitute.org.au
This blog originally appeared as a full-length feature article in FishLife magazine. Click here to link to the original feature in a free, on-line version of the magazine.
Chance to re-engage primal instincts
Mr Tipet said spending time in nature was fuel for the soul.
“Nature has a profound means to bring wellness to one’s psyche,” he said.
“There’s a lot of studies that demonstrate that it’s very healthy for the human body.”
Mr Tripet said sometimes men needed a break from their everyday lives to rediscover themselves.
“We live a lot of our lives now through second-hand information, whether it be through social media, through our PC, through our television, and very, very rarely do we have the opportunities or the knowhow now to really engage that primal instinct which is alive in all of us.
“If we can set up environments where we can encourage and facilitate these environments, we have an amazing means to be able to connect with men and take away the distractions of work, relationship problems that they may be facing, financial stress or other stress in their lives.”
Holistic approach with peer support
The organisation is aiming to help 180 men in the ACT and surrounding regional New South Wales over the next three years through its six-week intensive peer and community support program.
Photo: The Fly Program focuses on spending time outdoors. (Supplied: The Fly Program)
The men learn how to cast a fly line and ride a mountain bike, start a new exercise regime and work with a counsellor and peer support group.
“We’re trying to get guys making healthy decisions,” Mr Tripet said.
“It needs to be a holistic approach and we believe that we can really eradicate the substance abuse that is also connected to mental problems; getting guys using their heart and lungs, getting them exercising, giving them structure in their week.
“But in all of this they are able to get outside, they can go out to a park and go cast a fly line and practice, they can get on their bike, and we’re giving them opportunities to get into nature.”
At the end of the six weeks they head to the Snowy Mountains, where critically there is no mobile phone reception.
“We take them from their everyday lives and we put them into amazing environments where we ride mountain bikes into remote locations,” Mr Tripet said.
“By getting into these environments by their own steam they’re achieving something.”
Mr Tripet hopes to expand the Fly Program to each state and territory within the next five years.
Stay Happy and Healthy: Go Fishing
Fishing is a rewarding sport that can be exciting and relaxing at the same time. It is also a wonderful and often overlooked way for anyone to burn calories while having fun in the outdoors. Many people assume fishing just means sitting around in a boat or on the bank waiting for a bobber to go under, but it can be so much more than that. In reality, there are many types of fishing that challenge you both physically and mentally. From stalking rising trout while wading in a mountain stream to kayaking on the open ocean while trolling for yellow fin tuna, there is a type of fishing that will keep your mind and body engaged no matter your interest or experience level. If you are looking for a way to de-stress, stay fit, and enjoy being outside, fishing might just be for you.
Physical Benefits
One of the not-so-evident benefits of fishing is that it is a great way to get some exercise. Of course, you aren’t going to burn many calories sitting on the shore and drinking beer, but an active day spent wading in a stream or hiking to a remote lake is a fantastic way to get a workout without going to a gym or a yoga class. Consider that a person of average body mass and fitness level will burn about 250 calories in an hour of walking on a treadmill.1 Actively fishing can involve a number of activities, such as wading against the current in a stream, hiking, repeatedly casting and reeling, and even climbing or boulder hopping in certain kinds of terrain. It is estimated that even light wade fishing burns over twice as many calories over a one-hour period.2 Spending time in the gym is great for short, high-intensity workouts, but it can be a hard habit to build for people who aren’t used to lifting weights. Being active doesn’t have to be a chore. During a morning or afternoon of fishing, you could burn from 500-1,500 calories without even realizing it.
Fishing is not just a great way to burn calories; it also calls upon small muscle groups we don’t normally use and helps us build fine motor skills. Navigating rough terrain and slippery rocks while resisting the current in a river challenges your balance, building strength in the little-used muscles and tendons in your feet, ankles, calves, and shins. Hiking up steep slopes or riverbanks builds strength in the large muscles of your legs, such as the quadriceps and hamstrings. These activities also provide a solid cardiovascular workout, especially at high altitudes where you can find some of the best trout fishing. The best fishermen learn to develop casting accuracy through practice. This helps build hand-eye coordination and strengthens the small muscles in your hands, wrists, forearms, biceps, triceps, and shoulders. Fishing is such a great, low-impact activity that it is widely used as a rehabilitation therapy by psychologists, counselors, and physical therapists. Even the U.S. Veterans Health Administration has adopted the use of fly fishing and fly tying as a recreational therapy for injured military veterans because these calming, repetitive, low-impact activities help them regain strength and the use of their muscles.3
Although it may not feel like it while you are out on the water, spending a few hours at the river or lake can be a great workout. Going fishing is not only a fabulous way to stay active and healthy but it is also a perfect activity to help calm your mind, relax, and let go of the stress in your life.
Mental Benefits
Fishing is by nature a reflective and meditative activity that forces you to slow down and enjoy your surroundings. People fish for many reasons. Some fish just for food and some for sport, while others just want an excuse to be outside or get together with friends. No matter what gets them out there, any fisherman can attest to the supreme sense of relaxation and calmness that spending a morning or evening doing their favorite activity provides. This very quality has made fishing a popular therapeutic exercise used by counselors and therapists who work with veterans, people with chronic illnesses, and others who have experienced trauma in their lives.
Whether you are trying to cast to a far-away pocket on the opposite side of the stream or observing an insect hatch to determine what the fish are biting on, fishing challenges your mind and demands your undivided attention. Therapeutic experts claim that, because fishing requires focus, it helps take a person’s mind off internal conflict.4 Locating fish, developing a strategy, choosing the correct fly or lure, and properly presenting that lure to the fish all require critical thinking and creativity, which allow a healthy escape from stress, depression, and anxiety.
This has been proven in clinical studies in which cortisol (a hormone linked to stress) levels were measured in a group of Iraq war veterans before and after a weekend of fishing. Those who had been on the fishing trip experienced lower levels of cortisol for as many as three weeks afterward. Researchers noted that their patients slept better, expressed lower levels of depression and anxiety, experienced fewer symptoms of somatic stress, and were far less likely to experience the feelings of guilt, hostility, fear, or sadness normally associated with PTSD and traumatic experiences.5
Fly fishing expeditions are also a key element of the program “Casting For Recovery,” which serves to organize fly fishing trips for survivors of breast cancer, both as a therapeutic measure and as a form of physiotherapy. This volunteer-based service provides free fly fishing retreats as a means to make support groups for breast cancer survivors more accessible.
One of the greatest things about fishing is that anyone can participate. It doesn’t matter how fit you are, whether you are old or young, woman or man. There are no restrictions or limitations. It is one of the world’s most popular recreational activities for good reason. It has helped countless people with chronic illness, post-traumatic stress, and debilitating injuries to recover and live full, healthy lives. It allows us to explore our natural world and stay active well into old age. Fishing is a calming, enjoyable activity that has the power to transform your outlook on life. Try grabbing a rod and heading for the river. You may just reel in a better way to live.