The Grand River Fly Tyers Club (GRFT) is an International Federation of Fly Fishers (IFFF) charter club located in Grand Rapids Michigan encouraging and promoting the art of fly tying and fly fishing through education. GRFT began ten years ago with education being the club’s main goal. Getting kids young and old involved in the art and science of fly fishing was at the top of the to-do list. Still true to our mission, GFRT works diligently to achieve this goal and finds tremendous success through clinics, the annual GRFT Celebration of Fly Tying Invitational, and recently introduced the Salmon in the Classroom program.
Over time, GRFT has naturally expanded into other areas like helping breast cancer survivors and military veterans. Combining efforts with like-minded organizations within the IFFF has brought new opportunities and expanded the club’s mission to helping other non-profit organization with fly-tying and fly-fishing through education.
GRFT joined forces with Reel and Healing; a well-known organization that offers fly fishing wellness retreats for women battling and surviving cancer. Together, the two groups conducted many clinics for women battling the dreaded disease. It’s extremely rewarding to see the gleam in their eyes and hear excited hollering when a survivor hooks a salmon on the fly.
Two years ago, GRFT found another calling helping military veterans. An old IFFF friend, Victor Edwards, created the Bamboo Bend project, an organization that gets injured and traumatized veterans into fly fishing. Victor, a retired sergeant of the armed forces, built a large woodworking shop on the banks of the North Branch of the Au Sable River in Grayling, Michigan. He assembled a volunteer group of some of the best bamboo rod makers and professionally educated fishing guides and experienced anglers. His goal was to teach vets how to make bamboo rods from scratch and then give them opportunities to use them fly fishing.
The Bamboo Bend Project is now annual 8-day event with no costs to the soldiers. At the end of the program, each participant takes home a completed bamboo fly rod that they built. They also receive a top-end reel, premium fly line, local flies and a custom made, heirloom quality, wooden fly box. During their visit, they go on the river with guides to put all that equipment to the test. The project provides our warriors with a place to re-charge, learn new skills, and build lifelong friendships.
The GRFT is proud to be the sponsor of the Bamboo Bend project. The organization does a wonderful job, and the many positive results are encouraging. For more information on Bamboo Bend Project visit www.bamboobend.org or www.facebook.com/BambooBend. Wolf Schrey is a proud member of the Grand River Fly Tyers club. For more information contact him by email at wmschrey@hotmail.com.
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