Boys Home was excited for seven members of Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton, Virginia, to teach a fall fly-fishing clinic. The clinic was led by Paul Bugas, a true fly-fishing expert and co-author of Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Virginia. The afternoon began with an instructional class. Paul kept the students engaged by making the class interactive and informative. Afterward, the students practiced their fly-fishing casts in an open field. The teacher-to-student ratio was low, allowing for individual attention and instruction. Once this portion was complete, it was time to put the students’ new skills to the test. The sun was beginning to set, therefore, it was the perfect time to fish the Boys Home pond.
While at the pond, students were able to combine classroom instruction and their casting lessons together into action. The event was a wonderful experience for everyone involved. Boys Home had an exciting visitor participate. Former Executive Director Travis Tysinger (1974 – 1984) joined the fun as a teacher. The fly-fishing clinic covered many areas of Boys Home’s mission and helped the students develop mentally, physically and socially.