Fish Out of Water

Most fly fishermen say that being out on the water is therapeutic in some ways. The good people of Sun Valley Adaptive Sports would certainly agree: They use the experience to help veterans of the Iraq War who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and fly fishing seems to be a highly effective treatment. In an almost timeless environment of natural beauty, far from the intrusions of counselors, clinics and medication schedules—not to mention IEDs and snipers—the soldiers make real progress toward coping. As one of them puts it, “You made me feel normal again.” Just as succinctly, Fish Out of Water manages to hook both the horror of war and the hope of healing. —PK