Hamilton Program

Welcome to Heroes Mending On The Fly Hamilton! This is a new program in our city for the upcoming 2023 year for active members or disabled veterans of CAF, RCMP, or first responder services.

program overview

  1. Febuary – March 2023: Fly Tying Lessons and Introduction to Basic Fly Fishing

    Start Date: Friday, February 10, 2023

    Location: Royal Canadian Legion Branch 163 (435 Limeridge Rd E)

    Time: 13:00 – 14:30 on Fridays

    All materials are provided for our participants free of charge. At the beginning of the course, a tool and material kit will be handed out to everyone for them to keep. In these sessions, participants will be introduced to how fly fishing is different from conventional fishing, common terminology and equipment, as well as how to tie some classic and effective fish-catching fly patterns. Our instructor is local to Southern Ontario and each pattern taught has been proven in local waters and beyond!

  2. April 2023: Fly Casting Lessons

    Unfortunately, casting a fly line is not as simple as chucking out a sinker or spoon, but this allows fly fishers to present our flies in certain spots where others might not be able to get to.

    A fly rod, reel, and line will be provided for participants to keep. Instruction will occur in a local open field, or gymnasium depending on weather. There may also be nearby fishing opportunities to apply newly learnt skills.

  3. April Onwards 2023: Mentorship Fly Fishing Program

    As late April nears in our area of southern Ontario, many fishing opportunities open. We will pair participants of our program with mentors from the local Hamilton Area Fly Fishers and Tyer group. Mentors will all be experienced fly fishers and will provide excellent guidance to apply the skills and use the flies we spent all winter learning on local bodies of water.

  4. Summer 2023: Group outings with fellow participants and mentors.

We are fortunate to be able to offer these programs without any charge to our participants due to the support of our sponsors and organizations like the Canadian Legacy Project and the branches and Dominion Command of the Royal Canadian Legion. Funding is provided on a national level and distributed to programs across the country just like the one we will have in Hamilton. Our philosophy is that supporting disabled veterans is not a one-time event; it is about being a student and listener at times, a mentor, a companion, and friend on a journey of healing.

The connections and stories shared in the communities we are able to build are lasting and healing. We greatly look forward to having you in our Hamilton Heroes Mending On The Fly program this upcoming year.

Interested active members or disabled veterans of CAF, RCMP, or first responder services, please email nationalcomms@hmotf.ca or register for our course by clicking here and filling out the online form.