Members of the North Coast Fly Fishers are disappointed that the Veterans Administration nixed a fishing outing with wounded warriors that was scheduled for this morning.

The outing was set for 10:30 a.m. at Lake Metroparks’ Veterans Park/Grangers Pond in Mentor. It was to have included veteran patients with the VA’s Cleveland hospital on University Circle as a component of the national “Healing Waters” program that matches wounded armed forces veterans with volunteers.

All systems were “go” this morning when the Fly Fishers club received very late word that the VA could not find transportation for the wounded veterans.

“Very disappointed” is the word from the group, said one of its members, Andy Setlock, who helped organize the outing.

Setlock said the outing was planned months ago and several club members had arranged for time off, food was bought and even prizes were generated via Gander Mountain’s Mentor store, Setlock said.

The thing is, Setlock said, VA administrators had ample time to make arrangements and just as much time to notify the club that a transportation problem existed.

Instead, the VA waited until the last minute to inform the club that the agency had
no way to get the men to the fishing hole.

“We’ll try and reschedule it,” said Setlock.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com