Casting for a cause

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

Sometimes, inspiration comes from unexpected places. When Jess Westbrook had the idea to use fly fishing as a tool to support children in foster care, it came from how he used the sport as a therapeutic tool to manage his own anxiety after he and his wife Laura’s son, Kase, was born in 2014. Westbrook found himself having anxiety attacks, leading to significant weight loss and frequent absences from work, as well as distancing himself from loved ones.

“A friend that I admired kept getting me out on the river to fish, and I found that when I was on the river I forgot about everything but fishing,” Westbrook said. “When we are fly fishing we are so concentrated on casting, mending, presenting good drifts, etc., that we forget about everything else around us.”

Westbrook and his wife, Laura, founded The Mayfly Project in 2015 in Arkansas, with the plan to take local group home children fly fishing. Westbrook then reached out to famous fly fishing artist Andrea Larko, who created a logo for The Mayfly Project — an elegant line drawing of the organization’s namesake flying insect. 

The logo then caught Kaitlin Barnhart’s eye. Born and raised in Sandpoint and a 1999 graduate of Sandpoint High School, Barnhart started fly fishing after college while working as a mental health professional — including with a lot of kids in foster care in Sandpoint.

“I would use fly fishing as my coping mechanism with dealing with the crazy foster care system,” she told the Reader. “For me, it was a time to decompress and relax. I thought, ‘Why are we not taking these kids fly fishing?’ I started taking them out on my own and eventually saw The Mayfly Project sticker online and messaged the artist, who told me some guy in Arkansas is taking kids fly fishing for therapeutic purposes. I freaked out! Some guy is doing what I was doing.”

Barnhart got on the phone and, before long, she and Westbrook were aligned with a plan: Turn The Mayfly Project into a national program and help as many kids in the foster care system as possible.

The Mayfly Project co-founder Kaitlin Barnhart, back left, with mentees on a project. Courtesy photo

“We started with two projects in Arkansas and Idaho,” said Barnhart, who is based in Coeur d’Alene. “Ten years later, we have 66 projects in the U.S. and we also started a separate nonprofit in the U.K. two years ago.”

The reception and growth of The Mayfly Project has warmed Barnhart’s heart.

“It’s been amazing,” she said. “The fly fishing community is such a generous group of people. Most of us are into fly fishing because it gives so much back to us.”

Each local program is separated into projects designed to teach fly fishing, conservation and provide opportunities for mentees to experience the outdoors with a safe mentor. Every session is organized around the premise that mentors are there to provide fun, build up foster children’s self-esteem and give as much encouragement as possible. 

The projects are characterized by the five parts of the life cycle of a mayfly: the “egg stage” begins with an introduction to fly fishing, the fly rod and the mentors; the “nymph stage” moves on with an introduction to casting, knot tying, and catch and release; the “emerger stage” instructs mentees to set a hook, provides conservation education and gives time to fish; the “dun stage” teaches participants to read the water, mend line, roll casting and fish more in the wild; and, finally, the “big catch stage” is all about a final fun day, fishing a special location on a float trip, and mentees receiving a fly rod and gear of their own.

Projects take about two to three weeks with around 10 kids participating, and are funded using private donations from the communities in which they are located.

Barnhart said fly fishing is a natural fit for a therapeutic activity for a number of reasons.

“You have to move around a lot while fly fishing,” she said. “You look at the river, the crossings, look to see what bugs are hatching. It’s an involved procedure. You’re not just sitting there waiting. That’s what we love for our kids to experience — a chance to decompress where they aren’t thinking about their stressors or where they’re going next. Our goal is to help them build self-esteem by talking them up and trying to make it a fun experience. … When you put your waders on for the first time you feel like a badass.”

Barnhart said it’s also a worthwhile program because it introduces kids to the natural side of where they live.

“It makes you be in nature, takes you to different places you can go see all the time if you want to,” she said. “In Idaho, our kids don’t always know about public lands, so this is a way to connect these kids who don’t have a home to places they can call home. In Idaho, there’s so much public land, so there’s plenty of space for them to find their own little spot on the river.”

Barnhart said one of the most rewarding parts of the program is seeing the transformation that occurs in kids afterward.

“They’ll show up and be really nervous, not wanting to kill a fish,” she said. “The second we get into casting, we visibly see them relax; and, once we get into the fishing part, we see a huge difference.”

The Mayfly Project mentors not only teach the kids how to fish, but also imbue them with conservation-minded education that will hopefully stick with them throughout life.

“We make sure kids learn catch and release, to pick up after ourselves and to be mindful of invasive species,” she said. 

Mentors take kids to a variety of fishing holes throughout the project, which includes the WaterLife Discovery Center and Silverwood, where the owner lets kids fish from his specially stocked pond. 

Those interested in mentoring or participating in The Mayfly Project can visit themayflyproject.com or email Barnhart at [email protected]. Mentors are given thorough background and reference checks to ensure they are a solid influence for kids in the program. There are currently 2,000 mentors serving the 66 projects throughout the U.S.

“We want to make sure all of our mentors are good,” she said. “We never cancel an outing and will never cancel on any kids because they’re so used to being canceled on.”

A mentor works with one of the project participants in the field. Courtesy photo

Barnhart said the Coeur d’Alene chapter of The Mayfly Project is made possible thanks to North40, Got Fishing, North West Outfitters, Adamsbuilt Company, Silverwood, Idaho Fish and Game, Sandpoint Waterlife Discovery Center, the CDA Rotary Club, Idaho Fish and Wildlife, and the generosity of the fly fishing community. Barnhart also wanted to thank Emily Skinner and Wayne Wakkinen for helping develop the North Idaho project.

“It takes a village,” Barnhart said. “Other ways people can help is by donating snacks or lunches, or helping us find new places for our kids to experience the best fishing.” 

Those wanting to support the project can donate individually, through a business or directly sponsor a child to participate in the program.

Another part of the program that Barnhart is especially proud of is seeing mentees graduate and go on to become mentors for foster kids that come after.

“That’s one of the most rewarding things, hearing about someone who was out fishing and ran into their mentors,” she said. “We have some mentees who have aged out of foster care and have come back to work as mentors, too.”

When asked why she chose to cater the program toward kids in foster care, Barnhart said it’s because they often need the most guidance.

“More people should be aware of kids in foster care and support them in their journey,” she said. “I think they benefit from it more than anyone. These are kids with some of the most trauma and they need people to step up and help lead them to the outdoors to find themselves and take a break.”

For Barnhart, it’s also a beneficial project because it reaches kids who are having trouble fitting in.

“Some kids find their identity while fly fishing,” she said. “It’s really hard for them to be in sports, maybe, but a few kids would always go back to school and brag, saying, ‘I’m a fly fisher.’”

Learn more at themayflyproject.com.

The Mayfly Project is partnering with North 40 to host the IF4 Fly Fishing Films on May 10 at the Panida Theater. Tickets will be sold at North 40 in April.