Montana has the second highest concentration of veterans of all the United States, second only to Alaska. Our state has a proud history of service, both on the battlefield and off, and Fish On! Montana is a great example of Montanans helping Montanans.
I came to Fish On! Montana’s website via XSports4Vets, another excellent Montana non-profit that helps veterans reintegrate into communities by arranging group outings and events based around extreme sports. XSports4Vets had shared a Facebook post from Fish On! Montana, advertising a few open spots on a pike spearing trip to Seeley Lake. I’m not what people would consider a “social butterfly” and usually avoid situations where I’m forced to spend a lot of time with people I don’t know. That being said, the trip sounded exciting and was a mix of Montana vets and firefighters, so I figured I’d call the number and see if any of the spots were still available.
Justin Morin and Shanna Melton co-founded Fish On! Montana to help vets and first responders work through post traumatic stress in relaxing wilderness settings. Post traumatic stress isn’t black or white, all military service members and first responders are impacted to some degree by their work, and sometimes end up feeling disconnected from society. I’ve felt it myself, and know that social events like this are a vital first step to helping those effected to comfortably reintegrate into society. Because the Fish On! team did all the work before-hand to organize and outfit the trip, it was a stress free opportunity to learn a new sport and make new friends.
Pike fishing with a spear is my kind of sport: it involves hanging out, drinking a few beers, bullshitting, and every once in a while spearing a fish. Pike are sufficiently large to really impress your significant other when you bring some home, even more-so when you get them with a giant spear. I felt a bit like Poseidon throwing a heavy, multi-pointed spear through the water and into a big ugly prehistoric fish.
Each night we went back to the lodge and watched the firemen cook the fish, and hung out and played cards (of course I won every time). An excellent time was had by all, and I learned a lot about pike fishing, pike cooking, pike cleaning, and fishing in general. I’d encourage any vets or LEO’s, firemen, paramedics, etc. to check out Fish On! Montana and take an opportunity to get outdoors and learn some new skills and make some new friends. I was very impressed with the professional manner in which the trip was organized, and Justin’s serious commitment to growing the organization to reach more people.
Organizations like Fish On! Montana and XSports4Vets depend on community involvement and support. I’m going to be working with them in the coming months, using MANtana to help raise awareness and funds for these great organizations. I’m planning on doing a different promotion/contest each quarter this year to support different Montana non-profits. Please take a moment to visit their pages, and give them a “like” and a “share” to help them reach a larger audience:
Fish On! Montana Official Web Page
XSports4Vets Official Web Page
If you know of any other people or non-profits that deserve recognition and need community support, please PM me on the MANtana FB page or leave a comment here so we can get the word out and bring more people together in The Last Best Place!
MANtana 