Trout Unlimited supports local veterans with annual fly-fishing trip

For Peter Ziehli, who served his country in the U.S. Army in the Afghanistan War, time spent on the Flathead River fishing for trout is extremely meaningful.

Friday, Ziehli joined a group of U.S. service veterans, members of the Flathead Valley chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Kalispell Vet Center during the annual veterans river float. Participating vets learned about the

art of fly fishing, river etiquette and the proper techniques of catch-and-release.

“Days like this I really look forward to,” Ziehli said of being on the river. “It keeps me at peace.”

Ziehli was a specialist with the 4th Engineer Battalion. His job was to find and dispose of hidden improvised explosive devices — or roadside bombs — meant to disable and kill U.S. and allied forces soldiers.

Ziehli explained that he was 12 when the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred in the U.S. His father was in the Air Force at the time and soon was deployed to the Middle East.

He believes his father’s time there and the after-effects of war resulted in the breakup of his parents’ marriage.

“My dad brought home a lot of baggage from over there,” Ziehli said.

Ziehli, whose grandfather also served in the Army, entered the service when he was 17 after a friend asked him to join. That friend had a close friend killed in the Middle East, and he didn’t want to go in alone.

Ziehli said he has some good memories of his nine years in the Army — as a non-commissioned officer he found fulfillment in helping and watching others learn and grow. But some experiences resulted in Ziehli dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“There were times I was asking myself if I was crazy and wondering what everyone else’s problem was,” Ziehli said. “It (PTSD) has a bad stigma, but it’s not like someone who is dealing with it is thinking about doing something bad.”

Since Ziehli left the service last year, he has tried to enter the workforce, but working through some of his troubles has made it difficult.

Still, he is hopeful.

“I’ve chased money and done a variety of different things, but I need to find something that benefits others,” Ziehli said.

Jim Borowski is the Veteran’s Service Partnership Coordinator for the Trout Unlimited’s Flathead Valley chapter. He is active on the state and national level in veteran’s outreach with Trout Unlimited. He also served with the U.S. Army in Vietnam before entering the law enforcement field, working in the Grand County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation as an agent-in-charge.

“I was drawn to veteran’s outreach on so many different levels,” Borowski said. “I turned to fly fishing to deal with the stress of my time in the service and from work. It’s been proven that the benefits of being outdoors and fishing a very therapeutic.”

Borowski and his wife became involved in veteran’s outreach in Trout Unlimited, and their involvement has grown ever since. He is also involved with Warriors and Quiet Waters, a Bozeman-based group that helps injured veterans.

“[Trout Unlimited] is primarily a conservation organization, but it’s nice to get vets out here and help them, give them a day where they get to experience something they might not ordinarily be able to do,” Borowski said. “I’m just thrilled to be able to do it.”

Larry Timchak has been the president of the Flathead Valley Trout Unlimited chapter for five years. He captained one of the rafts that took the veterans fishing Friday.

“Jim has a unique perspective from his experiences in the service and in law enforcement, and he’s been a key part of the program and we’re very thankful for that,” Timchak said.

Timchak is proud of the chapter’s outreach work.

“We’re involved with Flathead Women on the Fly, teaching fly tying and fishing to young people. We are very active in conservation efforts for west slope cutthroat trout and bull trout,” Timchak said. “This is one way that our chapter can show support and appreciation for the men and women who have served in our armed forces to keep our country safe.”

Brandon Spangler was a sergeant in the Marine Corps for five years. When he left the service he struggled with PTSD and substance abuse, but he completed his college studies in Washington before moving to the Flathead Valley. He is currently a counselor with the Kalispell Vet Center, working with veterans who have PTSD and helping them transition back into civilian life.

“Ten percent of the people in Flathead County are veterans, and this valley does a good job of taking care of them,” Spangler said. “Trout Unlimited, DREAM Adaptive, so many are involved and it’s a very good thing.”

For more information on Trout Unlimited’s efforts visit online at www.flatheadtu.org.

Reporter Scott Shindledecker can be reached at (406) 758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.