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“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.” - Henry David Thoreau.

Len Utech has been fishing nearly his whole life, but it’s the last outing that could be his most memorable.

Utech, a 75-year-old Air Force veteran, is on hospice care with not long to live. As an avid fisherman he had one wish to fish the lakes he has loved in the Chisago Lakes Area.  So, multiple veteran groups banded together to make one last dream come true for Utech.

The Invisible Wounds Project, with help from Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, Hometown Hero Outdoors and Let’s Go Fishing, got Utech out on Chisago Lake Monday, August 17.
Utech, from Shoreview, was given only three months to live nearly two years ago, but he has persevered and continued living a life to be proud of. He relayed to one of the Invisible Wound Project reps joining him on the fishing trip, that he wondered “why the good Lord kept me around longer than the three months” and then said he realized it was so he could get this one last fishing trip in.

The official event was executed by The Invisible Wounds Project, but had been directed to them by Hometown Hero Outdoors.

When local veteran organizations got word of Utech’s wish, they stepped up in a big way. Let’s Go Fishing ­– despite not running their program this year due to COVID-19 – provided the boat to fish from, as well as two local guides. Beyond the Yellow Ribbon brought families and supporters to give Utech a warm welcome to the area, and the Chisago Lakes American Legion provided an honor guard  as Utech boarded the pontoon boat.

And although Utech only had one fish on the line, and it wiggled off before he could get it in the boat, everyone involved with the day understood it wasn’t the fish he was after, but the beauty and enjoyment around him.

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