GIVING BACK: Lindsay Agness
Retiree was inducted into the New York State Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame in 2022 for her volunteering work
By Norah Machia
Lindsay Agness has spent many years fly fishing and her retirement allows her to spend even more time in the water.
“Now that I’m retired, I love the fact that I get up every morning and get to pursue my passion for fly fishing,” said Agness, who was inducted into the New York State Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame in 2022 for her devotion to “giving back” to the outdoor sports and conservation efforts. “Today, I spend my free time volunteering for a host of nonprofit organizations that bring me joy and life satisfaction through teaching.”
Agness retired as director of the enterprise project management office at Rochester Regional Health System. She became a New York state licensed fishing guide in 2011 and operates her own fly-fishing guide service, while volunteering for several nonprofit organizations.
One of her many volunteer projects occurs yearly on the Salmon River in Pulaski. Since 2015, Agness has volunteered as an instructor and guide with the Upstate Chapter of Casting for Recovery, a nonprofit organization that offers a unique retreat experience for women diagnosed with breast cancer. Each year, the retreat is held at the Tailwater Lodge in Altmar and offers education, peer support and the therapeutic sport of fly fishing for women experiencing different stages of cancer recovery.
“These ladies are inspiring, exuberant, fun, passionate and they live life at their fullest,” Agness said. “I walk away from the retreats with a renewed sense of purpose, gratitude and joy in living.”
Her other passion in retirement is “teaching our youth about fly fishing, conservation and outdoors,” said Agness, who volunteers with the NYS Council of Trout Unlimited and has helped with youth activities and programs offered at 26 chapters statewide.
Her most recent volunteer effort is with the Mayflower Project, a nonprofit program designed to help change the lives of children in foster care by introducing them to fly fishing. The mission is to “introduce them to their local community waters, with the hope that connecting them to a rewarding hobby will provide them an opportunity to have fun, build confidence and develop a meaningful connection with the outdoors,” she said.
“Spending time with our youth and teens is very rewarding now that I’m an empty nester myself,” said Agness, who has also been helping Girl Scout troops learn about the sport of fly fishing and conservation. By combining volunteerism with her passion for fly fishing, “I’ve found a cause that lifts my spirit and helps my community,” she added.
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