Alive and Fishing - organization Casting for Recovery's efforts on behalf of breast-cancer patients, survivors
GoodLetter, Feb 28, 2002


With the threat of breast cancer looming ever large, increasing numbers of women of all ages and backgrounds find themselves coming face to face with their own mortality. And for the survivors, a normal life is often elusive. One unique program offers pristine streams, a caring community, and a chance to return to the land of the living.

The image of a fly fisher casting a line over a luminous sapphire-hued stream evokes deep sentiment for me. It reminds me of day trips with my father in the deep waters of the Atlantic, where he'd cast out a fly and let it drift for a moment before deftly stripping it in, the line gathering in a pile at his feet. It also reminds me of a trip to Montana, where - entering the pages of Norman McLean's "A River Runs Through It" - my husband and I fished the Missouri, pelicans hovering overhead, where we floated the Blackfoot, not a soul in sight, and where the river water swirled around our raft, so radiant, so full of life.
Quite literally, I was hooked.
Fly fishing is an art. Form is essential for each and every cast, as is the patient spirit it requires to stand in the cool waters of a trout stream, to cast and cast and cast again. It's not a flick of the wrist; it's a strong and focused movement of the bent arm. "Keep it eleven to one, eleven to one," a guide once told me, using a perfect hands-of-the-clock metaphor. So, these days, I keep it eleven to one, hopeful that my line truly curls and releases like it does in my mind. But, if it doesn't, I don't mind. The strength and vitality I feel, water rushing all around, leaves me content, which is why when I learned of Casting for Recovery, I thought to myself, "Why, yes, of course."

Founded in 1996 by former host of Orvis Hooked on Fly Fishing Gwenn Perkins and breast reconstructive surgeon Dr. Benita Walton, Casting for Recovery is an organization born of hope, one that serves as a therapeutic retreat for women only. The only qualification for attendees is one thing they all share: breast cancer.
That the fly fishing retreat would aid in the strengthening of weakened muscles, that it would bring renewed energy and boost dampened spirits; these were viable prospects. But that it would cultivate lifelong friendships and a love of nature, that it would instill new passions was another. Casting for Recovery has accomplished that, and more.
"I saw fly fishing and breast cancer as...a match made in heaven," Perkins has said. "For me, fly fishing...has been a source of being able to just go out and forget whatever might be bothering me."
She's right. This isn't throwing in a bobber and waiting for a nibble. Tying a fly, casting a line, and hooking a fish require tremendous focus from an angler. Besides, fly fishing is not a game between woman and fish: it's respect for the land, the water, and the life beneath the surface. (Credit is due to the conservation efforts that make fly-fishing primarily "catch and release"; once a fish has been hooked and brought in, a moment is taken to admire its splendor and then, while holding it underwater, its mouth facing upstream for maximum oxygen intake, it is let go.)
Put simply, fly fishing is about living.
Thanks to monetary and equipment donations, not to mention the abundant number of volunteers, Casting for Recovery has held retreats for 600 breast cancer survivors in thirteen states across the United States. Selected from a diverse pool of applicants, participants gather in the streams of places like Maine, Vermont, Illinois, California, or Alaska, to name a few, where they learn techniques such as knot tying, casting, and, hopefully, the landing of a fish. Medical professionals and therapists are also on-site both to teach and to contribute physical and mental support. Still, participants are free to read, relax, swim and enjoy a hot tub, if they choose, for this weekend belongs to them. But, most women, like schoolgirls, can't wait to dive in to the retreat's activities.
All fun and games aside, there is good reason to link fly fishing with breast cancer recovery. Similar to exercises recommended post-surgery, casting helps to build mobility and strength around the arms, chest and shoulders, which can ward off lymphedema, an unwelcome buildup of lymphatic fluid, or other perilous aches and pains.
Perhaps even more profound for the survivors is the time they experience together. When stories are shared, there is laughter and there are tears. There is an understanding between the women. They have all endured, and many will continue to fight.
"My body is tired," said one recent participant, "but my spirit is renewed. I leave with memories of strong, beautiful women and a new experience to build on. I leave with the information that will help me to continue on as a survivor."
If retreat participants enjoy the sport and continue to fly fish in the years to come, then one of the organization's goals has been fulfilled. But its hopes for the survivors extend far further. The greatest triumphs of a Casting for Recovery participant are simply to breathe in the fresh air and engage in the pleasure of the outdoors, to begin to restore physical strength and to build lasting relationships, and to feel whole -- free of fatigue and sorrow.
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