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Casting for Recovery brings women to river

Breast cancer survivors Gail Carlson of Centerville (left) and Deb Mann of Kettering attended the Casting for Recovery Retreat in Walhonding.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Breast cancer survivors Gail Carlson of Centerville (left) and Deb Mann of Kettering attended the Casting for Recovery Retreat in Walhonding.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Ria Megnin, Contributing writer 1:08 PM Saturday, October 29, 2011

The last place Gail Carlson expected to find herself was standing hip deep in the waters of a river, getting a one-on-one lesson in fly fishing from a master fisherwoman.

Turns out that for thousands of women in 34 states, it’s just part of the breast cancer scene.

The national Casting for Recovery group, formed in 1996 in Vermont, offers weekend retreats for breast cancer “thrivers” to learn fly fishing and receive counseling, education and medical information. It’s available at no cost to women of any age and stage of breast cancer, and its goal is to build a focus on empowerment.

“It was so fun,” says Carlson, a 57-year-old speech and language therapist from Centerville who was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in January 2009. “I’d never once thought, ‘Why don’t I go fly fishing?’ But my philosophy after having cancer is: Try new things. Why not?”

Carlson and 13 other women spent the last weekend of September at Indian Bear Lodge in Walhonding, Ohio, an hour and a half east of Columbus.

“As soon as you get there, they outfit you with the waders and the boots and the jackets and the hats, a fishing rod, reel and flies. They rent all that for each woman, so you are totally decked out. And then they take you down to your room. And that lodge is so awesome,” she says. “They took a lot of time to support the breast cancer survivors. All the women got along, everybody was thrilled.”

With some women in remission and some still undergoing treatment, some of the volunteers at the all-expenses-paid retreat were medical staff. Having their support helped as women described their experiences with the life-threatening disease.

Carlson says it’s equally important for the “thrivers” to connect with and learn from each other. “I don’t ever say I’m in remission,” she explains. “I say, I’m done with it. I know it can come back, but I’ve tried to remain positive and move forward. I just want to pursue life.”

For much of the weekend, experienced fishing and river guides are on hand to help the women do just that.

“They teach you how to cast right on the grass,” Carlson says. “Then you have a session on making a fly. On Sunday, you get your own river guide.” The guides are experienced fishermen who volunteer their time.

“It was extremely exciting. I walked in up to my waist, because I really wanted to feel that. You don’t get wet, you don’t get any water on you at all, and I thought that was pretty cool. I was the first one to get a fish, so I got to hold that for a picture — that was the first time I’d ever held a live fish. It was exhilarating.”

The fishing, of course, is all catch-and-release. But the experience may take hold.

Next up for Carlson? A trout fishing tournament with her husband later this fall.

To get involved

Casting For Recovery selects breast cancer participants at random from regional pools of applicants. For information on donating, volunteering or applying, visit www.castingforrecovery.org.

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