Fly fishing can be therapeutic

MAT-SU — A calm lake, a gentle and repetitive motion, a bounce in the rod from a rainbow trout bite. For more than 10 years, one group has used the peace of fly fishing to bring solace to women in the most stressful of times.

Casting for Recovery hosts weekend getaways for women who either have or are recovering from breast cancer. With fishing so prevalent here, the Alaska chapter is the second-oldest of the nationwide organization.

Casting for Recovery began when a woman recovering from surgery noticed fly casting mimicked her therapeutic exercises, said volunteer Martha Peck. Being on the water also provides prospective after living in such a sterile medical environment.

“Fly fishing is insanely peaceful,” Peck said. “Just to focus on something out there. It’s not about the confines of what you are going through.”

The Alaska retreat, which runs July 9-11 at Kalmbach Lake, combines the inherent peacefulness of fly fishing with sessions aimed at the metal aspect of cancer and recovery. Licensed psychosocial therapists talk about what it means to live with and after cancer, Peck said, and trained medical personnel go over the treatment and therapy.

Additionally, just being with others who can relate to the disease is extremely important, Peck said. Peck, a breast cancer survivor herself, started volunteering with Casting for Recovery three years ago. With 14 guests and about another 11 volunteers, the retreat provides a society for women to talk about what’s really going on.

“Some women just want to get away,” Peck said. “And some truly want to learn to fly fish.”

The women on the retreat learn everything from knot tying to fly selection. On the final day, they all hit the lake in float tubes, canoes and paddle boats after their prey. Peck said even more volunteers are brought in to make sure every guest has their own casting instructor.

“I don’t know how many continue with fly fishing, but they sure enjoy it while it’s going on,” Peck said. “I would hope they would find an inner peace, whatever that is.”

As a non-profit organization, the retreat is offered free of charge to guests. Some women attending may currently have breast cancer, Peck said, some may be 20 years into recovery. Space on the retreat is limited to 14, and the names are drawn at random from those who sign up. The deadline to sign up online — at castingforrecovery.org — is May 9.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.