Casting for Recovery 2012 Skytop Retreat

 On Tuesday, August 28^th,  Joan Wulff Fly Fishers members Kelly Buchta, Pat Mazzacano, Elmer Hopper and Rich Malizia spent the day as river helpers at the Casting for Recovery retreat at Skytop Lodge in Skytop, PA.  The retreat was lead by our own  Marina Swartz and Marsha Benovengo with the assistance from  Janette Dietrick.  For those of you who may not be familiar with CFR, it is a non-profit organization which sponsors retreats at no cost for women at any age and stage of breast cancer treatment and recovery.  While the primary focus of the retreat is counseling and education, participants are introduced to fly casting/fishing as physical therapy for exercising the joints and soft tissues affected by treatment and surgery.

On arrival we met the other volunteers, were assigned to our CFR ladies and headed to a private section of the Broadheads which flows through the Skytop property.  The water was extremely low and the beautiful multi-tiered waterfalls at the beginning of the fishing area was a mere trickle.  Things didn’t look good at first but after reaching our assigned beats, most of us were pleasantly surprised to see a number of fish.  Each participant’s approach to the fishing differs.  Some are just happy to be in a beautiful place and enjoy the companionship.  While others are determined to get as many fish as possible to take their fly.   Since this is the first actual fly fishing experience for most of the ladies, there are many missed takes, long line releases, encounters with overhanging branches and other frustrations that most of us accept s part of the experience.  Most of the ladies were successful  and all were joyous in their acceptance of the results of their efforts.  Maybe it is something learned by going through the challenges that these women have overcome.

Our day concluded with a box lunch at Skytop Lodge, overlooking the gardens and grounds.  After lots of pictures were taken and the participants and volunteers were acknowledged for their efforts, we pointed the truck west and headed for home.  A delightful day spent with joyful women, in a beautiful setting, coupled with the thought that we may have made the lives of these ladies just a little better, if only for a few hours.