Breast cancer patients find peace fishing in mountains

Standing firmly in a cold mountain stream, vigorously whipping a fly line above her head till the end lure settled in a pool before her, 57-year-old Kathy Cockerill of Washoe Valley did not look like a breast cancer patient. The pink bandana she wore around her head seemed more like a quirky fashion statement than a way to conceal the effects of chemotherapy.

"I'm the only bald one around here," said Cockerill, who was diagnosed in February. "Everyone else is further along in their treatment, but I'm still feeling good. I'm exercising my arms and shoulders that were affected by the surgery, I'm enjoying a sense of camaraderie with the other women, and I'm finding peace of mind in the fresh air."

Cockerill and 13 other women spent a Friday morning in Pleasant Valley south of Markleeville. It was the last day of Carson Tahoe Regional Healthcare's sixth annual Casting for Recovery, a fly-fishing retreat for breast cancer patients and survivors. The women had spent two days at Sorensen's Resort in Hope Valley learning flyfishing techniques: how to tie a fly, string a line and cast, but also sharing their experiences and getting to know each other.

"The diagnosis can be devastating," said Ann Proffitt, Carson Tahoe Cancer Resource Center supervisor and breast cancer survivor. "Clinically, treatment is getting better and survivorship is pretty high, but the treatments are still tough and, psychologically, it changes you."

Proffitt said fly fishing is a challenging and rewarding sport.

"It gives you a sense of self and shows you that you really can do something," she said.

The women paired up with instructors from Angler's Edge in Gardnerville and other expert anglers from California. They followed the creek uphill through thick trees until it leveled out in a large, glistening meadow. They walked through clumps of wildflower, mule's ear, lupine and Indian paint brush, and they gazed at the high, snow-scraped peaks encircling the head of the valley.

"I've caught three fish," said Ceil Jones of Carson City.

Jones and her guide, Rob Wickwire of Southern Calif., found a deep pond lined with willow. Jones cast a nymph lure and got snagged on something big.

"You must have caught a log," said another patient seating nearby.

What Jones actually had caught was a 4-pound, 20-inch rainbow trout that came thrashing to the surface. Jones reeled and Wickwire readied his net, but the behemoth fish broke loose at the last second.

"I love reeling them in," Jones exclaimed. "It's a rush, a spurt of energy."

Terry Johnson of Las Vegas participated in the event last year. Having beaten breast cancer, she decided to volunteer this time around.

"I've watched these women transform and gain their power back," she said. "They can lay down their worries and focus on something new."

Proffitt said Casting for Recovery was funded by Bunco for Breast Cancer and GE Bently in Minden.

"The camaraderie and hope this event inspires help women through some of the most challenging moments of their lives," she said.