On Sunday October 29th a number of DCFF members as well as folks from Trout Unlimited volunteered as “River Helpers” at the October “Casting for Recovery” retreat held at Lake Cumberland. This is a retreat for women with, or survivors of, cancer. There were 14 Helpers and 13 retreat participants, so every participant was paired up one-on-one with a fishing buddy. Participants fished Hatchery Creek. The “catching” was a little slow, but most participants caught fish — for some the first fish they’ve ever caught. While rain threatened the whole time the group was on the stream, the weather gods held it back until the group got back to the lodge for lunch. Could not have asked for better weather — cloudy, only occasional light winds and mild temperatures. It was a very enjoyable outing for everyone involved, not to mention very rewarding for the River Helpers. DCFF has been a strong supporter of this program (as well Reel Recovery — a similar program for men with cancer) for a number of years. We encourage anyone to consider helping out with these programs when another opportunity arises. You don’t have to be an expert fly fisher, just have the willingness to spend a few hours with some remarkable women sharing a sport we cherish. For those not familiar with the program, click here for details. Here are some pictures from the event — you may well recognize some of the River Helpers.
Thanks to Vickie Daiber and Deloris Cummings for the following photos. Captions by Joe Gahlinger, send all complaints to him at joe@derbycityflyfishers.com
