Elaine Caroline Vanatta has been battling breast cancer for 15 years. She lost her friend, Anne Wells, to the same disease. Wells was a Casting for Recovery alumni and a fly-angler. Before she died, she encouraged Vanatta to keep applying for a spot in the program.
Vanatta applied multiple times and, finally, this year she got in. Vanetta joined a group of other women who have been profoundly affected by breast cancer at the Tailwater Lodge, in Altmar, N.Y., in early June, for a weekend that incorporated both an introduction to fly-fishing and emotional support, which culminated with a half-day of fishing on the water.
Fly-fishing weekend in New York helps breast cancer patients deal with illness
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