Megan Plete

The moon was high and the morning still dark blue as I left my house to drive an hour-and-a-half toward the Salmon River, in Pulaski. There I met my fishing guide for the day, Eric Henderson, of Combat Fishing. We shimmied into waders and donned headlamps before walking a short distance to the rocky shore stretch of the town pool, located under and near the bridge within the village. 
When we arrived most of the riverbank had already been claimed by fishermen quicker than us. We exchanged morning greetings with other anglers as we waited for timers to go off, letting us know it was time to cast a line.

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.