Seven women whose lives have been affected by breast cancer attended a weekend fly-fishing retreat in Makarora earlier this month, supported by Fish & Game, local guides, and others.

With a 40-year age difference between the youngest and oldest, the participants came from Christchurch, Maniototo, Wānaka, Dunedin, and Twizel, converging at Wild Earth Lodge for Casting for Recovery’s annual retreat.

The trip was made possible with the generosity of the Wild Earth Lodge owners giving free accommodation, guides Kristina Placko, Erica Gilchrist, Shelen Scout-Boyes, Alan McIntyre, Jake Berry, and Santillan de Pinto offering their time, five ‘Pinkies’ volunteers, Fish & Game, and more.

Casting for Recovery coordinator Lisa Brits said it was a “team effort”.

Rosie Futschek (centre) with other participants and Pinkies volunteers during their Makarora retreat. Participants came from as close as Wānaka and as far as Christchurch. PHOTO: Santillan de Pinto

“It’s not about breast cancer. It’s not about fly fishing. It's about everybody making it work. That’s what’s special.”

This year’s participants were joined by six fly-fishing guides and on the Saturday morning the women were taught fly-fishing theory and practised casting on grass before they headed to Makarora River to learn stream-craft.

The afternoon also included massages, yoga classes, fly-tying and learning how to prepare and smoke a trout.

The main fishing adventure took place the following day, with some trout caught and “loads” more seen, Lisa said.

“On Sunday, the guides were there, the ladies had just come off the river, we’d had the whole weekend together [and] I was going, ‘Wow, what a sense of community,’” she said.

She said the participants had become very close and already become a support network for each other.

The retreat will be held at Makarora again next autumn, Lisa said.