A THREE-DAY fishing retreat took place in Ballarat and surrounds this week in support of men\u2019s cancer.<\/p>\n
The free program, called Reel Recovery and run by Mending Casts, invited 12 cancer-diagnosed men to cast their rod out.<\/p>\n
Mending Casts president John Billing said it\u2019s about offering people a break from their daily challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe purpose of Reel Recovery is to try and give these guys a respite from their day-to-day cancer journey,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s proven with fly fishing that the motion of it and the action of casting the rod is a way of helping people escape those challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing in nature in a pristine environment, you\u2019re solely focused on fishing and everything melts into the background, so it\u2019s very important for mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n
The annual program ran from Monday to Wednesday and included fly fishing at Lake Wendouree and at Millbrook Lakes.<\/p>\n
Participants visited from across the country with most registered via the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.<\/p>\n
Mending Casts also hosts a Casting for Recovery program which offers a similar retreat for women diagnosed with breast cancer.<\/p>\n
The organisation was established in 2019 to deliver the United States-established initiative.<\/p>\n
Somerville resident Rory Putko was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2006 and took part in the retreat.<\/p>\n
He said the event provided a great way to connect with people in similar situations while enjoying a day on the lake.<\/p>\n
\u201cFishing\u2019s always been a good way to clear my mind and focus on the task at hand. I hadn\u2019t fly fished before so this was a good opportunity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re all suffering a bit here, so it\u2019s been good to have those courageous conversations too. We all discuss treatments we\u2019ve had, what we\u2019ve gone through.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A THREE-DAY fishing retreat took place in Ballarat and surrounds this week in support of men\u2019s cancer. The free program, called Reel Recovery and run by Mending Casts, invited 12 cancer-diagnosed men to cast their rod out. Mending Casts president John Billing said it\u2019s about offering people a break from their daily challenges. \u201cThe purpose […]<\/p>\n