2025 Casting for Recovery Was Successful!!

Iowa’s 12th annual Casting for Recovery retreat was held over a long weekend, culminating on Sunday, October 5th. Participants spent most of their time with volunteers at Ewalu Stone Retreat Center, Strawberry Point, Iowa, learning such things as tying knots, fly casting skills, and about the trout’s diet in the stream environment.

On Sunday, each lady was paired up with a volunteer river guide, enjoying guided fly fishing for up to 1/2 day at Backbone State Park or the Maquoketa River. All participants and volunteers then returned to the center for lunch and a fun program. Each participant had the opportunity to speak about their river helper and their experience together on the water.

Casting for Recovery (CFR), is a national organization whose mission is to “enhance the lives of women with breast cancer by connecting them to each other and nature through the therapeutic sport of fly fishing.”  The retreat is available to women who have or who have had breast cancer and is available at no cost to them. Volunteers include medical and psychosocial professionals as well as fly fishing instructors.

Iowa CFR 2025 River Guides: Martin Acerbo, Jason Hochstetler, Lisa Davis, Mike Jacobs, Ronda Long, David Kleme, Kate Lodge, Jody Milar, Jonathan Schmidt, Ron Stahlberg, Ray Thys, Dan Peterson, Kevin McVey and Lance Zook  (Lisa, Mike and Ron have been guides all 12 years!!!)