Reeling and Healing Midwest Blog

Reeling & Healing Midwest is heading to Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville, MI from January 11-13, 2008 for our Third Annual Winter Retreat.

The “Pamper Your Inner Vixen” retreat will feature a guest speaker, Barb Badolati, from Alive & Well, spa treatments from The Looking Glass Spa, an interactive cooking class with Whole Foods Chef and Food & Lifestyle Counselor, Nancy Schwalm, African healing drumming with Rhythmic Adventures of Traverse City, MI, and a variety of outdoor and indoor activities to choose from.

It may be too cold to fly fish, but its always a good time to renew your spirit and hope and start the new year with a little pampering and fun. The plus is the camaraderie and support from new friends too.

Interested? We have a couple more openings available. Check out
our announcement and registration form for more details or phone 616-855-4017.

The October Retreat was fantastic! A wonderful group of survivors and volunteers eager to fish the Pere Marquette in search of brown trout, steelhead and salmon. The weather was amazing – better than last year when I had on four layers of clothing. I left the mittens and ear muffs at the river lodge and was in the river, helping guide, taking photos and listening to everyone’s story.

Read more about the retreat here.

I can’t wait for next year!

2007 was a fabulous year for Reeling and Healing Midwest.

Check out our 2007 Season Review and other retreat follow-ups. You can view photo and learn about what happened along the river banks. Follow this link to the main page and take time to check out the other links you find there.

Join us for the Third Annual Winter Retreat at Crystal Mountain Resort! Start off 2008 with a bang. More details below.

Download Registration Form

Twenty-five participants and volunteers are scheduled to fish the famed waters of the Pere Marquette River this weekend in Branch, MI. We’ll be staying at a private river lodge high on a bluff over the river with a thirst to fish for steelhead, brown and rainbow trout. Rumor is a few salmon are still occupying the waters as well. Perhaps we’ll see a few in action.

Survivors from all over the State of Michigan will be in attendance. A few have fished in the fall, but for a majority of the attendees, this is a first-time experience.

The weather forecast is great for fishing – 60 degrees and partly cloudy with the chance of showers.

Keep an eye out for our recap and photos.

FISH ON!

A great article about Reeling & Healing Midwest recently appeared in the July / August 2007 issue of Michigan Trout Magazine published by Michigan Council of Trout Unlimited. You can download a PDF of the article here.

WHAT: ONE DAY FLY FISHING RETREAT

WHEN: July 21st Reunion Retreat – 8:00 am until 6:00 pm

WHERE: PERE MARQUETTE RIVER – Baldwin & Branch, MI

HOSTS: Reeling & Healing Midwest and The Pere Marquette River Lodge

DETAILS: Join Reeling & Healing Midwest, The Pere Marquette River Lodge and our good friends from Reel Recovery to celebrate a day of trout fishing on the beautiful waters of the Pere Marquette River. Individuals who have taken part in any fly fishing retreat programs for cancer survivors as a participant, volunteer or supporter are encouraged to attend. SPECIAL NOTE: This year, survivors are encouraged to bring their caregiver or personal supporter along to enjoy the day as well.

Our friends and certified river guides at The Pere Marquette River Lodge have arranged to provide river float trips and guiding expertise for the day. Those attending will have the opportunity to wade fish and/or enjoy a float down the river. A hearty continental breakfast, shore lunch, beverages and munchies will be served. Fishing equipment and waders will be available for use too.

COST: $40.00 for the day (includes breakfast, lunch, beverages, equipment, float trips and guides). Dinner is optional for an additional $15.00 and will be served at the lodge.

Click here to view a schedule of events for the day.

What to bring? You will need a fishing license. It may be purchased at the lodge. Click here for a suggested list of items to bring as well as more license info.

To register or for more information, phone 616-855-4017 or email info@ReelingandHealingMidwest.org.

Fish On!

THIRTY-EIGHT FISH AND COUNTING

Well, I believe if we had taken an exit poll, everyone would have voted to fish more in the spring time with the beautiful weather we enjoyed, to fish on the North Branch of the Au Sable (easy wading and little traffic) and to visit Arnie & Aggie again and again. Was that a wonderful weekend or what? I’m still feeling blessed.
Where do you begin when you think back to that May weekend? The beautiful, historical stretch of river, the wildlife that surrounded us, the four-wheeler tours through the woods, the camaraderie, the terrific fishing, the meals & snacks galore, the calm comfort and giving nature of our hosts Aggie and Arnie or the power struggle for a fishing vest or blue shirt or a fishing shirt (Carrie may have worn that vest to bed along with a smile on her face)?

Was it the quiet time you had in the river – sunshine on your face, gentle breeze and good casts? Or was it the potential wading snafu, remembering how to make a clinch knot, deciding which fly to use, seeing old faces and friends, or getting in touch with your creative side by whipping a bird’s nest into your leader? Did you take time out to laugh, “get out of your box” and meet someone new? Did you tell a story, reach out and listen to others, or take a quiet moment to be grateful? I think we did all that and then some.

A big THANK YOU to Aggie & Arnie for opening up their hearts and river home to us – especially knowing that Aggie was recovering from shoulder surgery. I can’t wait to see her this summer and give her a huge hug of thanks that doesn’t cause her any pain. The two of them, along with the “boys” were wonderful.

A special note of thanks to Ruthanne. Her assistance with organizing the retreat certainly ensured that the retreat ran smoothly. I’d like to reach out and thank other volunteers who traveled to Lovells to help us out – Bob & Kathy Carey, Amy Adams, and Sue & John Walters.

I’m still having flashbacks of all the food that made it’s way into the river house.
Thanks to everyone who stopped and picked up portions of our grocery list and to everyone else that brought along goodies, baked cookies, and special indulgements. Abiding by Arnie’s rule that everything we brought must make it’s way home, I did my best to leave a few “surprise” in your coolers or cars or coat pockets (yes, I’m the one that did it).

Oh, we can’t forget the potato flinging slingshot. I don’t know if you took a step back and observe how everyone became a wee bit competitive with those distance shots. But, there was some major determination occurring. The photos tell stories for sure. And what did work better? One potato or two? Can you believe we were able to shoot potatoes past that little island upstream?

Having mentioned photos, I received some from Aggie, Carole, Mary and Lori. Thank you ladies! A few are in this email note, some have been placed on the Gallery page of the website and I’ve uploaded a portion of them to a Flickr account so you can log-in and download your favorite or order prints. The link to the Flickr account is located at the end of this email.

Thank you for your participation, enthusiasm and courage to go somewhere new and learn more about fly fishing. Thank you all for your loving, giving spirits. You continue to inspire me to provide more retreat opportunities and enjoy all that life has to offer. It was an honor to share the river with you once more. I look forward to doing it again and again.

Here���s to renewed spirit and renewed hope.

FISH ON!

Cathy Sero

Special Notes: Check out photos on our website’s Gallery Page. Photos on Flickr for the May 2007 Retreat can be viewed here.