Casting for Recovery holds a successful retreat at Forbes of Kingennie

Casting for Recovery UK & Ireland, the medical fly fishing programme for ladies who have, or have had breast cancer, held its 8^th retreat at the Forbes of Kingennie Country Resort, near Dundee, last weekend (21-23 September) in brilliant weather, despite us following in the wake of hurricanes from across the Atlantic.

Twelve ladies attended from as far north as Inverness down to the south coast of England and to Northern Ireland and everywhere in between.

All the ladies caught fish and there was much excitement and laughter around the lakes over the weekend.

Sue Shaw of Casting for Recovery, said: "The beautiful Forbes of Kingennie Estate, overlooking a fabulous golf course, is a fantastic setting for the retreat – which was the 47^th held by Casting for Recovery UK & Ireland.

"The owners, Mike and Gail Forbes, are great supporters of the charity and welcome the ladies each year – Mike even does a casting demonstration on the Friday evening to whet the ladies' appetite for the weekend."

Casting for Recovery UK & Ireland is run by The Countryside Alliance Foundation (TCAF), the charity set up to increase access to the countryside and to use it for education, fun and healing. It works on the simple principle that fly fishing is wonderful therapy for those recovering from breast cancer.

The programme takes ladies on a two-day residential retreat where fly fishing tuition is part of a packed itinerary that also includes counselling, relaxation and medical advice. The residential retreat aims to help both body and mind, with the medical and counselling aspects complementing the gentle physical therapy of the fly casting motion.

We are extremely grateful to the fly fishing and medical volunteers who take time to ensure that the ladies all enjoy their weekend and to our generous hosts.

Our final retreat of the year takes place at the Mount Falcon Estate in Ballina, Co Mayo, from 19-21 October, but retreats start again across Uk and Ireland in the spring.

We very much look forward to returning to Forbes of Kilgennie in 2019, from 13-15 September.