Free Fly Casting Lessons
You’ve seen people casting on television commercials, enjoying the bliss of relaxing on a mountain lake. You’ve seen “A River Runs Through It” on cable. Now you want to try your hand at fly fishing, but you’re just not sure how or where to start. You wonder, isn’t it expensive to get into? Not when you enroll in a free fly-casting clinic at Headwaters Outfitters, located near Rosman. The fly-fishing and paddling retailer is offering 2-hour casting lessons during weekends from December through March, at no charge. Anyone can participate, whether you’re 8 years old or 80. The classes run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants must arrive by 10:30 a.m. There is a 6-person maximum per class. By the end of the class, students will learn the basics of executing a roll cast, sidearm cast, overhead cast and bow-and-arrow cast, using 4- and 5-weight fly rods and reels provided by Headwaters. Classes will take place on the banks of the North Fork of the French Broad River, adjacent to Headwaters’ river shop at the intersection of Hwy. 215 and Hwy. 64. Scheduled dates for the class, weather and participation allowing, are Saturday, March 13 & 27th. Reservations are required. You can reserve a spot in the casting clinic by calling Headwaters Outfitters at (828) 877-3106. One free lesson per person, please. Students who want to put their newfound casting skills to use can opt to take a half-day guided fly fishing trip immediately following the class, at the special rate of $125 per person. This rate only applies to participants enrolled in the casting class. All guided trips are on stocked public waters within a short drive of the river shop. The price includes rental gear, including wading boots, waders, rod, reel, flyline and wading belt. Flies, leader and a North Carolina fishing license are not included, but are available at the shop before or after the class. Headwaters Outfitters is a 17-year-old, family-owned outfitting business that specializes in paddling sports, fly-fishing and hiking in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. Located at the gateway to Pisgah National Forest, Headwaters offers canoe and kayak rentals, guided fly-fishing trips on public and private waters, and fly-fishing schools ranging from three to eight hours in length.

Hypothermia/Cold Weather Paddling Clinic
Spring is nearly upon us, which means kayakers and canoeists will soon be out on local rivers in force. Unfortunately, some of them will learn the hard way that paddling during cold weather comes with risks not found during the summer, experts say. “If you fall out of your boat into the French Broad or the Chattooga in April and the water temperatures are in the 50s, it’s only a matter of minutes before your body begins to shut down,” said David Whitmire, a river guide at Headwaters Outfitters in Rosman. “It’s really important that before you go out this spring, you know how to deal with cold water immersion.” To that end, Headwaters is sponsoring a free cold water paddling clinic at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 27 at the outfitter’s shop in Rosman. Led by Whitmire, a lifelong canoeist and river safety instructor, the class will focus on avoiding potential risks, preparing fully for spring paddling adventures and what to do in the event you capsize. Participants will first view a 30-minute video called “Cold Water Boot Camp,” distributed by the National Water Safety Congress. In the film, eight hardy volunteers jump into 45-degree water under the watchful eye of rescue personnel and Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht of the University of Manitoba, a hypothermia researcher whose nickname is “Dr. Popsicle.” Hypothermia, or the lowering of the body’s core temperature below 95 degrees F., causes nearly 700 deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Warning symptoms include lethargy, weakness, confusion, uncontrollable shivering and reduced breathing or heart rate. It can occur after exposure to water as warm as 70 degrees, but the combination of colder air and water temps make it more of a risk in spring. “The most important thing is not to panic when you hit the water,” said Whitmire. “Everybody has that panicky gulping reflex, because cold water sucks the breath out of you initially, but you’ve got to remain calm and not suck in a bunch of water or you’ll drown.” Such risks shouldn’t deter people from hitting the river this spring, Whitmire said. As long as you choose your gear wisely and pick a boat and paddling destination that matches your skill level, Whitmire says, cold water paddling is safe and fun. “If you’ve never been in a canoe, a 45-degree day wouldn’t be a good time to try a trip on the French Broad,” he said. “A pond might be a better choice. A lot of people say, ‘I’ll go to the lake.’ But if you paddle out in the middle of Jocassee, it might be windier and more dangerous than the river. The Indians never paddled to the center of lakes. They kept along the shores, where it was sheltered.” One of the keys to cold water paddling is getting an accurate check on the weather before you hit the river, Whitmire said. Consult local radar and forecasts on websites like wunderground.com and weather.com while planning your paddling trip, he said, “because you can’t trust it to be nice in the mountains when it’s balmy in Atlanta.” Headwaters operates its paddling program using an industry-standard 100-degree rule, Whitmire explained. If combining the current air and water temperatures equals 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, paddling is considered safe and the risk of hypothermia is reduced substantially. Whitmire will also cover how to dress properly for a coldwater paddling trip, emphasizing the importance of wearing quick-dry nylon and fleece garments instead of cotton, which has no insulative properties when wet. “I’ll also talk about the merits of a wet suit versus a dry suit and traditional gear like wool versus some of the modern polypro materials,” he said. Finally, Whitmire will describe ways to rescue either yourself or another paddler who falls into the frigid water. He will cover how to brace with a paddle so that anyone overboard can climb back in a canoe, as well as how to drain a tipped canoe by drawing it perpendicularly across the gunwales of another boat. Additionally, he will outline how to treat a hypothermic paddler by removing wet clothing, providing hot beverages and warming the patient’s body core. “Getting a fire started on the bank is sometimes necessary,” Whitmire said. “I’ll show folks the fire starter kit I carry with me when I paddle. Some people carry road flares, but I like a Bic lighter and some pitch pine.” Following the classroom portion of the clinic, participants will get to practice using a throw rope outside. Throw ropes are essential pieces of gear for cold water paddling, since muscle function often deteriorates so quickly that submerged paddlers find it difficult to swim. Participants can also tour Headwaters’ boat yard, looking at examples of sea kayaks, touring kayaks, whitewater canoes and touring canoes. Reservations are required for the class, which has a maximum of 20 participants. To grab a spot, call Headwaters Outfitters at (828) 877-3106. More information about cold water paddling safety can be found at www.watersafetycongress.com. Information about the cold water boot camp video can be found at www.coldwaterbootcampusa.com.