Fly fishing for women

By the N.C. Wildlife
Resources Commission

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will offer a special fly-fishing weekend for women through the Becoming an Outdoors Woman program on March 9-11 in the mountains.
Activities will be at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and Davidson River Campground, south of Asheville near Brevard in Transylvania County. The registration fee is $125, with partial scholarships available.
“It doesn’t matter what skill level or previous experience you have,” said B.B. Gillen, outdoor skills coordinator for the commission. “This weekend is tailored for individuals, so each angler will gain new skills and improve techniques, and learn about an angler’s important role in conservation on mountain streams.”
The workshop will take place rain or shine. March can be cool or even cold, so appropriate dress is advised. Fly-fishing equipment will be provided, but participants can bring their own gear.
Gillen also recommended sunscreen, insect repellent, rain gear, a folding chair, hat and water bottle, along with outdoor clothes, shoes, socks, toiletries, flashlight, linens and, if camping, a tent. Optional non-camping, lodging opportunities are conveniently located nearby.
Becoming an Outdoors-Woman is an international program in which women 18 years old and up can learn outdoor skills through hands-on experiences.
In North Carolina, Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshops take place across the state and provide instruction on fishing, hunter safety, target shooting, archery, canoeing, motorboat safety, outdoor cooking, tracking and map-and-compass skills.
For more information on the fly-fishing weekend, gift certificates and scholarship opportunities, contact Gillen at 919-218-3638 or bb.gillen@ncwildlife.org.
Shooting sports clinic
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, in cooperation with the Deep River Sporting Clays and Shooting School, will have a free shooting sports 101 clinic 6-8 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Centennial Campus Center for Wildlife Education.
There will be a learning session taught in an auditorium, but with no live firing practice.
“This free clinic is ideal for anyone wanting to take up sporting clay competition or hunters who want to improve their skills,” said Kelsey Obernuefemann, a wildlife education specialist with the Wildlife Commission. “While participants will not be firing live rounds, the educational and safety components of the clinic will benefit everyone who attends.”
Experienced staff from the Deep River Sporting Clays and Shooting School will provide instruction on safety, equipment, ammo and firearms, as well as the various types of shooting sports, including trap, skeet and sporting clays.
The school, in Sanford, is rated by the National Shooting Sports Foundation as a four-star range.
The Centennial Campus Center for Wildlife Education is one of four learning facilities operated by the Wildlife Commission.
The center is on the first floor of the Wildlife Commission headquarters at 1751 Varsity Drive on N.C. State University’s Centennial Campus in Raleigh. Interactive exhibits at the center highlight Piedmont wildlife species and habitats.
For more information, go to http://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Centennial.asp