Wildlife Education Workshop (12+yrs)

“The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is offering four outdoors programs in February at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County.

The events, which are free, are open on a first-come, first-serve basis and pre-registration is required.

* Feb. 4 – Leader Building from 9 a.m. to noon. Open to participants 12 and older. One often overlooked aspect of fly fishing is the leader. This workshop covers why different leaders make fly fishing more effective. Participants will construct their own leaders -both furled and hand-tied.

* Feb. 5 – Fly Section 101 from 9 a.m. to noon. Open to participants 12 and older. Participants will spend the morning with Pisgah Center staff learning the basics of various fly patterns, including when and how to use them. Discussions will include nymph, emerger, dry fly and terrestrial flies.

* Feb. 17 – Fly Tying for the Beginner from 9 a.m. to noon. Open to participants 12 and older. Participants will learn the basics of fly tying during this introductory level class. They will work at their own pace to tie a basic pattern. Equipment and materials will be provided.

* Feb 19 – Advanced Fly Tying: Tying Nymphs from 9 a.m. to noon. Open to participants 12 and older. Nymph fishing is an effective tactic when there are no fish rising and is one of the most common fly-fishing techniques used today. This course will teach participants how to tie a variety of mayfly, caddis and stonefly patterns for subsurface fishing techniques.

The Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education is located near Brevard, just south of Asheville, by the Davidson River in Transylvania County. The center features nature trails and five large aquariums representing aquatic mountain habitats. The center is adjacent to the Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery, where trout are raised in 54 raceways. The center is open Monday through Friday from December through March and Monday through Saturday from April through November. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

For more information on the Wildlife Commission’s four wildlife education centers and other activities and events, visit www.ncwildlife.org/learning.