Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Expo

2011 Programs

	Fishing the Headwaters of the French Broad River Than Axtell ... is the Director of Fly Fishing Programs at Headwaters Outfitters in Rosman, NC. Than has been chasing trout in the mountains of WNC for 34 years – since he was eight years old. A graduate of Northwestern University, Than toiled in the newspaper profession for a decade before he came to his senses. For three years, he served as Trout Editor of Fish & Fly magazine and has written about our sport for Eastern Flyfishing, Fly Rod & Reel, and Mountain Traditions, among others. Than has been a full-time fly fishing guide for eight years, running float trips on the Tuckasegee, Catawba and Tennessee tailwaters in addition to local walk-and-wade trips. He is the past president of the French Broad Fly Fishers and a former board member of the Western NC Alliance. His passion for wild trout and wild places has led him to explore many backcountry areas here and across North America, from Bristol Bay, Alaska to Goose Bay, Labrador.
	Trout Fishing in Virginia Beau Beasley ... has fished the waters of Virginia for over 30 years with his travels taking him from the briny waters of the Chesapeake Bay seeking stripers, to the cold water trout streams of the Shenandoah National Park in search of native brookies. His writing career begain in the mid 1990s with a small article in the Virginia Outdoor Weekly and has since been published in American Angler, Mid-Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide, Virginia Sportsman, Richmond Magazine, Virginia Living and Fly Tyer. He is a Contributing Editor for Fly Fish America and is currently the mid-Atlantic Field Editor for Eastern Fly Fishing. Beau is the Directory of the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival and is a career Captain with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department assigned to Engine Company 427. His first book Fly Fishing Virginia: A No Nonsense Guide to Top Waters was released in May of 2007 and is in bookstores throughout the country. For more information on Beaur or his book, go to his website www.beaubeasley.com or contact your local fly shop.
	Fly Fishing the Great Smoky Mountain National Park Jim Casada ... is a son of the Smokies, having grown up in Bryson City, N. C. He learned to love area trout streams at an early age, and from the age of six has enjoyed what his father once described as a “marvelously misspent life” fishing them. A retired university history professor, he has been communicating the outdoor experience for 30 years, and for the last 15 years has been a full-time sporting scribe. Casada, who has won more than 150 awards for his writing efforts, is the author or editor of more than 50 books and upwards of 5,000 magazine articles. He is the author of three books on fly fishing—Beginner’s Guide to Fly Fishing, Modern Fly Fishing, and the recently published Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: An Insider’s Guide to a Pursuit of Passion. The latter two works have won major awards, and Casada describes the 448-page volume on the Park as “my book of a lifetime.” His presentations will focus on the subject he knows best, fishing in the Smokies. To learn more about his work or to sign up to receive his free monthly e-newsletter, visit www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com.
	Fly Fishing the South Holston Tim Landis ... is a fly-fisher on the South Holston River, a nationally recognized wild Brown trout fishery in Northeast Tennessee. He has fly-fished the river since 1976. In the ensuing decades, Tim was intrumental in planting Vibert and Whitlock-Vibert trout egg boxes to help introduce a spawning population of wild trout in the Holston. He also helped stock other trout and influenced Tennessee wildlife officials in re-regulating the Holston to protect the wild fish. He has studied the river's trout and insects resulting in tactics, techniques and fly patterns proven effective in fly-fishing for the Holston's unique stream-born fish. Tim was a fly-fishing guide on the Holston and a fly shop owner and manager in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia for twenty years before retiring in 2005. He has fished across North America for fresh and saltwater species and the Caribbean and Western Europe for more exotic fish. He regularly visits the Boudnary Water Canoe Area Wilderness and Ontario's Quetico Wilderness for canoeing, camping and fly-fishing for Smallmouth bass in a wilderness setting. Tim is an Orvis certified fly-fishing instructor and still conducts Orvis endorsed fly-fishing schools, presents clinics and seminars with the South Holston as a theme and occasionally does some corporate work for Orvis. He and his wife Ann are residents of Bristol, Tennessee.
	Trout Stream Entomology Dave Penrose ... recently retired from the Water Quality Group at North Carolina State University. Much of his work there was to assess the ecological recovery of stream restoration projects in NC and was funded largely by grants with the Ecosystem Enhancement Program and the Clean Water Management Trust Fund. Prior to working with NCSU Dave was with the NC Division of Water Quality. He worked with the DWQ as an Environmental Biologists specializing in assessing streams and rivers using aquatic insects as indicators of water quality gradients. He helped developed the metrics and assessment protocols needed to assign bioclassification criteria to streams and rivers. This information was frequently used as a tool to assess watershed health and/or trends in data following implementation of management programs. He has also worked to develop protocols to determine perennial stream origins in North Carolina using biological indicators. Dave has given numerous workshops that deal with the ecology and taxonomy of aquatic insects and intends to remain active in this area. He has recently been elected president of the Society for Freshwater Science (formerly the North American Benthological Society)>
	Carp and Redfish on the Fly - Making the Connection Capt. Paul Rose ... grew up pursuing trout on the famed waters of PA then chased everything salt while residing in TX. Needless to say he is a rabid Steelers and Longhorn fan as well. He currently lives in Charlotte,NC operating and guiding for Carolinabonefishing.com. Best known for introducing anglers to the challenges of sight-fishing for tailing carp, these "backyard bonefish trips" are the basis for his saltwater training schools. He also offers trips for bass,redfish and has access to 12 miles of private trout water. Paul is an accomplished outdoor writer,photographer, and member of the Southeast Press Association. He is published in Mid-Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide,NC Sportsman, and a regular contributor for PilotMedia Waterfront Guides. His most recent Internet work is found on GlobalFlyfisher.com and FrontRangeAnglers.com. Paul is a contributing editor for Flyfishmagazine.com and an ambassador to European anglers on FlyfishingPoint.com. Paul proudly supports the FFF and is a board member for the Southeast Council. When not on the water, Paul is a Nurse Anesthetist holding a Masters degree in Health Science and provides anesthesia services for Piedmont Plastic Surgery Center. He has 3 girls, all of whom can double haul. You can reach Paul for seminars,trips and story ideas at www.carolinabonefishing.com
	Secrets of Davidson River Bill Strickland ... is the newest member to the Davidson River Outfitters staff. Bill grew up in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains chasing Bass along the shores of Lake Lanier. After graduating from Appalachian State University, Bill furthered his fly fishing knowledge by working and guiding in Alaska on the Kenai River. Over the last several years Bill has been stalking and landing large Trout and Smallmouth Bass across the Southeast. If you fish with Bill bring plenty of film for your camera.