By early 2024, a fly-fishing outfitter in Cashiers will relocate to its new space on the shores of Cashiers Lake in the heart of town.
Brookings’ Anglers, which is located off Hwy. 107 South next to Woof Gang Bakery, is gearing up for a move and construction is underway on a new store.
The work began earlier this year behind Cornucopia Restaurant off Cashiers Lake Road, and the new building will provide three times the shopping space when it opens, co-owner Matt Canter said.
The business, which has been around since 1988, has two locations, including one in Cashiers and another in Highlands on Spring Street. Not only does Brookings offer anything an angler may need to start fishing on the river, but the shop also provides guided tours and guides for trout fishermen and women.
“It’s a big move for us, and it’s a much bigger space,” Canter said. “We’re putting in a beer and wine bar, so we’ll put a little social element to the retail side of what we’re doing. You can go out with a guide in the morning and come back, sit down, and have a beer with the guide and tell fish stories.”
Canter is one of the speakers at this year’s Jan Wyatt Symposium at Canyon Kitchen in Lonesome Valley of Sapphire. The event begins Thursday with a day of guest speakers and continues through June 24 at the Cashiers Historical Society.
He is going to give a presentation on the different fishing opportunities that go beyond the typical hotspots in Western North Carolina. He also plans to discuss what species live in these rivers and how to fish for them.
His favorite locations include some small streams off the Blue Ridge Parkway and other rivers near Cashiers such as the Thompson and Whitewater rivers.
He has always had a love for the outdoors and is a Western Carolina University alum. His first opportunity as a guide was with Smoky Mountain National Park, and he and his wife visited Brookings in Arden in 2005.
“They were looking for guides, and I was working at another shop, and I thought I might like to work at both,” Canter said. “Guiding turned into managing the shop, which turned into ownership. I’ve had ownership for probably 11-12 years.”