Cherokee NC’s newest attraction – the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians – is now open. Through exhibits and videos visitors will learn about past fly fishing legends, the evolution of rods and reels, basic knots, fly-tying, types of gear, types of gamefish, regional fishing waters, and the history of fly fishing in the Southeast.
The museum is open daily (off-season schedule may vary). The website, FlyFishingMuseum.org, has hours of operation, directions, and exhibit information, as well as membership and donation opportunities.
The museum is the recipient of start-up grants from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation and tremendous support from the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. Two other large donations include a grant for the Tailrace Exhibit from Tennessee Valley Authority, and a $20,000 donation by Southern Trout Magazine.
“We’re pleased that Southern Trout has been so generous in its support of the museum,” says curator Alen Baker. “The donation is largely in the form of advertising, which is great for the museum as the magazine is well-read by fly fishermen.”
The museum is centrally located in Cherokee – next door to the Visitor Center, and across from the Fairgrounds and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. The back deck of the museum building overlooks the Oconaluftee River; and the Museum is within walking distance of Oconaluftee Islands Park.
Cherokee is the home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and some of Western North Carolina’s most acclaimed trout waters. Adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cherokee is 1 hour west of Asheville, 2 hours from Knoxville, Greenville/Spartanburg & Chattanooga, and 3 hours from Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Atlanta.
