Super helpful staff, with a great selection of of flies, particularly the light ones I prefer. The…read moreperson at the counter went over many fishing options for me in NC. We are coming back to the smokies next year and will be stopping by again

Great fly shop with a wealth of local information and great service. We got our licenses here and…read moregathered some intel (which helped us get on some fish). Super friendly and great selection of flies that worked for the area. Great selection of products and everything you need (we picked up flies and other gear we left home). If you are from out of town hit this place up and support this local gem. Shops like this are great for the sport and culture.

We had another great trip with Dale Collins yesterday! He is one of the most accommodating,…read morepatient, and knowledgeable guides out there. Several nice rainbows were brought to the boat during the morning, as well as a brown or two. Dale was quick to change up the fly patterns if the bite slowed down which always got it started again. A spring trip is already in the plans for us to take another float trip with TFS. If you have not used this shop, or are new to western NC fishing, try these guys out. You will be glad you did!!!

38 dollars?! for 5 size 20 or so zebra midge 2 mopflys and one little nymph? Always been super…read morecool and really nice dudes to me but I feel like that's a little insane.

Amazing experience! Brooking's made the whole thing easy. It was my first time, fly fishing and I…read morewas a little nervous about how I was going to do. But from start to finish our Guide Henry lead me the whole way, was patient and I ended up catching 2 good size trout. The 1/2 day flew by fast because we were having so much fun. Henry made the experience top-notch and I will definitely be back to fish with them again.

Amazing fly shop with great staff. Fished with Rhett and JT…read moretoday--caught lots of fish! Wife caught 21 inch rainbow and was very happy Highly recommend.

There is nothing I love more than sitting with a good cup of coffee and reflecting on a wonderful…read moreguest experience. My husband and I were deep on a hike in the smokiest of mountains, when all of the sudden the inevitable happened. Rain poured from the skies. We thought we were prepared. We had layers on layers, and a protective rain coat. We were wrong. Well half wrong, you see I did have a protective raincoat. My partner, was wearing a windbreaker. HE GOT DRENCHED. As soon as we swam back to the car, we drove into town for a proper rain jacket. It looked like everything was closed until we found the Highland Hiker. The store was bustling, and had all the equipment we could have needed. The staff was so friendly and positively wonderful. It wasn't just "let us know if we can help" it was, "here, let me hold that up front for you" etc... They were engaging and kind and made this silly shopping experience feel like it was meant to be. It was in fact, part of the trip. I also loved that they provide disposable masks for customers, to accompany their request that you wear a mask in store. My only regret is not getting the happy hiker t shirt. This was a missed opportunity.

Last minute shopping? That's me! I pop in to the Cashiers' Highland Hiker and always find…read moresomething that works! Great gifts for my son, grandchildren and my husband! Excellent selection, really helpful staff and reasonable Covid protections. All my gifts were hits from clothes to a really pretty woven frisbee toy !! The Highland Hiker is my favorite place in Cashiers to shop for gifts for a wide range of ages! They always deliver the goods for me!

Great place to get your fly fishing gear. Staff is always nice and helpful. Great selection of…read moreflies in stock. Prices are reasonable.

thankfully, not everyone fly-fishes... but if you are a spin-fisherman looking for a wide selection…read moreof line, lures, and terminal tackle, outpost mtn. is definitely worth a stop. trout, bass (largemouth and smallmouth), sunfish, crappie, big lake fish... if it grows in western north carolina, they have the stuff to catch it. also a surprisingly wide selection of hunting rifles and ammo. the guys who work here know their stuff and are happy to give out the info. their prices are fair, given their extensive selection and their convenient location. you won't be sorry you went in... unless you're close to the limit on your credit card...

Not worth the trip for fly-fishing materials. It seems more like a convenience store with an extra…read morearea for rod & reel fishing. Lady at counter was nice but didn't have any idea about directions.

We stopped in here, looking for shoes to go hiking in…read more They have a huge selection to choose from, but sadly nothing that I was interested in nor much in my size. My friend who was also looking for shoes, she didn't find anything for herself either. The staff was knowledgable and friendly.

Been coming to Highlands forever, but apparently Sarah C beat me to my usual suspects…read more Bear Mountain is a densely stocked outdoor clothing store with a strong shoe department. Mens and women's clothing is good, with your usual hiking and outerwear, but shoes rightfully take up the majority of the space. Off season sales are usually 50% everything.

This place is great especially if you are looking to catch fish and catch them pretty quickly…read more Especially if you have kids with you who want to fish and think that it is just so easy to fish in a river. Hahaha! The owner gave the kids directions on how to fish and provides all of the equipment. He is super friendly and got excited when the kids caught something. You pay for what you catch so keep that in mind especially if you go with a large group. The price is super reasonable especially since this is the freshest trout. He also has a few animals and sells local honey too. The owner will clean your fish for an additional tip. DO IT!!! Also, BRING a COOLER with ICE Between our 4 kids and 1.5 hours, we left with over 27 lbs of trout. We had all but 4 filet. The other 4 were cleaned, but left intact with heads so we can bring them home to smoke. We cooked some the same night we caught it. 2 filet in a brown sugar butter sauce and the other two in a fresh garlic, salt, and pepper blend. All cookies on foil over a charcoal grill. Everyone gave 2 thumbs up!

At first I was hesitant given the unconventional presentation of the trout farm. A small hand…read morepainted sign told us to honk and look left. We complied and saw a young lady sitting on the porch across the street. She smiled big and waved! We pulled down the gravel road to what appeared to be an empty lot...However the owner, Alex, rounded the corner, stood on the bridge with a tattered hat, dark glasses and long white beard. I questioned if we were in the right place.......so I walked up to him and immediately he made my family and I feel right at home with engaging conversation, anecdotes, and explanations. Instead of explaining things directly to me, he sat down and took the time to explain things to my 8 year old son and held his attentional phenomenally.....while still explaining the process to all of us. Poles and bait were provided!!!!! Alex has an amazing way with kids and LOVES explaining things! My son caught 3 trout in under 15 minutes!!! A fish was on the line as soon as it hit the water!!! This really boosted my son's confidence in fishing! Alex took us into the cleaning trailer and gave my son a biology lesson while gutting the fish, talking about the heart, gills, spleen, liver, ect. My son is still talking about how amazing it was! We purchased the trout and tipped Alex for cleaning them for us! Needless to say, my 8 year old is walking tall knowing that he caught our dinner tonight. Plus the picture grotto makes it looks like you've been on a mountain river catching wild trout! #LongLiveFishingLies I HIGHLY RECOMMEND OTTER CREEK TO THOSE WITH CHILDREN OR THOSE WANTING FRESH TROUT FOR DINNER!!! The experience is something we will never forget!! Also, watch out for the chickens!