Select Regional Handcrafted Art Now at Brookings' Cashiers Village Outfitters

A little background on Brookings' CVO, a Cashiers retail fixture that joined the Cashiers Village family in 2009:

We stock a full line of men's and women's gear for the outdoor sportsman or sportswoman - clothing, boots and shoes, fishing rods, reels and accessories, hunting and shooting supplies, plus everything you need for your "best friend " - your dog. Brookings' CVO is owned and staffed by experienced fly fishermen, hunters, outfitters and guides.

We offer fly fishing schools and lessons, as well as guided day trips. Custom trips for the experienced fly fisher are available upon request. Our fishing trips take place primarily on the Davidson and Tuckasegee rivers - Western North Carolina's best-known trout rivers, a fly fisherman's dream.

As if those weren't enough reasons to stop in, Brookings' CVO now offers an array of premium, handcrafted items from local artists - creations that blend perfectly with the theme and spirit of our store and our love of the outdoors. Meet the artists:

How, you ask, can One Of The Very Best Guides on the Tuckasegee River possibly find the time to turn out such gorgeous turned wood products? We ask Jack Mincey this question all the time but he just ignores us. After a twenty-two year stint as a fly fishing instructor and twenty-six years teaching high school shop at Blue Ridge School, we suspect the answer is "patience". Jack's finishes are clear, allowing the wood's natural tones to shine. All wood is found locally in the mountains of Cashiers and other areas of Jackson County.


You don't want to wash these off in the river. Simply wipe with a light coating of furniture polish or a dry cloth for a lifetime of beauty.



Cashiers own Evie Auerbach has a self-confessed fur and fin fetish. For twenty-five years she's been captivated by colorful fish creatures and the expressive character reflected in the faces of her very unique porcelain dog figurines.
Evie's skill as an artist far surpasses her skill as an angler. Her one big fish story involves finding a set of Barracuda jaws sans body at the end of her line.



And no, there is nothing redundant at all about serving your freshly-caught trout on a freshly-glazed earthenware trout platter. Of course there is no such thing as “too much trout."

Hang it on the wall and (depending upon how much wine you've had) it almost appears to be swimming.

Question: What do you get when you cross a musician, stringed instrument repairman, machinist, and nuclear power plant inspector?
Answer: An exacting wood artist who uses historic joinery techniques such as hand-sawn and hand-chiseled dovetails to craft his creations.

Nelson Woodhouse keeps quite busy in his Virginia studio producing one-of-a-kind step stools built along the famous Shaker design using nary a screw or nail. Even the pencil marks used for measurements are left visible in accordance with tradition.

Custom work is invited! Select the American or imported exotic wood of your choice from our sample display. In addition to his step stools, Nelson makes French rolling pins, cutting boards, spoons and spatulas. All his pieces are elegant in their simplicity, yet sturdy and designed for practical use or display.



What's a poor woman to do when you're a non-fishing female in a family of fanatical fly fishermen?
Matt's mom, Sharon Canter of High Point, NC, (yes, that Matt, our store manager), hiked her hiney off on all those weekend fishing trips while her spouse and sons hit the stream but still found herself with an awful lot of time (and no fish scales) on her hands.


So she grabbed a camera and parlayed her love of the outdoors into a passion for nature photography.
Sharon's cards and prints capture the exquisite beauty of the Western North Carolina landscape with not a fly rod or Wooly Bugger in sight.


What are the odds in life that you would ever have the chance to encounter a World Class Champion in the medium of found wood? It's your lucky day!



Maggie Valley resident Jon R. Dennis can carve you a wood spirit, wildflower or canoe paddle from aspen, butternut, red spruce, pine, cottonwood bark, mahogany and basswood.

We suggest you commission a basswood trout, just because it's funny.