Headwaters Outfitters

Loved loved loved my first kayaking experience!!! Best day ever. Everything is super organized and fun! Very friendly staff. Will be back soon for sure!

Words can’t describe how much fun we had fly fishing with Headwaters Outfitters. We had a group of 12 friends and 4 guides which worked out really well. The guides were very knowledgeable, attentive, and friendly and our group had a great time. We loved it so much that we booked with them again for our family vacation and the experience was just as good as the last one. Thank you Headwaters!! We’ll definitely be back!

It nice cool refreshing water, I really enjoyed about an hour and half ride down to a spot they had a bus waiting to bring me back to my car. It didn’t cost a whole lot either.

We've gone twice now, and have thoroughly enjoyed it each time. Staff is very friendly and helpful, and the tubing trip is very relaxing and a lot of fun. When they have events, they are well done and fun for kids and adults alike.

Had another awesome day with Chris from Headwaters. He guided for me over 20 years ago, fixed several of my fishing bad habits, and really got me passionate about fly fishing. I keep going back whenever I need help with a specific technique or I want to introduce a friend to the sport I love. Yesterday’s trip was all about roll casting and mending. We hiked and climbed to get to some really interested water and had a blast. We caught some great browns and bows, he fixed my mending technique, and we laughed a lot. I can’t recommend the guides at Headwaters more!

Our group of twelve went kayaking Oskar Blues Cruise then Booze on July 18th. Those guys were awesome and that is the fastest, most efficient access to the river that we have experienced. They were so professional and the entry and exit to the river were amazing. Thanks guys. I am sorry I only recall Greer’s name but all three guys were great. Can hardly wait to kayak this adventure again

We wanted to give a Big Shout out to The Headwaters Team for our recent Guided Fishing Trip. Our Guide was Brett Meany and he really did an awesome Job and made this day very special for me and my wife. He was well prepared and ready to go as soon as we arrived. Brett really made us feel very relaxed and was a fun person to spend the with. We not only caught a lot of fish but learned valuable lessons that actually helped us both catch some nice fish the very next day we went. We are looking forward to another trip in the near future.

Amazing morning on the River yesterday. Perfect water levels, perfect weather and clean banks. The Army Corps of Engineers have nearly completed the cleanup after Helene and they’ve done a wonderful job. I can report that the French Broad River is healing nicely. Also saw a Bald Eagle which was super cool. It’s in the photo but I missed the shot of it flying toward me.

Have fished with this close knit family of guides for over a decade. They are knowledgeable, know the waters, and easy to deal with. From beginners to old timers, they are the place to go. Call the shop ahead of your trip and they can help you with lodging, too!

Words can't describe how much fun we had fly fishing with Headwaters Outfitters. We had a group of 12 friends and 4 guides which worked out really well. The guides were very knowledgeable, attentive, and friendly and our group had a great time. We loved it so much that we booked with them again for our family vacation and the experience was just as good as the last one. Thank you Headwaters!! We'll definitely be back!

Patrick Weaver taught a Selecting a Fly class this past Saturday - it was so packed with information and Patrick is an amazing teacher! I plan to go to several more of his classes! Also, the staff at Headwaters Outfitters were wonderful! Friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive - I couldn't ask for more!

The staff were friendly and informative. I was happy to find a company that let us bring our dog on the canoe. The French broad river was beautiful. The price was a bit high for just a few miles.

What a wonderful company. An afternoon canoeing along an idyllic river, followed by a night camping by on the banks was the perfect recipe for a father son bonding trip. Brilliant staff who were accommodating, insightful and flexible. We'll definitely be back. Thank you.

(I'm a little late with my review. ) We came here early August on vacation. Our kid really wanted a to do a lazy river ride. We drove by Headwaters Outfitters several times, checked them out online and decided to give it a go. The staff was super friendly and helpful. They had a bunch of different water activities to choose from, but we were there for tubing down the lazy river. They provided the tube and life vests. I really liked the tube with the headrest! It was about and hour and a half or so ride. The cost per person was reasonable. And they pick you up at the end of the ride. 10/10 would recommend! (Inside tip: Bring your own stick to help push off if you get stuck, and to help steer or stop.)

Ty was a terrific guide and provided great instruction to myself and kids. Super successful fly fishing outing. Made lifetime enthusiasts. Thanks!

Great fly fishing experience with guide Nicholas on French Broad River. Great fishing! Joe and Chris D.

Can't say enough about Headwaters... I have twin sons who are 9 and an 11 y/o daughter... he managed to deflect their excitement with grace and humor... and spent time with all three teaching them to fly fish while wading in a couple feet of water... we had him for a 1/2 day guided fishing trip, only a few minutes from the shop... Ty got them all set up and fishing almost immediately and not long after that he was running up and down the creek netting trout. The kids fished from 9-130 and it was non stop... he was a great coach and guide. Highly recommend.

Patrick was a great guide teaching us how to Fky Fish. he is very knowledgeable and understanding of our needs.

Just completed the Advanced Casting class with Patrick Weaver. This class will make you a better caster by teaching not just the how, but the why behind casting. You will learn the concepts of casting as a foundation for later skills and you will master the techniques through a combination of instruction, unique drills and guided practice. His patience is what I can't say enough about. He knows so much about fly fishing and now I know exactly what I need to practice to become a more confident angler.

First time fly fishing. Brett, our guide, took great care of us and showed us the ropes. I would highly recommend Headwaters Outfitters to anyone who wants to try this out. Learned a lot while out on the water and had a great time. First cast of the day...

These folks are the best in the business! I have had the pleasure of fishing with Gavin on multiple occasions and he is by far the best guide I have ever fished with! From wading with a fly rod for the largest, most beautiful trout to floating a river for small mouth bass, this gentleman works hard to provide the best fishing experience while sharing his knowledge and extremely pleasant personality all day. Over the years Gavin has become a friend and I look forward to the next adventure with him. He's the best! As far as value, Gavin and Headwaters provide the best "bang for the buck" anywhere. I have fished and hunted all over the country and I will always return to my Headwaters family. Thank you Gavin for another wonderful day!!!

This is a very well-stocked shop. It's clear that pretty much anything you would ever need and then some for outside paddling or other outside water related sports can be found here. Its pretty well organized on the inside as well. Their website may not be updated so always call for updates.

My wife booked a 1/2 day fly fishing trip for trout outside of Brevard, NC with Headwaters Outfitters. Our guide was Hanna, OUTSTANDING local guide, who took us to a private spot (sorry... can't share coordinates :) ) where we had a great experience. Two Browns and about 18 Rainbows. The key to the great day was Hanna's ability to help a couple of neophytes. Great advice on how to approach the different "honey holes" and an expert on selection of fly's to utilize. Overall and outstanding day and would highly recommend Hanna and the Headwaters Outfitters group.

Excellent adventure fly fishing with Nick. We hiked in and spent over 4 hours on the water. Even though it is low season Nick saw to it that I caught a fish and had several strikes. A first rate adventure.

Great kayaking trip down the French Broad! Staff and owners are first class. We were running a bit late on our trip, called the shop and added an hour to our float.....NO big deal! Very accommodating and wanted us to enjoy our trip. Highly recommend this family owned business. Fly shop is good too!

Group of 10 including small children went on the float trip last year self-guided and it worked out really well and was fun. Considering doing another one this year.

First time fishing for my wife and I. We did a half day of fly fishing with Ty and Carter and it was fantastic. Ty is an expert and they were both super nice and helpful. Learned the basics and caught a bunch of rainbows! Top notch

We did a short tubing excursion this Saturday and had a great time. Everyone at Headwaters was very nice and helpful. The water was crisp and relaxing. We will go to them again for more adventures in the area!

We chose a canoe to take down the French Broad, two of us in our 60s. We had such a lovely trip, taking off around 9:30 am. Everyone was so helpful and they even had a changing room for after the trip so we could stop in and see the city of Brevard. We loved the Class I rapids that were challenging enough for us and the views were absolutely gorgeous. This group is very professional and delightful.

We had a great time doing the tubing on a Friday morning. Relaxing and really easy in and out. The taproom and food truck were amazing for a tubing and kayaking place. Definitely recommend checking them out when you finish.

Very friendly and accommodating. I've used them several times and will continue to come back

Last week I was fortunate enough to take a half-day guided trip on private waters with Brett. It was my first time flyfishing. I cannot say enough nice things about his patience, especially while I was casting flies into the trees and tangling lines throughout our time on the water. He got me on to several rainbow trout (4) and made for a truly exceptional trip. I would highly recommend headwaters as your go to place for any activity in the Brevard, North Carolina area. Additionally, our family has floated the river on tubes, as well as kayaks, and had an exceptional experience every time. If you're lucky enough to have the time to stop by the taphouse after your trip, Lydia was very warm and welcoming to pouring the best brew western North Carolina has to offer. Thanks to Brett, Lydia and the entire staff at Headwaters for a lifelong memory and epic experience!

So much fun. Easy to find. Loads of parking. Outfitters store. Friendly staff and guides. Good equipment. A well stocked tap room. A food truck and an ice cream truck!! It was super easy to book a tubing trip. Online, no issues. They returned my call to answer questions and were so friendly and professional the entire time. From booking, to checking in, to getting us in the water it was simple. We did the hour tour which took us down 2 shady miles of. The French Broad River. It was just the two of us which was a great surprise. We could hear another group behind us after awhile. Winding river with so rushing waters and some still spots. We had a blast. Next time we're booking the longer tour and probably renting kayaks from them as well!

I went for a canoe trip with these guys. They were friendly, relatively on time, the canoe and oats worked--what else could I ask for? Bonus was the brewery and food truck when I got back to the office!

I can't say enough positive things about this place and the staff! They accommodated the change in time to go down the river in kayaks due to storms coming in that afternoon. Great shop, tap room and the bbq food truck was awesome! I have been on a lot of kayaking/ paddle trips before and this is of the best places I've been to. I def would recommend this place to anyone and everyone and can't wait to go back! We did the 3 hr trip and it was perfect. The river was up so we didn't have to paddle much and the staff was at the take out point to help everyone. Keep it up Headwaters Outfitters!

So much fun! We went on a fly fishing excursion with Headwater and it was fantastic. Most of us were new to fly fishing and we learned so much. Jeremy and Ty were our guides and they were wonderful: patient and taught us a lot in a half day! I highly recommend this group for fly fishing.

My partner and I did the 8 mile Hannah Ford self guided kayak trip and it was by far the best part of our trip to Hendersonville. The river is so peaceful and quiet with the most beautiful views. All of the employees were great about the masks, social distancing, and making sure their customers felt safe. When we got back, we had a few great beers and food from the food truck. We will absolutely be back.

Did a 1/2 fly trip with Patrick, my wife and I had an amazing time and caught some incredible fish. It was super educational and some amazing private waters. We will be back. Also the shop was super nice and had some great gear, flies, etc.

Planned a weekend wade trip for my dad's retirement gift and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. We learned a lot and had a great time fly fishing for the first time. Ty and Jeremy were terrific guides. Headwaters came recommended to me and I can now confirm the recommendation held up and then some. Truly a great experience. We can't wait to come back.

My boyfriend and I took my dog out kayaking here. We were actually late for our 1pm kayaking time since the hike we did before took a little longer than expected. They didn't make us being late a big deal at all, took us right out as soon as we got there. They even started our three hour trip time from the time we left (1:30pm) versus our scheduled 1pm time. The kayaks were in great shape and super clean. The river is also really clean and pretty! We saw deer, cows and geese. There are little sandy area banks along the river where people pulled their Kayaks over to eat lunch or take a break. I was able to pull mine over and let my dog go to the bathroom. The class 1 rapids were also really cool. As soon as we got back there were two team members there waiting for us. We were loaded onto the bus and taken right back to our car/the shop. 10/10 experience for sure. Would definitely do this trip again if in the area.

My husband and Dad were thrilled with their half day fly fishing outing. The guide was friendly, patient and informative. They both caught a fish, learned a lot and had a blast!

Good service, prompt, laid back. Location was close to Brevard, it was an easy trip both driving and paddling down "up" (b/c the French Broad flows northbound) the river.

Had an amazing weekend trout fishing with our guide, Patrick. We had a party of three with different skill levels and he gave each of us the coaching we needed to catch good sized trout. Couldn't have asked for a better trip. Will be back.

This is an updated review is for my retail experience. I did a canoe paddle in 2015 and the experience was wonderful. When I wanted to purchase a custom ordered canoe I naturally thought of them. I called them the morning I knew canoe orders opened for the manufacturer. Because of the the pandemic, canoes are scarce and the ordering process is very competitive. Time was really of the essence that morning. They were busy getting groups out on the river, which I totally understand. I called back a second time and was put in touch with someone who took the custom order for the $4k canoe and my credit card information. That's where all communication stopped. I placed the order on June 28, 2020, and as of today, August 5, 2020, I have received no receipt, no emails and not a single phone call. I believe the order was placed with the manufacturer and I know our credit card was charged the next day. My husband and I were traveling in the area in July (we live three hours away) so we stopped in to speak with the woman who placed the order. She was there but we were told that she was tied up with paperwork and they weren't sure when she could step out of the office to talk with us. When we asked for recommendations on a PFD for my husband, another woman simply pointed across the room and told us to look at them and try them on ourselves. We didn't feel valued as customers so we left and decided we will buy our PFDs and paddles elsewhere. At this point, I can't recommend them as a retailer and would suggest the owners conduct more sales and retail customer service training with their team. Hopefully, I will someday get a receipt and, more importantly, a canoe. Update: I spoke with the operations manager in August and she acknowledged the ways she and her team can work to improve customer service. She did an excellent job getting my canoe order into the wholesaler and has since emailed my receipt. I recognize that it's hard to hire folks with customer service experience during the pandemic and look forward to picking up my canoe when it arrives.

Good outing until we got about an hour and a half into the paddle. Approximately 100 rounds of gunfire going off very near the edge of the river. we never saw anyone but could smell gun powder. We paddled over to the side of the river and called the office twice because of our concern. They said most of the property is privately owned and people can practice shooting on their own property. Great place to paddle and the staff is excellent! However doubt we will ever return especially with children.

Great Place. Super hospitality. Next time we are in the area we will come by again. Thank u.

For a relaxing, uncrowded, and zen like trip, this is the best tubing adventure in WNC. The staff and equipment are excellent. The river has both smooth water and rapids in a lovely, peaceful, and picturesque setting. Perfect for youngsters, oldsters, and anyone in between. We tubed here for several years and have never been disappointed.

I used Headwaters for two half-day, public waters fly fishing trips and one tubing outing. They were all excellent. The fly fishing was at the novice level, so the second trip built on what was taught on the first. Our guide Gavin was outstanding, and a tad colorful (he would enjoy my use of that descriptive). But all kidding aside, he was knowledgeable, patient, and did all he could to make our time productive and enjoyable. We caught a great afternoon for tubing. So much better at Headwaters than trying to negotiate the Davidson. It also was excellent. Quality outfitter.

I have been fishing with Headwaters Guides for 3 years, trust me you can't go wrong. Chris and Jessica are the greatest.

My daughter and I had a fabulous time with a full-day guided trout fishing expedition with Ryan. Although we were both trout fishing rookies, Ryan had us in waders and flycasting within 15 minutes of arriving streamside. We caught trout within 30 minutes, and we kept catching trout all day. And we caught big trout, including one large brown trout. YMMV, but we were super successful on our day out. Ryan was very communicative and encouraging, and maintained a zen-like state regardless of how many times I set the hook without cause and ended up with 2 hooks wrapped around a hemlock branch. And the trout fishing was just one element of the day. We saw 7 or 8 great blue heron flying together over the meadow, an osprey, and dragonflies of all sorts. And while Ryan is a trout-whisperer, he spooked about a dozen Tiger Swallowtail butterflies from a rock in the middle of the stream, and what a sight that was! A single butterfly is glorious in flight, but have you ever seen a dozen take flight at once? Absolutely beautiful. Life is too short, and trout fishing gear and tackle too expensive: just hire Ryan to give you the best chance and the best locations to catch trout, without all the hassles and drudgery that novice trout fisherpeople would otherwise have to deal with on a do-it-yourself day on the water. I cannot recommend Ryan more highly.

Excellent knowledge shared by the team for fly selection. Thanks for the help! Hope to try their guide services.

Just spent an amazing time paddling down the French Broad river with a canoe rental from Headwater Outfitters. They are diligent with COVID-19 precautions, helpful and very informative. It was a great escape and I highly recommend them for all your getting on the water needs.

We had a great time on the 3 hour self guided paddle on kayaks. It was very serene and a nice ride. The staff were very helpful and the food from the food truck was delicious.

My son and I had a great time with a half-day trip. Very friendly staff. I highly recommend Jeremy. Very patient, knowledgeable, and extremely friendly. He didn't even get mad when I was losing his fly's in the trees. We were immediately put on fish with almost constant action.

This is the second time we have booked with Headwaters and second time we have had Hanna as our guide. Top notch outfitters company! Both my husband and I had such a great time with Hanna the first time we visited we were so happy she was available when bringing our daughter and her friends back up for their first time fly fishing! Chris also came for the second trip. Both guides were not only extremely helpful and knowledgeable, they were just so attentive to our every need and made both trips so memorable. If I could give them 10 stars I would!

What a great little place! My daughter and I went tubing for the first time and had a blast! You launch right off the store and tube for an hour where a bus was waiting to take us back to the car. Super safe, they were spraying the tubes and wearings masks, really a great place, with friendly staff, can't wait to come back!

We were a party of 9 five kids between the ages of 6-10 and four adults. This was the best experience ever, so much fun super convenient, we didn't have to worry about bringing all of the tubes or life vests everything was provided and the price was very economical! Thanks for a great time!