Some people get noticed as soon as they walk into a crowded room. Why is that? Who knows, but Wanda Hair Taylor is ‘one’ of them
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f you Google boundless energy, friendliness, and dripping with angling talent, you will come up with her name. Her achievements, so far, are already the stuff of a legend, and she has been recognized as such by the Hall of Fame committee of the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians. Her induction ceremony date will be announced shortly.
Wanda Hair Taylor.
Glass Ceiling? She thinks not
Wanda is the world’s first woman to become a Master Certified Casting Instructor by the International Federation of Fly Fishers. She is also the owner of Wanda Taylor Fly Fishing School.
• She is the first woman Orvis endorsed as a guide in the Southeastern United States.
• She was awarded the Southeastern Federation of Fly Fishers 2005 Woman of the year award.
• She received the 2008 Federation of Fly Fishers Southeast Council Award of Excellence for her work with breast cancer survivors with Casting For Recovery, Georgia’s Casting For Confidence and her teaching and testing activities for the Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructors program.
Other charitable causes Wanda supports
North Carolina and South Carolina’s “Casting Carolinas” with Starr Nolan, a free fly fishing retreat for women with all types of cancer.
When asked why are these retreats so important to you: “I hate cancer and all it puts humans through fighting it to stay alive and hopefully beating it. These retreats are a reprieve from everyday dealing with cancer and give the mind and body a mini vacation and rest. It’s impossible to catch a fish on a fly and think about cancer at the same time. Normally Joy, laughter, and jubilant high-fives occur. That’s why these nonprofit organizations are important to me.”
What about your support of Project Healing Waters: “This is a chance to teach our vets to tie flies, build rods, fly cast and fly fish for free. I feel we as Americans need to give back to those who put their lives on the line every day to protect us and keep us free. It’s an honor to work with these women and men that are true heroes.”
