Jane Richardson of Burney, Calif., was a bit apprehensive as she took hold of a compound bow and aimed it at a target about 25 feet away.

“I’ve never done this before. I’m afraid I’m going to hurt myself,” she nervously told Mike Bouya, an archery outfitter at Cabela’s in Reno during a free archery seminar last Saturday.

“Just relax and hold the string next to your cheek,” Bouya said in a reassuring tone.

As her husband, Howard, watched in the background, Richardson drew the string back toward her face. The pulleys and gears on the bow were set to about 20 pounds, which was a comfortable setting for her.

In a matter of minutes, Richardson was drawing the aluminum arrows back quickly and easily and sending them zipping down to the targets in an archery range at Cabela’s.

One of the great things about living in the Reno and Sparks area is that there are an abundance of outdoors shops where anyone can take advantage of seminars and lessons throughout the year. No matter if you hunt, fish, backpack, bicycle or want to learn to tie a fly, there are a variety of opportunities to learn a new outdoor activity.

Cabela’s is one of the latest large box stores to come to the area and Scheel’s is coming to Sparks near the marina this fall. There are also other national stores such as REI, Orvis, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Big 5 Sports.

But there also are many smaller shops, such as the Reno Fly Shop, The Gilly, Great Basin Bicycles, Mark Fore and Strike and a host of other smaller shops, where you can pick employees’ brains for some expert tips.

Richardson said she went to Cabela’s to shop for a bow because her husband hunts and she wants to join him.

“We actually want to go elk hunting in Oregon this fall, so I’m going to practice all summer,” Richardson said. “My daughter and son are grown now and they also want to go out together.”

Over in another section of the building fishing guide Rick Kennedy of Tight Lines Guide Service out of Grass Valley, Calif., was giving a PowerPoint presentation on the art of kokanee fishing.

“Kokanees are a land-locked salmon,” Kennedy said as he flashed a photograph of one of the fish on the screen. “I’ve been fishing for them almost my whole life, so I like to share my knowledge with people who want to improve their odds of catching them.”

Kennedy started guiding in 1996 and has a 22-foot jet boat that he takes clients out on area lakes such as Stampede, Donner, Eagle Lake and Frenchman.

“In the fall, I offer a Cast and Blast at Eagle Lake,” he said. “It’s a whole day of fishing, hunting ducks and quail from daylight to dark. Some guys get through to the afternoon and then tell me they’ve had enough. It’s pretty intense.”

For customers who were fortunate enough to be in the store on Saturday, Cabela’s Pro Staff Angler Brian O’Keefe was in Cabela’s fly fishing department and offering information and advice on fishing all over the world.

O’Keefe has what most avid anglers would consider a dream job. His specialty is saltwater fishing and he gets to test equipment for Cabela’s, Scientific Angler and other national companies in exotic locations, including Belize, Alaska, Montana, Colorado, Mexico and a host of other destinations around the world.

“I wander around a lot,” he said with a big smile. “I tested Cabela’s fly fishing LST line when the guides were just taped onto the rods and the reels had no logos or names. I fished for king salmon, bonefish and tarpon and then gave them my feedback on improvements that I would recommend.”

O’Keefe currently lives in Powell Butte, Ore., and has a lot of experience fly fishing in places like the Klamath River, Trinity River, Hat Creek and the Lower Sacramento River.

“Some of these reels are pretty expensive and the prototype is worth more than $10,000 to get it tooled up,” O’Keefe said. “One time I was testing a reel and caught a nice silver (salmon). I held up the fish for a quick photo and the fish flipped back into the water and took the rod, reel and all with it. I had to call the manufacturer and tell them I had some bad news.”

Over at the Reno Fly Shop at 294 E. Moana Lane, there are several fly-casting and equipment seminars and demonstrations throughout the year.

Professional guide Andy Burk teaches a Top to Bottom Tactics for Trout from May through September.

For those itching to travel to an exotic location, the Reno Fly Shop hosts a trip to Ascension Bay, Mexico. This offers an ideal way to get away from the cold Reno winter and enjoy some flats fishing. Call 825-3474 to reserve a spot.

For those who want to ride bicycle with others, the Procrastinating Pedalers in Reno is starting to gear up for spring and offers group bike rides for several experience levels.

The group generally meets every Sunday (weather permitting) at the Roy Gomm School near McCarran Boulevard and Mayberry Drive at 11 a.m. From there they ride for about two hours and then stop at Franz’ Bakery for coffee, snacks and a little socializing. For a calendar of upcoming rides, log on to www.pedalers.org.

What’s that you say? You don’t have a bike? Rich Staley and his crew of bicycle gurus at Great Basin Bicycles can set you up. This is one of the finest bike shops in town, but they recently moved to a new location at 8048 S. Virginia St. Their shop used to be located near Park Lane Mall.

If you already own a bicycle, now’s a good time to get it in for a spring tune-up before summer gets here.

Rich and the guys can discuss whether you need a road bike or a mountain bike or a cross bike for all types of terrain.

And, for those wanting to learn how to tie flies, the Nevada Department of Wildlife will be offering a three-day progressive fly tying class March 18 through 20 at the Verdi Community Library and Wildlife Education Center at 270 Bridge St.

The class is free and limited to 15 participants. Participants must be at least 10 years old. All fly-tying equipment will be provided, but students will be required to furnish materials in the class outline. Sign-up deadline is March 17. For more information or to pre-register, call Chris Vasey at 688-1622.

Of course, these are but a few highlights of the seminars, classes and events that are available in the area.

If you are interested in signing up for one, call your favorite outdoors outfitter and request a list of their upcoming offerings.

There’s really no reason why you can’t tap the local resources, and in just a short while, you’ll have all the expertise and experience of the pros.

Paul G. White is a freelance writer living in Reno. Comments? Send them to freelancer720@charter.net.