Granted, not everyone is crazy about the notion of fly-fishing as combat.
Mention fishing competition and images of guys dressed like NASCAR racers racing off at breakneck speed pop into mind – not exactly the gentle sport envisioned by Walton and Cotton.
But the event that will unfold across various Colorado waters later this month will be considerably different.
In addition to the traditional fishing deities, these participants will be fishing not for cash but for country, or at least the opportunity to do so.
Centered in Boulder, the National Fly Fishing Championship May 30-June 4 will attract several dozen contestants. Fifteen will earn a place on Fly Fishing Team USA that will compete in an Olympic-style event in Portugal in August. Teams from England and Canada will lend flavor to the event.
This highly structured contest will be waged at five locations: the South Platte River near Deckers, the South Platte in Retorting Canyon, Clear Lake near Georgetown, the Big Thompson River near Estes Park and Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Anglers who have passed qualifying muster – including five-member men’s and women’s teams from Colorado – will cross rods during three days of actual competition. The top finishers get their tickets punched for Portugal.
That the event is being staged under the aegis of Colorado Trout Unlimited, a touchy-
feely bunch if there ever was, says much about the care that will be taken toward resource protection. We’re not talking about an invasion of the Huns here.
In fact, CTU will seize the opportunity for a notable fundraiser. Participants who contribute $750 will fish with and receive instruction from members of the current U.S. Team at Boxwood Ranch near Grant on May 31. For information, call 303-440-2937, ext. 12.
The most compelling fact of fly-fishing competition is that – unlike the corollaries for bass and walleye that involve hundreds of tournaments and millions in cash – it’s never made much of a splash.
When Coloradans Frank Smethurst and Giff Maytham won the made-for-TV Fly Fishing Masters competition in 2004, they split a prize of $30,000, a far cry from the $2.69 million up for grabs this season on the Wal-Mart FLW bass tour.
That Masters tournament was such a hit, they didn’t even re-up last year. It’s being resurrected in 2006 with a $10,000 payoff, ham sandwiches optional.
But this upcoming Colorado event is different, not at all about money. Organizers tout it as an opportunity to generate enthusiasm for the sport as well as to stress those treasured principles of ethics and conservation.
There’s another element at work here, a benefit that finds a parallel in skiing and other sports that gain technical advancement through competition.
Jeff Currier of Jackson, Wyo., quickly realized the merits of the so-called Polish nymphing system to vault to a bronze medal in the 2003 World Championship, by far the best result ever for an American in an event dominated by Europeans.
“It’s a way to catch a lot of fish fast,” Currier said of a method that will be on display at the upcoming championship.
These educational aspects will be stressed during three preliminary days that include an opportunity for public participation. Most activities will revolve around the Boulder Outlook Hotel.
The actual tournament, June 2-4, will be governed by stringent rules under close official supervision. When the winners are named, medals, not money, will change hands.
They won’t even give away a boat and motor.
