$10,000 Purse for '09 Rumble in The Rhododendron

There are a few things in life that we are proud of: The Editorial Offspring, the fact that we married well, the time we came up with the word "viewbicles" to describe cubicles located near windows, and more recently the time we came up with the name for the North Carolina Fly Fishing Team's signature competition, "The Rumble in the Rhododendron." Now we are proud to announce that this year's event will have a one of the largest purses in competitive fly fishing.

$10,000 CASH PURSE AT STAKE FOR CHEROKEE FLY MASTERS TOURNEY

CHEROKEE, N.C. (September 26-27, 2009): A $10,000 cash purse is at stake for the second annual Rumble in the Rhododendron Fly Masters Tournament on September 26-27 in Cherokee, N.C. Presented by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Fisheries and Wildlife Management in partnership with the North Carolina Fly-Fishing Team, the top three teams in the two-day, two-person competition will have the pleasure of splitting the prize money with $5,000 going to the first place team, $3,000 going to the second place team, and $2,000 to the third place team.

Currently, the Rumble is the only fly-fishing tournament to award this much prize money. The only other tournament to ever offer such a hefty cash purse was the nationwide "Fly-Fishing Masters" series produced by the Outdoor Life Television Network (OLN) from 2004-2006. The grand prize was $50,000, which was split among the top three finishers. The event consisted of four regional qualifiers and a final round in varying locations, but both the television channel and national tournament were cancelled.

The Tribe

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Fisheries and Wildlife Management have sponsored the event since its inception and have embraced the opportunity to promote its fishery through this tournament.

The Tribe is very proud of their fishery and intends to make this tournament a premier event to attract world-class anglers, said tournament spokesperson Christopher Lee, who is also a member of the North Carolina Fly-Fishing Team. A large purse should attract a lot of angling talent from across the country.

Following last year's tournament, the Tribe was also introduced to Curtis Flemming and is now the title sponsor for Fly Rod Chronicles. Several episodes will be dedicated to the Tribe's fisheries program.

The Competition

As for the competition teams will compete in distance and accuracy casting on day one with the top 15 teams advancing to day two's fishing rounds. In addition to the coveted prize money, other factors make this competition unique. For starters, the team aspect, in addition to the event being televised, adds a much higher level of challenge according to Lee.

"You have to partner with someone you trust can produce under the pressure of TV cameras and big cash payouts," comments Lee, who himself has participated in numerous tournaments across the country.

Furthermore, the event is set in the beautiful Ravensford Valley where anglers often find themselves fishing among wild elk and other native wildlife. Participants will equally enjoy fishing the well-stocked, catch and release waters while surrounded by the majestic beauty of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

More Info

For more information the second annual Rumble in the Rhododendron Fly Masters Tournament, please visit www.RumbleintheRhodo.com or call 828-421-0172 or 828-269-6529. For more information on the North Carolina Fly-Fishing Team, please visit www.flyfishingteamnc.com. The tournament is sponsored by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Fisheries & Wildlife Management, the North Carolina Fly-Fishing Team, "Fly Rod Chronicles with Curtis Flemming," Davidson River Outfitters, Cortland Fly Line, The Granddaddy Fly-Fishing Experience, John Hancock, and William Joseph