Fish with Coach Knight - Support Team USA

Here is an email we received from Anthony Naranja, Captain for Fly Fishing Team USA, about an opportunity to support the team and hang out with celebs like Coach Bobby Knight.

Hello from Fly Fishing Team USA and Smile Creek Seminars!

I wanted to invite you to participate in a weekend seminar hosted by Smile Creek Seminars that focuses on various professions and fly fishing! These events combine the unique experience of both class type and stream side fly fishing presentations with the US Team Coach, Captain and various Team members. As an added bonus the weekend is highlighted with various celebrity, athlete/coaches personalities to bring about an experience that is one of a kind!

We have an event that starts on April 8, 2011 and is highlighted with legendary NCAA and Team USA Basketball Coach Bobby Knight. All of your accommodations, food, equipment, flies and much more are included with your registration. All of which you will get to take home as a commemorative gift from Team USA and Smile Creek Seminars. All you have to do is get there for a fantastic weekend of fly fishing and friends!

If you are interested in attending, please email your contact information to registration@smilecreek.com or you can contact me at anthony@flyfishingteamusa.net and we will send you more information. Portion of proceeds will help fund Fly Fishing Team USA! Space is limited to 40 people per seminar so contact us to reserve your spot today!

Team USA Helps CEO's Get Out of The Office

From the world of FIPS Mouche comes an announcement that Fly Fishing Team USA has partnered with CEO Challenges, the world leader in sport competition for CEO's, to develop a series of fly fishing challenges for CEO's.

The CEO Fly Fishing Challenge will span three days and include four fishing sessions of competition. Two sessions will be held on the lake and two in a drift boat on the river. Each session will be three hours. Following a scoring system established by the International Federation of Sport Fly Fishing, Buchner has outlined the technical aspect of this competition, including reels, leaders, lines, rods and flies. Angler catches are scored on number and size of fish caught and measured. A “Controller” waits nearby to measure the fish before it is released back into the water. For the drift boat rounds, competitors will be two to a boat, accompanied by a guide/controller who is not allowed to provide advice during the competition.

“This is a special competitive program designed for CEO anglers to test their skills, learn from some of the best anglers in the world, and give back to the sport,” said Ted Kennedy, owner of CEO Challenges. “In addition to competing, Challenge participants will hear from Team USA members who will be on hand to offer instructive tips.”

Not just any CEO will qualify, as they must have at least 2 million in revenue for admittance into the competition. Exceptions will be made for C-Suite executives of companies doing at least 4 million in business per year or other celebs.

The good news for the team is that 50% of the proceeds will be donated to team USA in their bid for a 2008 World Championship. Entry fees are $3,700 per CEO and $400 for guests.

Sign up Link

In other news, in the much under reported absence of a national championship series this year, plans continue to go forward for the North Carolina Fly Fishing Team to host a series of challenges against members of team USA on Carolina waters. The team is currently seeking sponsors for what has been dubbed the "Rumble in the Rhododendron, 2008." If interested contact the Editor and we will pass the information along.

World Fly Fishing Championship Results

The World Fly Fishing Championships in New Zealand are complete with the top honors going to the Czech Republic team. Team USA placed 8th overall with North Carolinian, Josh Stephens ranking highest among the Americans by finishing in 2oth place individually. Congratulations to Josh!

Follow this link to view the complete results.

Check out our video featuring Josh Stephens from one of the North Carolina Team practices.

National Fly Fishing Championship: Standings

Here are the individual placings from the first day of the National Fly Fishing Championships:

1. Scott Robertson USA-3

2. Anthony Naranja USA-2

3. Graham Lumsdon British Army

4. George Daniel USA-2

5. Mike Sexton USA-1

6. Chris Galvin Midwest-2

7. Tim Emery Midwest-1

8. Loren Williams West-1

9. Edward S. Pinkston USA-3

10. Pete Erickson USA-1

11. Riley Cotter USA-3

12. Josh Stephens USA-1

13. John Buckley Shamrock

14. Norman Maktima West-2

15. Jay Buchner USA-2

The team competition standings thus far look like this:

USA-1 49 Placing Points

USA-2 55 Placing Points

USA-3 63 Placing Points

West-1 66 Placing Points

West-2 69 Placing Points

Stay tuned for daily updates through out the competition. Standings in these events can change quite rapidly.

National Fly Fishing Championship: Day One

Thanks to some good friends, (Paul Prentiss of Front Range Anglers and Colorado Trout Unlimited), we are happy to bring you coverage of the first day of the National Fly Fishing Championship currently taking place near Boulder, Colorado. We don't have all the anglers names yet but regular readers will know that we recognize the determined young lady in the Penn State cap. She is Southeast Qualifier, Heather Sietz.

Communication from the competition site is at best difficult, but we should have some updates on the various angler's standings in the very near future.

All Photos are credited to John Crane of John Crane Photography, P.O. Box 270166, Fort Collins, CO 80527-0166 tel: +1 970-229-1462 and used with the permission of Mr. Crane and Colorado Trout Unlimited.

National Fly Fishing Championship: Oct. 1st - 7th

The National Fly Fishing Championships are being held October 1st -7th. Participants in the event will fish two lakes and three streams in an effort to qualify for a spot on Team USA.

Since we just got back from the FFR show we couldn't manage to be in Colorado to cover the event ourselves. However, Colorado Steering Committee Member, Paul Prentiss has told us that he will endeavor to keep us in the loop. Paul is part of Colorado's Trout Unlimited who spends countless man hours putting on the event.

Here is a link to the schedule. We are trying to get some additional reports from this year's event. If you are a participant or otherwise involved and send us regular reports, we will gladly dig through our bag of schwag and send you something cool for your trouble.

In case you missed it, here is a link to our slide show from the Southeast Regional.

National Fly Fishing Championships: Oct. 1st - 6th

The Daily Sentinel's Dave Buchanan writes about the upcoming National Fly Fishing Championships in Colorado where 70 anglers will vie for a spot on the US Fly Fishing Team. Pictured above is North Carolina native and Fly Fishing Team USA member Josh Stephens.

The venues for the early rounds include the Big Thompson and Cache La Poudre rivers and Dowdy and Parvin lakes, both of which are north of Fort Collins. The actual fishing competition will take place Oct. 3-5.

The individual anglers won’t know which area they fish until a blind draw is conducted one week before the event.

Competing in the national championship, which is being billed as the largest fly-fishing competition in the U.S., will be the 15 members of the current U.S. Fly Fishing Team, five-person regional teams from around the country and national teams from Ireland, Great Britain and Canada.

Link to Colorado Trout Unlimited's National Championship Website

Here is a quick run down of the folks who qualified for the event at the Southeast Regional:

SOUTHEASTERN (AUGUST 18-19, '07 CHEROKEE, NC)
Team 1

Lee, Chris © - Sylva, NC

Bean, Keith - Maryville, TN

Hamann, Dejon - Buffalo, NY

Harman, Ryan - Hot Springs, NC

Seitz, Heather - Allison Park, PA

Team 2

Shuler, Eugene © - Bryson City, NC

Childress, Wayne - Altavista, VA

Dumitru, Marius-Adrian - New Westminster, BC/Canada

Parrott, Stephen - Evergreen, CO

Rogers, Alan - Cherokee, NC

Slideshow: 2007 SE Fly Fishing Championship Qualifier

Fly Fishing Team USA: Southeast Qualifier Results

The results are in from the Fly Fishing Team USA qualifier held in Cherokee, North Carolina this weekend. Conditions were tough to say the least as temps hovered in the 90's and river levels were at all time lows. 18 anglers caught a total of 88 countable trout during three sessions. Ten anglers qualifed to compete at the national championships in Colorado along with three additional fishers who had made the cut at previous events.

Loren Williams took the top spot at the event with 14 fish and 9260 points. Steve Parrot of Blue Quill Anglers in Evergreen, Colorado took second with a score of 5910 and 10 trout. Chris Lee rounded out the top three with 8 trout and 4810 points.

Stay tuned for more info about competitive fly fishings first trip to the Carolinas.

Southeast Qualifiers This Weekend

This weekend the FlyfishMagazine crew is packing up our camera gear and heading to Cherokee, North Carolina to cover the Southeast qualifier for Fly Fishing Team USA. Low water conditions and air temperatures in the 90's should make this a challenging event for the participants. Internet connections and for that matter even cell phone reception can be hard to come by in this somewhat remote part of the state. However, keep checking back here for an inside look at competitive fly fishing's first visit to the Carolinas.

There can be only one!

May it be Team USA! From the Colorado Steering Committee of the U.S. Fly Fishing Championships comes the following news:

Scotland in 2009

The International Federation of Sport Fly Fishing (Fips-Mouche), at the 38th Congress of The Confederation International of Sport Fishing (CIPS) in Prague, has announced Scotland has won the rights to host the 2009 World Fly Fishing Championships.

Dr Neil McCarry, International Organizer of the Scottish Anglers National Association (SANA), who presented the successful bid said: "For the first time the World Fly Fishing Championship comes to Scotland and it will be the biggest such event ever held in our country. The Championship will highlight our superb fishing, set in magnificent scenery and will enable anglers from all over the globe to enjoy the unique fishing experiences which we have to offer."
The event is expected to welcome more than 25 countries over seven days of competition and will be broadcast through cable television, showcasing the fishing sites and surrounding landscapes of Stirling and Perthshire to an international audience.

Paul Bush, Acting Chief Operating Officer of Event Scotland, the national events agency, said: "Attracting the World Fly Fishing Championships in 2009 is a coup for Scotland and will help to promote the quality of Scottish fishing, consequently raising the profile of the country as a fishing destination to anglers across the world.

"The award of these Championships also helps us to sustain Scotland's reputation as a destination for major, international events and builds upon our recent success in attracting World and European Championships to the country."

Just in case you were wondering, the tartan above is from clan Murdock.

Judges Needed for Southeast Qualifier

North Carolina fly fishing team coach Eugene Shuler has put out the call for volunteers to act as judges during the Fly Fishing Team USA Southeast Regional Qualifier that will be held August 18th and 19th in Cherokee, NC. They are in need of 36 judges to record the details of the contestants catches.

"We are in need of 36 judges to assist with measuring competitors fish and recording the length and time of day caught, also what trout species the fish is. At the end of each session the judge and competitor will sign off on the score sheet and turn them into the head judge.Its very easy and no experience necessary whatsoever.

Each Judge will receive a Fly Fishing Team USA T-shirt, and special Fly Fishing Team USA lapel pin. Its a long honored tradition of the US team to give their judges a spacial pin as a way of saying thank you.

The only way you ever see one of these is pins is on a judge, a current or previous team member. Lunch on both days and dinner Saturday night at the Chestnut Tree will also be provided for the volunteers.

This is great way to see the very best fly anglers in the US compete head to head in an international format. And a great way to improve you own fly fishing skills. You will see all the tactics and secrets you read and hear about first hand, and see them done by the very best anglers in America. Most all of the these guys will share their secrets with you if asked nicely."

If you would like to have a once in a lifetime experience and help out Team USA contact Eugene Shuler via email.

More info via the National Fly Fishing Championship Website and view the North Carolina team training video, "BigfishBootcamp."

Wanted: Sponsor

Companies regularly sponsor skaters, surfers, and skiers. Even video gamers can get the corporate types to pony up some Jack. That being the case why is it so hard for a team of successful competitive fly fishers to nail down a major sponsorship? The Denver Post wonders aloud:

"Question is, can a relatively thin and static U.S. fly-fishing industry muster the money and resolve to provide the necessary boost? Current sponsors include Simms, Scott rods, Scientific Anglers, Nautilus reels and Clear Creek accessories - arrangements that provide swell gear and some cash, but not nearly enough to crack the nut."

Don't the corporate marketing departments for the fly fishing industry realize the exposure they could be getting from the post competition interviews alone:

Chris Berman here with the winner of the 2008 Fly Fishing World Championships. "It looks like you really had things dialed in out there today." "Thanks Chris, the ole Sage Z axis, 5 weight was really casting sweet today and the AquaStealth soles on my Simms L2's where gripping the bottom like no body's business." "Nothing quite hauls'em in like frog's hair fluorocarbon."

Team USA Places 6th in World

Major congratulations are due to the members and supporters of Fly Fishing Team USA as they have placed 6th at the world championships in Finland. The American team had to beat England, Italy, Australia, South Africa, and Bosnia on their way to the team's best ever finish. Once again the French took first place in the competition. Carolina angler Josh Stevens pitched in even though he was an alternate on the team:

"During the actual hours of competition they (cell phones) are banned in only one member of the team that Captain can talk to anyone who's actually fishing. Since Captain Anthony is fishing this year alternate Josh Stevens has been filling the role as acting captain. Since he was working with Anthony I would say that he's done a pretty good job."

Here is a link to the daily play by play from Jack Dennis via the National Fly Fishing Championships website.

And an article from The Daily Sentinel.

It appears that the new method of selecting team members via regional qualifiers is working for team USA. Don't forget about our own Southeast Regional Event, August 18th & 19th.

Inside a Competition Fly Box

The fly box above belongs to North Carolina competitive fly fisher, fishing guide, and co-owner of Smoky Mountain Fly Fishing, Eugene Shuler. Eugene is one of the primary people putting together the Southeast Regional Qualifier for Fly Fishing Team USA and the driving force behind the North Carolina Fly Fishing Team.

Be sure to click the photo for an up close look.

Turning Interest Into Cold Hard Cash

In a recent newsletter from the Colorado Trout Unlimited Steering Committee for the National Fly Fishing Championships, Paul Prentiss talks about how great most business people think the idea of a national fly fishing event is wonderful. However, thinking something is great and putting up cold hard sponsorship dollars are two very different things. The committee is looking for a few good companies to step up and purchase some serious goodwill in the fly fishing community. Here is the text from their mailing.

When you talk to individuals and company representatives about Team USA and the US Championship process you hear the same comment over and over, "that's a great concept". However, translating this enthusiasm into hard dollars is very difficult.

Getting to the right people who can/will make a decision and understand how this helps the sport, conservation, and youth involvement is the particularly difficult.

I can't tell you how many times I hear "how will your program help me" or ""what can you do for my specific customers." My answer is always the same. Our objective is to promote the sport, youth involvement, conservation ethics, and relationships with other countries via the common language of fly fishing. This is a non-monetary, wholesome activity that is not gender specific.
We need to find individuals and companies who want to make a difference and feel their association with this program is reward enough. Can you help? If so, click here

How about it FlyfishMagazine readers? You may not be in a position to sponsor this event yourself but you might just know someone in the business who is. Spread the word. Ted Turner, if you still read this now would be a good time to step up.

Also don't forget that our own Southeast Regional event is set for August 18th and 19th on the waters near Cherokee, N.C. For more information contact Eugene Shuler

Nat'l Fly Fishing Championships News

Recent conversations with Paul Prentiss of Front Range Anglers reminded us about the upcoming Fly Fishing Team USA Southeast Regional qualifier. The qualifier for the National Fly Fishing Championships will be held in the Cherokee, North Carolina area August 18th and 19th of this year. If you are interested in trying to make team USA click here to sign up. This event is your chance to pit your fishing skills against some of the best anglers in the nation.

Paul tells us about Colorado Trout Unlimited's role in the event:

It is currently the largest Fly Fishing competition in the United States and is sponsored by Colorado Trout Unlimited. It's a tremendous program for bringing young people into the sport and making the public aware of conservation issues. This year we'll have 300 young men and women trying to get an opportunity to represent the US in International competition....not one person makes a dime from this endeavor. If you add up all the volunteer time at every level it totals roughly 35,000 hours - Colorado contributes 1/3 of it!

Eugene Shuler of Smoky Mountain Fly Fishing is the local coordinator for the Southeast Regional event.

National Fly Fishing Championships

Our most recent video / slide show "Big Fish Boot Camp" is being linked from the National Fly Fishing Championship website. Just scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page for information (and our link) about the NC Fly Fishing Team's quest for success in the Southeast regional competition.

Eddie Pinkston: Member FF Team USA

If all goes according to plan this weekend, my #1 Son and I will be fishing with members of the North Carolina Fly Fishing Team on some private water near Asheville, North Carolina. Don't ask how fly fishing's equivalent of a "duffer" gets a chance to hang out with a group of talented fishermen. Just suffice it to say that I hope to learn a thing or two in the process.

With that in mind, The Asheville Citizen Times has an article about Fly Fishing Team USA member, Eddie Pinkston. Eddie made the team by finishing in the top five at the nationals in Boulder, Colorado earlier this year. Mr. Pinkston won't be able to accompany the team to the world championships in Portugal this year.

Unfortunately, Pinkston won't be heading to Portugal as part of the five-man team. After battling a serious liver disease, he's just starting to get his strength back. And the world championship is just too important to go at it without full speed, he said.

He does however, have an eye on the 2008 event. We wish him the best of luck.