Advanced Stillwater Strategies
featuring: Todd Oishi
The "Advanced Stillwater Strategies" course is designed for intermediate and advanced fly fishers (beginners are also very welcome). This one-day advanced fly fishing course is packed full of invaluable information that will improve your overall fly fishing abilities and knowledge of our sport. Todd will teach you a series of highly-effective floating and sinking-line techniques and tactics that will significantly improve your chances of hooking and landing greater numbers of trout. You will also learn about the importance of colour and lighting, and how it effects fly pattern selection. Your time spent with in the classroom with Todd will not only increase your overall angling success, but will allow you to approach your favorite still waters with a whole new approach and a much greater level of confidence.
Todd, a stillwater angling specialist, is very active and involved in the world of competitive fly-fishing. His teams have consistently finished within the top-three and in first-place on several ocassions at Highland Valley's "Trojan Pond Fly Fishing Tournament". At the Canadian National Fly Fishing Championships: Todd won the Individual Gold Medal in 2005; the Individual Bronze Medal in 2009; as well as three Team Gold Medals in the past five years. He has competed internationally a total of ten times as a member of the Canadian National Fly Fishing Team for the North American, Commonwealth and World Fly Fishing Championships. He served as the Captain of Team Canada at the 2009 Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships in Scotland. Now Todd is revealing some of his secrets through this course, which has helped to make him one of the top competitive fly fisherman in Canada.
The "Advanced Stillwater Strategies" course will cover and address the following important topics:
• Safety
• Equipment and fly-lines
• Characteristics and behaviour of trout
• Reading the water
• The importance of colour and contrast
• Fly patterns selection
• Floating-line techniques
• Sinking-line techniques
• Loch-style fly-fishing strategies
• Understanding “The Take”
• Proper handling & releasing techniques
• Fly-tying demonstration of three of Todd’s most productive stillwater patterns
Date and time: Saturday, April 17th @ 9:00am - 3:30pm
Location: Upstairs Learning Centre @ Hatch Match'r Fly & Tackle
#9 - 22935 Lougheed Highway, Maple Ridge
Cost: $50.00 per student (please bring a lunch. Coffee, muffins and donuts supplied).
Seating is limited, so call (604) 467-7118 to reserve a spot today!
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2009 Canadian National Fly Fishing Championships - Fernie B.C.
7th Canadian National Fly Fishing Championships & Conservation Symposium
by Todd Oishi
The small, picturesque, Rocky Mountain town of Fernie, British Columbia and Fly Fishing Canada hosted the 7th Canadian National Fly Fishing Championships (NFFC) and Conservation Symposium, and a free fly fishing school for kids during the third week of September 2009. Fly fishers from all across Canada gathered in Fernie to participate in this year’s competition. The breath-taking scenery within the Elk Valley, along with the Elk River’s reputation as being one of North America’s premier dry fly fisheries, helped set the scene for this year’s events.
As this year’s NFFC was held in British Columbia, the competitors had to abide by the province’s strictly enforced “single-fly-only” angling regulation. This rule modification increased the degree of difficulty for this year’s competition - in comparison to previous ones that were held in provinces where the use of multiple flies (droppers) are permitted and were allowed for those competitions.
The five, three-hour-long sessions of the NFFC were held on three sections of the Elk River and on two opposing banks of Summit Lake. The species of fish that were eligible for scoring points were: West-slope Cutthroat Trout; Rainbow Trout; Brook Trout; and Rocky Mountain Whitefish. Bull Trout were excluded from the competition due to their status as a “species of special concern”. Although 20cm was set as the minimum length for the scoring of points, the average size of the fish that were caught and released was well over 30cm.
The venues:
The Elk River is an exceptionally beautiful freestone river that snakes and carves its way through one of the most rugged and yet stunning landscapes in all of North America. Although the Elk is most famous for its spectacular dry fly fishing for the remarkably beautiful West-slope Cutthroat Trout, the competitors were equally as enthused about having an opportunity to target its Rocky Mountain Whitefish.
Whitefish were included in Fernie’s competition, as they are somewhat representative and quite similar in nature to grayling, which are also considered an eligible species in most U.K. and European-based competitions. Being notorious bottom feeders, whitefish can be quite difficult to catch at times, and are even more difficult to keep on a barbless hook. These two characteristic would ultimately challenge and help to hone the nymphing skills of the competitors, while increasing their overall knowledge and respect for these magnificent silvery-sided beauties.
The more densely populated stretches of the Elk River and any obvious “honey-holes” were excluded from the river-beat selection process. This decision was made based upon the premise that all of the river beats should be equally challenging and as consistent in fish numbers as physically possible. Fishing under adverse conditions such as these, mentally and physically prepares the competitors for the conditions that they should expect to encounter if they were competing at the international level. After all… the vast majority of fly fishers already know how to catch fish in the easy water and “sweet spots”, but it is the challenging and more technical water that truly challenges and tests their angling skills, while identifying their strengths and revealing their weaknesses…
The Elk’s width and its gentle gradient makes it very wadable - for the most part - while its power and speed within the narrower and steeper stretches makes wading quite treacherous and next to impossible. Several competitors (present company included) swam across the river several times during their sessions, in order to access the stretches of water that were considered to be impossible to reach and to cover with a conventional fly rod. Taking these extreme measures paid-off in the end for me and the other competitors that were foolish enough to brave these waters, as it allowed us to successfully target the fish that had experienced the least amount of angling pressure and were still somewhat interested in chasing a properly presented fly.
The Elk River fished fairly well for the duration of the competition, with the conditions during morning sessions providing the greatest challenges due to a lack of insect activity, which generally peaked later on in the day - during the afternoon sessions. As a result, the competitors that were highly-skilled at Euro-nymphing techniques and streamer-fishing seemed to fare best during the morning sessions, while the fishing conditions during the afternoon sessions was better suited for dries and emergers.
Summit Lake was fished from its banks rather than from boats, which is a common practice at national and international fly fishing championships where access to boats is often very limited or not a reasonable option. Summit was used for unofficial and official practice sessions prior to the NFFC, which made the fishing during the competition sessions extremely challenging and rather difficult at times. The range in the size of Summit’s trout (my largest was 54cm long) and the variety of species (rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout) not only tested the competitor’s ability to identify the most effective techniques and patterns, but also their choice of tackle.
At the conclusion of the competition, a grand total of 453 fish (of eligible size) were caught and released. The fishing was challenging, to say the least, with some competitors wrongfully assuming and proclaiming that their river beats were “completely void of fish”. Two competitors that shared one particular river beat actually gave-up and stopped fishing long before the time in their session had expired. But during the fifth and final session of the competition, John Nishi and Aaron Laing fished that very same beat, and both managed to catch fish, which placed them 2nd and 3rd (respectively) in their session - even though this particular beat had failed to produce a single fish until they unravelled its mystery. Several other competitors also managed to score fish in other supposedly "fishless beats”, which in its own is a great testimony to their angling skills and perseverance...
A special thanks to the individuals who made this event possible:
Kevin McIsaac and his organizing committee, as well as volunteers from Fly Fishing Canada did a great job organizing and running this year’s events. Gord Silverthorne of Kootenay Fly Shop volunteered his expertise and time to select and mark the river-beats for the competition. Local guide, Rebecca Clarke, from Elk River Fly Shop donated her time to help with the Kids Fly Fishing School (see the full details in this issue). Individuals from several provinces and territories stepped forward and unselfishly volunteered their time to serve as sector judges and controllers for the competition. The cooperation, hospitality and individual acts of kindness that were displayed by the volunteers, local politicians, merchants, guides and the residents of Fernie and Sparwood made everyone feel extremely welcome and at home during their visit and time spent in the Elk Valley.
Conservation Symposium:
The guest speakers at the conservation symposium educated the audience about the concerns over habitat destruction, as a result of mining, and the steps that the provincial government and local mining companies have been taking in order to reduce their impact on the environment and its fish. A local biologist gave a highly informative presentation on his research and the current status of the bull trout populations that inhabit the Elk River and its tributaries. He also spoke about the problems that have arisen as a result of the introduction of brook trout (a non-native species) into the cutthroat and bull trout’s natural environment.
Closing Ceremony and Awards Banquet:
The awards banquet, live auction and closing ceremonies were held at the scenic, Fernie Alpine Resort. During the awards ceremonies; John Nishi, of Millarville, Alberta, was crowned as the Individual Gold Medalist and awarded the Doug Austin Memorial Trophy for being the “Top Rod” of the 2009 NFFC. Ryan Suffron, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, finished second and was awarded the Individual Silver Medal. Todd Oishi, of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, finished in third place and was awarded the Individual Bronze Medal.
In the team category: Team Cormorants finished first place, and its members were awarded the Team Gold Medals as well as the Bob Jones Memorial Cup for being the top team of the NFFC. Team Double Hauls finished in second place overall and its members were presented with the Team Silver Medals. Team Trout Wrestlers, which was comprised of four rookies and one seasoned competitor, finished in third place and humbly accepted with Team Bronze Medals.
A live auction was held later in the evening, which with help of several generous sponsors and some friendly-spirited bidding, raised some much needed funds for FFC’s youth fly fishing programs and its ongoing conservation projects. The evening concluded with everyone saying their fond farewells and discussing their plans and preparations for next year’s NFFC, which will be held in Roblin (the Parklands), Manitoba from May 23rd to May 29th, 2010.
Individual Results:
Individual Gold Medal: John Nishi - Millarville, Alberta
Individual Silver Medal: Ryan Suffron - Winnipeg, Manitoba
Individual Bronze Medal: Todd Oishi - Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Team Results:
Team Gold Medal: Team Cormorants
Todd Oishi
Terence Courtoreille
John Nishi
Rob Stroud
Chris Pfohl
Mac Stark (captain)
Team Silver Medal: Team Double Hauls
Ryan Suffron
Byron Shepherd
Sorin Comsa
Matt Majors
Jason Doucette
Bronze Team Medal: Trout Wrestlers
Clayton Hobbs
Steve Harris
Marius Dumitru
Matthew Sparrow
Ron Courtoreille
by Todd Oishi
The small, picturesque, Rocky Mountain town of Fernie, British Columbia and Fly Fishing Canada hosted the 7th Canadian National Fly Fishing Championships (NFFC) and Conservation Symposium, and a free fly fishing school for kids during the third week of September 2009. Fly fishers from all across Canada gathered in Fernie to participate in this year’s competition. The breath-taking scenery within the Elk Valley, along with the Elk River’s reputation as being one of North America’s premier dry fly fisheries, helped set the scene for this year’s events.
As this year’s NFFC was held in British Columbia, the competitors had to abide by the province’s strictly enforced “single-fly-only” angling regulation. This rule modification increased the degree of difficulty for this year’s competition - in comparison to previous ones that were held in provinces where the use of multiple flies (droppers) are permitted and were allowed for those competitions.
The five, three-hour-long sessions of the NFFC were held on three sections of the Elk River and on two opposing banks of Summit Lake. The species of fish that were eligible for scoring points were: West-slope Cutthroat Trout; Rainbow Trout; Brook Trout; and Rocky Mountain Whitefish. Bull Trout were excluded from the competition due to their status as a “species of special concern”. Although 20cm was set as the minimum length for the scoring of points, the average size of the fish that were caught and released was well over 30cm.
The venues:
The Elk River is an exceptionally beautiful freestone river that snakes and carves its way through one of the most rugged and yet stunning landscapes in all of North America. Although the Elk is most famous for its spectacular dry fly fishing for the remarkably beautiful West-slope Cutthroat Trout, the competitors were equally as enthused about having an opportunity to target its Rocky Mountain Whitefish.
Whitefish were included in Fernie’s competition, as they are somewhat representative and quite similar in nature to grayling, which are also considered an eligible species in most U.K. and European-based competitions. Being notorious bottom feeders, whitefish can be quite difficult to catch at times, and are even more difficult to keep on a barbless hook. These two characteristic would ultimately challenge and help to hone the nymphing skills of the competitors, while increasing their overall knowledge and respect for these magnificent silvery-sided beauties.
The more densely populated stretches of the Elk River and any obvious “honey-holes” were excluded from the river-beat selection process. This decision was made based upon the premise that all of the river beats should be equally challenging and as consistent in fish numbers as physically possible. Fishing under adverse conditions such as these, mentally and physically prepares the competitors for the conditions that they should expect to encounter if they were competing at the international level. After all… the vast majority of fly fishers already know how to catch fish in the easy water and “sweet spots”, but it is the challenging and more technical water that truly challenges and tests their angling skills, while identifying their strengths and revealing their weaknesses…
The Elk’s width and its gentle gradient makes it very wadable - for the most part - while its power and speed within the narrower and steeper stretches makes wading quite treacherous and next to impossible. Several competitors (present company included) swam across the river several times during their sessions, in order to access the stretches of water that were considered to be impossible to reach and to cover with a conventional fly rod. Taking these extreme measures paid-off in the end for me and the other competitors that were foolish enough to brave these waters, as it allowed us to successfully target the fish that had experienced the least amount of angling pressure and were still somewhat interested in chasing a properly presented fly.
The Elk River fished fairly well for the duration of the competition, with the conditions during morning sessions providing the greatest challenges due to a lack of insect activity, which generally peaked later on in the day - during the afternoon sessions. As a result, the competitors that were highly-skilled at Euro-nymphing techniques and streamer-fishing seemed to fare best during the morning sessions, while the fishing conditions during the afternoon sessions was better suited for dries and emergers.
Summit Lake was fished from its banks rather than from boats, which is a common practice at national and international fly fishing championships where access to boats is often very limited or not a reasonable option. Summit was used for unofficial and official practice sessions prior to the NFFC, which made the fishing during the competition sessions extremely challenging and rather difficult at times. The range in the size of Summit’s trout (my largest was 54cm long) and the variety of species (rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout) not only tested the competitor’s ability to identify the most effective techniques and patterns, but also their choice of tackle.
At the conclusion of the competition, a grand total of 453 fish (of eligible size) were caught and released. The fishing was challenging, to say the least, with some competitors wrongfully assuming and proclaiming that their river beats were “completely void of fish”. Two competitors that shared one particular river beat actually gave-up and stopped fishing long before the time in their session had expired. But during the fifth and final session of the competition, John Nishi and Aaron Laing fished that very same beat, and both managed to catch fish, which placed them 2nd and 3rd (respectively) in their session - even though this particular beat had failed to produce a single fish until they unravelled its mystery. Several other competitors also managed to score fish in other supposedly "fishless beats”, which in its own is a great testimony to their angling skills and perseverance...
A special thanks to the individuals who made this event possible:
Kevin McIsaac and his organizing committee, as well as volunteers from Fly Fishing Canada did a great job organizing and running this year’s events. Gord Silverthorne of Kootenay Fly Shop volunteered his expertise and time to select and mark the river-beats for the competition. Local guide, Rebecca Clarke, from Elk River Fly Shop donated her time to help with the Kids Fly Fishing School (see the full details in this issue). Individuals from several provinces and territories stepped forward and unselfishly volunteered their time to serve as sector judges and controllers for the competition. The cooperation, hospitality and individual acts of kindness that were displayed by the volunteers, local politicians, merchants, guides and the residents of Fernie and Sparwood made everyone feel extremely welcome and at home during their visit and time spent in the Elk Valley.
Conservation Symposium:
The guest speakers at the conservation symposium educated the audience about the concerns over habitat destruction, as a result of mining, and the steps that the provincial government and local mining companies have been taking in order to reduce their impact on the environment and its fish. A local biologist gave a highly informative presentation on his research and the current status of the bull trout populations that inhabit the Elk River and its tributaries. He also spoke about the problems that have arisen as a result of the introduction of brook trout (a non-native species) into the cutthroat and bull trout’s natural environment.
Closing Ceremony and Awards Banquet:
The awards banquet, live auction and closing ceremonies were held at the scenic, Fernie Alpine Resort. During the awards ceremonies; John Nishi, of Millarville, Alberta, was crowned as the Individual Gold Medalist and awarded the Doug Austin Memorial Trophy for being the “Top Rod” of the 2009 NFFC. Ryan Suffron, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, finished second and was awarded the Individual Silver Medal. Todd Oishi, of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, finished in third place and was awarded the Individual Bronze Medal.
In the team category: Team Cormorants finished first place, and its members were awarded the Team Gold Medals as well as the Bob Jones Memorial Cup for being the top team of the NFFC. Team Double Hauls finished in second place overall and its members were presented with the Team Silver Medals. Team Trout Wrestlers, which was comprised of four rookies and one seasoned competitor, finished in third place and humbly accepted with Team Bronze Medals.
A live auction was held later in the evening, which with help of several generous sponsors and some friendly-spirited bidding, raised some much needed funds for FFC’s youth fly fishing programs and its ongoing conservation projects. The evening concluded with everyone saying their fond farewells and discussing their plans and preparations for next year’s NFFC, which will be held in Roblin (the Parklands), Manitoba from May 23rd to May 29th, 2010.
Individual Results:
Individual Gold Medal: John Nishi - Millarville, Alberta
Individual Silver Medal: Ryan Suffron - Winnipeg, Manitoba
Individual Bronze Medal: Todd Oishi - Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Team Results:
Team Gold Medal: Team Cormorants
Todd Oishi
Terence Courtoreille
John Nishi
Rob Stroud
Chris Pfohl
Mac Stark (captain)
Team Silver Medal: Team Double Hauls
Ryan Suffron
Byron Shepherd
Sorin Comsa
Matt Majors
Jason Doucette
Bronze Team Medal: Trout Wrestlers
Clayton Hobbs
Steve Harris
Marius Dumitru
Matthew Sparrow
Ron Courtoreille
2009 FFC Kids Fly Fishing School - Fernie, BC
2009 FFC Kids Fly Fishing School
by Todd Oishi
On September 26 and 27 2009, the Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine and Fly Fishing Canada (FFC) organized a fly fishing school, which was held in Fernie, British Columbia, in conjunction with the 7th Canadian National Fly Fishing Championships and Conservation Symposium. The free, two-day course was held on the Elk River and Summit Lake, and was attended by kids from across Canada. The students learned the fundamentals of fly fishing and were provided with hands-on instruction and coaching.
The majority of the students that attended the fly fishing school were selected through a written essay contest that was held by The Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine. The contest asked the kids to explain why they would like to attend the fly fishing school, and why fly fishing is so important to them. Several of the contest winners had their expenses covered through donations from the staff and writers of The Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine, Fly Fishing Canada, and several other generous individuals.
The fly fishing school also provided the opportunity for the coaches and members of FFC to assess the potential of those that were interested in applying for a spot on future Youth Fly Fishing Teams that represent Canada at international fly fishing championships and conservation symposiums.
Day One: The students spent the morning in a classroom setting at the Best Western Hotel, where Bob Sheedy (coach of FFC’s Youth Team) and Rebecca Clarke (Elk River Guiding Company) taught them the fundamentals of fly fishing, and gave demonstrations on fly fishing equipment, leaders, knots and fly patterns.
The fly casting lesson was very popular with the kids. A few of them were already quite proficient casters, but still benefited from the personal coaching they received. The Fly Kid Foundation provided fly rods and waders, which were used by some of the students for the casting lesson and during their time spent on the water.
During the afternoon the students fished a stretch of the Elk River that flows right through the heart of Fernie. Several members of FFC’s youth and senior fly fishing teams (Team Canada) were on hand to help mentor and coach the students. The students received instruction and one-on-one coaching from Rebecca Clarke and Team Canada members: John Bransfield; Terence Courtoreille; John Nishi; Todd Oishi; Chris Pfohl; Rob Stroud, and several other volunteers.
From my experience; teaching kids how to fly fish tends to be a much easier task when compared to working with adults, as kids tend to be much more open and receptive to new concepts and instruction, which helps them to learn and progress at a much quicker pace. This was most definitely the case with this fine group of kids!
The students fished with a variety of nymphs, streamers and dry flies. Not all of them hooked a fish right away, but most of them seemed to be just as happy and excited to watch the trout rise with great enthusiasm to inspect their flies. By the end of the afternoon’s lessons, most of the students had managed to hook at least one or two of the remarkably beautiful Westslope Cutthroat Trout that inhabit the river. One of the students managed to hook an impressive Bull Trout within the depths of a pool, but lost it after it ran several times and eventually freed itself of the hook.
The students and participants thoroughly enjoyed their time spent together on the river and walked away with a far greater understanding and passion for fly fishing, as well as a much deeper respect and appreciation of the fish and their fragile environment. My personal belief is that a child’s sense of accomplishment and achievement can easily be measured by the size of the smile on their face - today’s lessons and their time on the river definitely confirmed my theory!
Day Two: The second portion of the fly fishing school was held the following day at Summit Lake, which is situated high in the Rocky Mountain Range right on the British Columbia/Alberta border. Summit provides a very popular fishery that produces some very impressive Rainbow, Westslope Cutthroat, and Brook Trout. For safety reasons, it was decided that the kids would be fishing from shore during their lessons.
The day’s lessons began with a detailed talk on the basics of lake fishing, equipment and leader setups. The students walked the shoreline in search of insects and other food items that are basic staples of the trout’s diet. They were then shown the corresponding fly patterns that imitated these food items, as well as the retrieves that best imitated their natural movements.
The bank setting allowed the students to work on their casting technique, while the volunteers freed any flies that became entangled in the surrounding brush, which occasionally interfered with their back-cast. A few fish were caught, but overall the fishing was generally quite slow, as they were fishing the same area of the lake that had been heavily pressured during the National Fly Fishing Championship. This was however a valuable lesson in patience and perseverance, as it forced the students to focus on their casting, retrieval and overall presentation.
In the end, the Kids Fly Fishing School was a deemed a huge success by all that attended, and exceeded their expectations, as the kids all had a great time and learned a ton about fly fishing, while creating some new friendships and memories that will surely last a lifetime…
The next Youth Fly Fishing School will be held in Russell, Manitoba, on May 22nd & 23rd – preceding the 2010 National Fly Fishing Championships. The fly fishing school will be provided free of charge and is available to kids under the age of eighteen. Members of Team Canada and coaches from Fly Fishing Canada will be on hand to provide instruction and to assess the potential of any participants that might wish to apply for a spot on future Youth Teams.
by Todd Oishi
On September 26 and 27 2009, the Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine and Fly Fishing Canada (FFC) organized a fly fishing school, which was held in Fernie, British Columbia, in conjunction with the 7th Canadian National Fly Fishing Championships and Conservation Symposium. The free, two-day course was held on the Elk River and Summit Lake, and was attended by kids from across Canada. The students learned the fundamentals of fly fishing and were provided with hands-on instruction and coaching.
The majority of the students that attended the fly fishing school were selected through a written essay contest that was held by The Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine. The contest asked the kids to explain why they would like to attend the fly fishing school, and why fly fishing is so important to them. Several of the contest winners had their expenses covered through donations from the staff and writers of The Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine, Fly Fishing Canada, and several other generous individuals.
The fly fishing school also provided the opportunity for the coaches and members of FFC to assess the potential of those that were interested in applying for a spot on future Youth Fly Fishing Teams that represent Canada at international fly fishing championships and conservation symposiums.
Day One: The students spent the morning in a classroom setting at the Best Western Hotel, where Bob Sheedy (coach of FFC’s Youth Team) and Rebecca Clarke (Elk River Guiding Company) taught them the fundamentals of fly fishing, and gave demonstrations on fly fishing equipment, leaders, knots and fly patterns.
The fly casting lesson was very popular with the kids. A few of them were already quite proficient casters, but still benefited from the personal coaching they received. The Fly Kid Foundation provided fly rods and waders, which were used by some of the students for the casting lesson and during their time spent on the water.
During the afternoon the students fished a stretch of the Elk River that flows right through the heart of Fernie. Several members of FFC’s youth and senior fly fishing teams (Team Canada) were on hand to help mentor and coach the students. The students received instruction and one-on-one coaching from Rebecca Clarke and Team Canada members: John Bransfield; Terence Courtoreille; John Nishi; Todd Oishi; Chris Pfohl; Rob Stroud, and several other volunteers.
From my experience; teaching kids how to fly fish tends to be a much easier task when compared to working with adults, as kids tend to be much more open and receptive to new concepts and instruction, which helps them to learn and progress at a much quicker pace. This was most definitely the case with this fine group of kids!
The students fished with a variety of nymphs, streamers and dry flies. Not all of them hooked a fish right away, but most of them seemed to be just as happy and excited to watch the trout rise with great enthusiasm to inspect their flies. By the end of the afternoon’s lessons, most of the students had managed to hook at least one or two of the remarkably beautiful Westslope Cutthroat Trout that inhabit the river. One of the students managed to hook an impressive Bull Trout within the depths of a pool, but lost it after it ran several times and eventually freed itself of the hook.
The students and participants thoroughly enjoyed their time spent together on the river and walked away with a far greater understanding and passion for fly fishing, as well as a much deeper respect and appreciation of the fish and their fragile environment. My personal belief is that a child’s sense of accomplishment and achievement can easily be measured by the size of the smile on their face - today’s lessons and their time on the river definitely confirmed my theory!
Day Two: The second portion of the fly fishing school was held the following day at Summit Lake, which is situated high in the Rocky Mountain Range right on the British Columbia/Alberta border. Summit provides a very popular fishery that produces some very impressive Rainbow, Westslope Cutthroat, and Brook Trout. For safety reasons, it was decided that the kids would be fishing from shore during their lessons.
The day’s lessons began with a detailed talk on the basics of lake fishing, equipment and leader setups. The students walked the shoreline in search of insects and other food items that are basic staples of the trout’s diet. They were then shown the corresponding fly patterns that imitated these food items, as well as the retrieves that best imitated their natural movements.
The bank setting allowed the students to work on their casting technique, while the volunteers freed any flies that became entangled in the surrounding brush, which occasionally interfered with their back-cast. A few fish were caught, but overall the fishing was generally quite slow, as they were fishing the same area of the lake that had been heavily pressured during the National Fly Fishing Championship. This was however a valuable lesson in patience and perseverance, as it forced the students to focus on their casting, retrieval and overall presentation.
In the end, the Kids Fly Fishing School was a deemed a huge success by all that attended, and exceeded their expectations, as the kids all had a great time and learned a ton about fly fishing, while creating some new friendships and memories that will surely last a lifetime…
The next Youth Fly Fishing School will be held in Russell, Manitoba, on May 22nd & 23rd – preceding the 2010 National Fly Fishing Championships. The fly fishing school will be provided free of charge and is available to kids under the age of eighteen. Members of Team Canada and coaches from Fly Fishing Canada will be on hand to provide instruction and to assess the potential of any participants that might wish to apply for a spot on future Youth Teams.
Scotland's 2009 World Fly Fishing Championships
29th World Fly Fishing Championships
by Todd Oishi
During the second week of June 2009, fly fishers from twenty-six countries assembled in Drymen, Scotland to participate in the 29th World Fly Fishing Championships and Conservation Symposium. The five, three hour sessions of this year’s World Fly Fishing Championship (WFFC) were held on the Lake of Menteith, Loch Leven, Loch Awe, Carron Valley Reservoir, and the River Tay. The natural beauty of these historic waters set the scene for what would prove to be one of the most spectacular and memorable competitions to date…
This year’s national fly fishing team (Team Canada) consisted of: Randy Taylor (team captain) and Chris Pfohl who are from Ontario; Donald Thom, from Quebec; Mac Stark (team manager) and Terence Courtoreille, from the NWT; John Beaven, Rob Stroud and me, from British Columbia.
Although this would be the 22nd year that Fly Fishing Canada has sent a team to compete the WFFCs, Team Canada had yet to win a team or individual medal. In attempt to change this statistic; John Beaven, Donald Thom and I went on a reconnaissance mission to Scotland exactly one year prior to the dates of this year’s competition.
We hired one of Scotland’s finest fly fishing coaches, who provided us with a wealth of information about the competition venues and showed us the best patterns and techniques for targeting the fish that are found in those waters. Armed with this information, and with a full year to prepare, we felt quite confident that Team Canada might be bringing home a medal from Scotland’s WFFC.
About the venues:
Carron Valley Reservoir is a very popular wild brown trout fishery that is enhanced by weekly stockings of hatchery-reared rainbow and brown trout. The wooded hills that encompass Carron conceal a small network of feeder streams, which are referred to as “burns” by the Scottish. The burns provide ideal spawning habitat and nurseries for the brown trout and stickleback. The flow rates of the burns increase significantly after heavy rainfalls, which flushes nutrients into the reservoir. We were amazed by the number of fish that we encountered near the mouths of the burns – often in only inches of water.
Loch Awe has a long and celebrated history of well-over two centuries of angling for wild brown trout, perch and pike. It is the largest and most treacherous of all the lochs in Scotland (twenty-five miles long). Numerous anglers have perished in its waters over the years, as a result of the strong winds and powerful waves that can literally appear out of nowhere. The local angling authority made us well aware of the risks and dangers that are associated with angling on these waters.
Attempting to locate the relatively small population of trout within such a massive loch is truly a daunting task. Angling on Awe is best described as being “painfully slow”, as fishless days are common occurrences - even for members the local angling clubs. We were told that a good day of angling on Loch Awe generally consisted of a single trout brought to the net - two or three would be considered a miracle!
Loch Leven has long been considered as a ‘Mecca’ for brown trout enthusiasts throughout the world. It is renowned for producing hard-fighting, wild brown trout, whose eggs have been used to stock rivers and lakes all around the world. Leven is 3500 acres in size and is four miles from shore to shore at its greatest distance. Its enormous size combined with relatively low fish populations makes the decision of where to start fishing a very important one. Although its fishery is of legendary status, for me it was the experience of casting flies from century-old, clinker-built boats, while drifting alongside the ruins of Castle Leven (where Mary, Queen of the Scots, had been imprisoned during the 16th century) that made my time on Leven unforgettable.
The Lake of Menteith is a prolific and extremely popular fishery that hosts numerous fly fishing competitions throughout its angling season. It is approximately 645.5 acres in size (about one square mile) and is stocked with rainbow trout that are reared in fish pens that are situated on the lake. The Lake of Menteith had experienced a significant fish-kill only weeks before the WFFC, which raised some serious concerns over it being used as a venue for this year’s competition. The water conditions and clarity at the time of the competition made fishing severely challenging and far less productive than what we experienced during our previous visit.
The River Tay is Scotland’s longest river and moves the greatest volume of water of any river within the United Kingdom. It originates in the Southern Highland Region and cuts through the heartlands of Scotland as it flows toward the North Sea. Although the Tay is renowned for its salmon fishing, the locals told us that it is one of Scotland’s best rivers for wild brown trout and grayling fishing. The competition beats on the Tay were situated near the scenic village of Stanley, Perthshire, where the water is much better suited for salmon fishing. Its depth and power made wading a constant challenge, and limited the areas where we could effectively present our flies.
Practice:
If there is one thing that we have learned from our experiences at past WFFCs; it is that in order for Team Canada to succeed it is essential to hire international coaches and prefish the venues well in advance of the actual competitions. For this year’s competition we were fortunate to have had coaching from two of Scotland’s finest; John Buchanan and Alisdair Mair. John is a past Scottish National champion and had competed at numerous WFFCs. Alisdair is a local club champion and coaches the Scottish youth team. He schooled us on the “four C’s” of fly fishing: Commitment; Control; Concentration; and Confidence. We were certainly confident, focused and committed, as we had pre-fished all of the venues during the previous year. In fact; Donald Thom had taken this year’s competition so seriously that he had not only accompanied us on the reconnaissance mission, but had been religiously practicing several times a week for the past two years.
What follows are a combination of my notes from an interview with Donald and his personal account of his five sessions at Scotland’s WFFC…
Session One; Lake of Menteith
“I had drawn a member from Team Spain as my boat partner for my first session. I won the customary coin-toss for captaincy of the boat, and chose to start fishing along the eastern shore. On my third cast I hooked and lost a large Rainbow, and soon afterwards, the Spaniard landed his first fish. After a few drifts, I noticed a fish rising and quickly covered it. I quickly stripped my line to straighten it, and just as I began a slow figure-of-eight… I felt a short take and set the hook. After a hard-fought battle a large rainbow came to the net.
Half-an-hour passed until I caught my second rainbow. I had several others that followed my flies, but wouldn’t commit. We repositioned the boat further down the shore, and after several casts I landed another fish. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the fish moved deeper, so I swapped my Midge Tip for a DI-3 sinking line. Eventually I felt the weight of a good fish and raised the rod to set the hook. It came to my net only minutes before the session concluded. In this session I had scored four fish, which placed me 4th in my group.”
Session Two; River Tay
“We climbed aboard the bus and headed for the River Tay. I had mixed emotions, as our team had failed to catch a single fish during the official practice sessions on the Tay. My team-mate Todd Oishi had fished the Tay during the morning session, while Chris Pfohl and his fiancée Teri watched the Polish competitor that was fishing my beat. I met with them and was relieved to hear that Todd and the Polish competitor had both caught grayling during the morning session, while over one-third of the competitors on Tay had blanked (zero fish).
Chris pointed out the best lies and the locations where the Polish angler had caught his five fish. I decided to start by swinging flies through the top of the pool, and even tried the fly that Todd had caught his fish with… but had no luck. I eventually switched to a dry/dropper combo with two weighted nymphs under a large dry fly… but still nothing. With time running out, I changed to a single weighted nymph under a very small parachute dun and cast it out. At times, anglers seem to possess a sixth-sense - an instinct that tells them when a fish has taken their nymph even though there are no obvious signs - this was one of those moments. I can’t explain how, but I knew that a fish had taken my fly, so I struck hard and fast. I was overjoyed when I felt the weight of a large brown trout. After an intense battle in the fast current, I carefully netted the fish and brought it to my controller for measuring. I had finished 8th place in this session, while half of my group had blanked.”
Session Three; Loch Awe
“I had drawn an Italian for my boat partner, but unfortunately he could not understand English or French… nor I Italian. We examined the map of the loch and made our plans with a lot of pointing and a primitive form of sign-language. We motored to an island where my team-mate had hooked a fish during a previous session, but as we approached the location the wind died. In order to cover a greater area of water we would make several casts and then ask the controller to row the boat further down the shoreline.
Without so much as a bump, I suddenly felt the urge to change flies. I switched to a Green Pea and cast it tightly to the shore. As soon as I began my retrieve I felt the line tighten! It was a decent-sized brown trout that fought hard and eventually came to my net. When the session was over, my single trout was good enough for a 3rd place finish in this session, while the majority of my group had blanked.
Today went well, as I had finished a 3rd place on Loch Awe; Todd had finished 3rd place on Carron Valley Reservoir; Chris had done well on Menteith; and Team Canada had moved into 10th place overall. With one day left in the championships, we were very hopeful for a good finish.”
Session Four; Loch Leven
“After breakfast I was told that I was in 6th place individually, but quickly put this fact out of my mind and concentrated on the task at hand… I needed to catch a fish on Leven!
My boat partner was from Luxembourg and spoke English, which meant that there would be no language barriers. I started off with a DI-3 and three classic Scottish patterns: a Kate McLaren on the top dropper; a Claret Snatcher on the middle dropper; and a Black Snatcher on the point. We set up our drift and noticed David Chalmers from Team Scotland positioned to our right, which indicated that this had to be a good drift, as Leven was his home-water.
I began with a DI-3 but changed to a DI-7 as the day progressed and the intensity of the sunlight increased. I was slowly running out of time, and desperately needed a fish! I told Alistair (my controller) that I had a plan, so he’d better watch closely as a fish will come. I cast my flies and said “Come on Katie - I need a silver beauty - come on Katie!” I was ecstatic when I felt a harsh tug and felt the weight of the silver beauty.
My skill and tackle were tested to the limit as she ran and dove under the boat. Six long minutes later she finally showed herself. I asked Alistair to net her and which fly she took. He smiled and said “which one do you think?” We laughed aloud as he announced that it was the Kate McLaren! I asked him pass the trout so I could give her a kiss before its release. The silver beauty was good enough for a 2nd place finish within my group.”
Session Five; Carron Valley Reservoir
“I was greeted by Randy Taylor when I arrived at Carron. He filled me in on the results of the morning session and handed me a few flies. He was thrilled to hear that I had placed 2nd on Leven. Going into this, the final session, I was now in 4th place overall and only a single point from 1st place.
We started fishing near the dam wall at the far end of Carron. I couldn’t believe my luck, as I hooked a large rainbow on my first cast and had it in the net within a matter of minutes. I had avoided a blank and calculated that I needed at least six fish to place within the medals. Minutes later my boat partner Miroslav, from Slovakia, was overjoyed as he landed what would be his first rainbow of the competition. A few minutes later I managed to land a brown trout.
We eventually decided to move to another bay, and on the first drift Miroslav scored a Rainbow and shortly afterwards I’m into one as well. Minutes later Miroslav landed yet another Rainbow, while I hooked and landed my fourth fish. With only five minutes left in the session, I hooked a smaller brown trout and carefully played it toward the boat, but with a final shake of its head it was gone… and with it the title of world champion (although I did not know it at the time). I finished 9th place in this session.”
Later that night, the final results were posted in the room beside the banquet hall. We overheard a jubilant cheer coming from Team England’s corner of the room, as they celebrated their team’s gold medal victory and Ian Barr finishing 1st place individually. Moments later Randy Taylor returned to the room and informed our team that Donald had finished 2nd place and Team Canada had finished 9th place. Our team was ecstatic! We celebrated Donald’s silver medal victory that night, as well as Team Canada’s second consecutive year for finishing within the “top ten”.
For me, being a part of the team that brought home Canada’s first medal from the WFFCs was a great honour and an unforgettable experience. It was also very fitting that Donald Thom - being of Scottish ancestry - was the one to accomplish this feat, as 2009 had been proclaimed by the Scottish government as being “The Year of the Homecoming”, and what a spectacular homecoming it was!
Final results:
The individual gold medal was awarded to Ian Barr of England;
The individual silver medal was awarded to Donald Thom of Canada;
The individual bronze medal was awarded Christian Jadouille of Belgium.
Top Ten countries:
1 England
2 France
3 Scotland
4 Finland
5 Wales
6 Czech Republic
7 Italy
8 USA
9 Canada
10 Ireland
by Todd Oishi
During the second week of June 2009, fly fishers from twenty-six countries assembled in Drymen, Scotland to participate in the 29th World Fly Fishing Championships and Conservation Symposium. The five, three hour sessions of this year’s World Fly Fishing Championship (WFFC) were held on the Lake of Menteith, Loch Leven, Loch Awe, Carron Valley Reservoir, and the River Tay. The natural beauty of these historic waters set the scene for what would prove to be one of the most spectacular and memorable competitions to date…
This year’s national fly fishing team (Team Canada) consisted of: Randy Taylor (team captain) and Chris Pfohl who are from Ontario; Donald Thom, from Quebec; Mac Stark (team manager) and Terence Courtoreille, from the NWT; John Beaven, Rob Stroud and me, from British Columbia.
Although this would be the 22nd year that Fly Fishing Canada has sent a team to compete the WFFCs, Team Canada had yet to win a team or individual medal. In attempt to change this statistic; John Beaven, Donald Thom and I went on a reconnaissance mission to Scotland exactly one year prior to the dates of this year’s competition.
We hired one of Scotland’s finest fly fishing coaches, who provided us with a wealth of information about the competition venues and showed us the best patterns and techniques for targeting the fish that are found in those waters. Armed with this information, and with a full year to prepare, we felt quite confident that Team Canada might be bringing home a medal from Scotland’s WFFC.
About the venues:
Carron Valley Reservoir is a very popular wild brown trout fishery that is enhanced by weekly stockings of hatchery-reared rainbow and brown trout. The wooded hills that encompass Carron conceal a small network of feeder streams, which are referred to as “burns” by the Scottish. The burns provide ideal spawning habitat and nurseries for the brown trout and stickleback. The flow rates of the burns increase significantly after heavy rainfalls, which flushes nutrients into the reservoir. We were amazed by the number of fish that we encountered near the mouths of the burns – often in only inches of water.
Loch Awe has a long and celebrated history of well-over two centuries of angling for wild brown trout, perch and pike. It is the largest and most treacherous of all the lochs in Scotland (twenty-five miles long). Numerous anglers have perished in its waters over the years, as a result of the strong winds and powerful waves that can literally appear out of nowhere. The local angling authority made us well aware of the risks and dangers that are associated with angling on these waters.
Attempting to locate the relatively small population of trout within such a massive loch is truly a daunting task. Angling on Awe is best described as being “painfully slow”, as fishless days are common occurrences - even for members the local angling clubs. We were told that a good day of angling on Loch Awe generally consisted of a single trout brought to the net - two or three would be considered a miracle!
Loch Leven has long been considered as a ‘Mecca’ for brown trout enthusiasts throughout the world. It is renowned for producing hard-fighting, wild brown trout, whose eggs have been used to stock rivers and lakes all around the world. Leven is 3500 acres in size and is four miles from shore to shore at its greatest distance. Its enormous size combined with relatively low fish populations makes the decision of where to start fishing a very important one. Although its fishery is of legendary status, for me it was the experience of casting flies from century-old, clinker-built boats, while drifting alongside the ruins of Castle Leven (where Mary, Queen of the Scots, had been imprisoned during the 16th century) that made my time on Leven unforgettable.
The Lake of Menteith is a prolific and extremely popular fishery that hosts numerous fly fishing competitions throughout its angling season. It is approximately 645.5 acres in size (about one square mile) and is stocked with rainbow trout that are reared in fish pens that are situated on the lake. The Lake of Menteith had experienced a significant fish-kill only weeks before the WFFC, which raised some serious concerns over it being used as a venue for this year’s competition. The water conditions and clarity at the time of the competition made fishing severely challenging and far less productive than what we experienced during our previous visit.
The River Tay is Scotland’s longest river and moves the greatest volume of water of any river within the United Kingdom. It originates in the Southern Highland Region and cuts through the heartlands of Scotland as it flows toward the North Sea. Although the Tay is renowned for its salmon fishing, the locals told us that it is one of Scotland’s best rivers for wild brown trout and grayling fishing. The competition beats on the Tay were situated near the scenic village of Stanley, Perthshire, where the water is much better suited for salmon fishing. Its depth and power made wading a constant challenge, and limited the areas where we could effectively present our flies.
Practice:
If there is one thing that we have learned from our experiences at past WFFCs; it is that in order for Team Canada to succeed it is essential to hire international coaches and prefish the venues well in advance of the actual competitions. For this year’s competition we were fortunate to have had coaching from two of Scotland’s finest; John Buchanan and Alisdair Mair. John is a past Scottish National champion and had competed at numerous WFFCs. Alisdair is a local club champion and coaches the Scottish youth team. He schooled us on the “four C’s” of fly fishing: Commitment; Control; Concentration; and Confidence. We were certainly confident, focused and committed, as we had pre-fished all of the venues during the previous year. In fact; Donald Thom had taken this year’s competition so seriously that he had not only accompanied us on the reconnaissance mission, but had been religiously practicing several times a week for the past two years.
What follows are a combination of my notes from an interview with Donald and his personal account of his five sessions at Scotland’s WFFC…
Session One; Lake of Menteith
“I had drawn a member from Team Spain as my boat partner for my first session. I won the customary coin-toss for captaincy of the boat, and chose to start fishing along the eastern shore. On my third cast I hooked and lost a large Rainbow, and soon afterwards, the Spaniard landed his first fish. After a few drifts, I noticed a fish rising and quickly covered it. I quickly stripped my line to straighten it, and just as I began a slow figure-of-eight… I felt a short take and set the hook. After a hard-fought battle a large rainbow came to the net.
Half-an-hour passed until I caught my second rainbow. I had several others that followed my flies, but wouldn’t commit. We repositioned the boat further down the shore, and after several casts I landed another fish. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the fish moved deeper, so I swapped my Midge Tip for a DI-3 sinking line. Eventually I felt the weight of a good fish and raised the rod to set the hook. It came to my net only minutes before the session concluded. In this session I had scored four fish, which placed me 4th in my group.”
Session Two; River Tay
“We climbed aboard the bus and headed for the River Tay. I had mixed emotions, as our team had failed to catch a single fish during the official practice sessions on the Tay. My team-mate Todd Oishi had fished the Tay during the morning session, while Chris Pfohl and his fiancée Teri watched the Polish competitor that was fishing my beat. I met with them and was relieved to hear that Todd and the Polish competitor had both caught grayling during the morning session, while over one-third of the competitors on Tay had blanked (zero fish).
Chris pointed out the best lies and the locations where the Polish angler had caught his five fish. I decided to start by swinging flies through the top of the pool, and even tried the fly that Todd had caught his fish with… but had no luck. I eventually switched to a dry/dropper combo with two weighted nymphs under a large dry fly… but still nothing. With time running out, I changed to a single weighted nymph under a very small parachute dun and cast it out. At times, anglers seem to possess a sixth-sense - an instinct that tells them when a fish has taken their nymph even though there are no obvious signs - this was one of those moments. I can’t explain how, but I knew that a fish had taken my fly, so I struck hard and fast. I was overjoyed when I felt the weight of a large brown trout. After an intense battle in the fast current, I carefully netted the fish and brought it to my controller for measuring. I had finished 8th place in this session, while half of my group had blanked.”
Session Three; Loch Awe
“I had drawn an Italian for my boat partner, but unfortunately he could not understand English or French… nor I Italian. We examined the map of the loch and made our plans with a lot of pointing and a primitive form of sign-language. We motored to an island where my team-mate had hooked a fish during a previous session, but as we approached the location the wind died. In order to cover a greater area of water we would make several casts and then ask the controller to row the boat further down the shoreline.
Without so much as a bump, I suddenly felt the urge to change flies. I switched to a Green Pea and cast it tightly to the shore. As soon as I began my retrieve I felt the line tighten! It was a decent-sized brown trout that fought hard and eventually came to my net. When the session was over, my single trout was good enough for a 3rd place finish in this session, while the majority of my group had blanked.
Today went well, as I had finished a 3rd place on Loch Awe; Todd had finished 3rd place on Carron Valley Reservoir; Chris had done well on Menteith; and Team Canada had moved into 10th place overall. With one day left in the championships, we were very hopeful for a good finish.”
Session Four; Loch Leven
“After breakfast I was told that I was in 6th place individually, but quickly put this fact out of my mind and concentrated on the task at hand… I needed to catch a fish on Leven!
My boat partner was from Luxembourg and spoke English, which meant that there would be no language barriers. I started off with a DI-3 and three classic Scottish patterns: a Kate McLaren on the top dropper; a Claret Snatcher on the middle dropper; and a Black Snatcher on the point. We set up our drift and noticed David Chalmers from Team Scotland positioned to our right, which indicated that this had to be a good drift, as Leven was his home-water.
I began with a DI-3 but changed to a DI-7 as the day progressed and the intensity of the sunlight increased. I was slowly running out of time, and desperately needed a fish! I told Alistair (my controller) that I had a plan, so he’d better watch closely as a fish will come. I cast my flies and said “Come on Katie - I need a silver beauty - come on Katie!” I was ecstatic when I felt a harsh tug and felt the weight of the silver beauty.
My skill and tackle were tested to the limit as she ran and dove under the boat. Six long minutes later she finally showed herself. I asked Alistair to net her and which fly she took. He smiled and said “which one do you think?” We laughed aloud as he announced that it was the Kate McLaren! I asked him pass the trout so I could give her a kiss before its release. The silver beauty was good enough for a 2nd place finish within my group.”
Session Five; Carron Valley Reservoir
“I was greeted by Randy Taylor when I arrived at Carron. He filled me in on the results of the morning session and handed me a few flies. He was thrilled to hear that I had placed 2nd on Leven. Going into this, the final session, I was now in 4th place overall and only a single point from 1st place.
We started fishing near the dam wall at the far end of Carron. I couldn’t believe my luck, as I hooked a large rainbow on my first cast and had it in the net within a matter of minutes. I had avoided a blank and calculated that I needed at least six fish to place within the medals. Minutes later my boat partner Miroslav, from Slovakia, was overjoyed as he landed what would be his first rainbow of the competition. A few minutes later I managed to land a brown trout.
We eventually decided to move to another bay, and on the first drift Miroslav scored a Rainbow and shortly afterwards I’m into one as well. Minutes later Miroslav landed yet another Rainbow, while I hooked and landed my fourth fish. With only five minutes left in the session, I hooked a smaller brown trout and carefully played it toward the boat, but with a final shake of its head it was gone… and with it the title of world champion (although I did not know it at the time). I finished 9th place in this session.”
Later that night, the final results were posted in the room beside the banquet hall. We overheard a jubilant cheer coming from Team England’s corner of the room, as they celebrated their team’s gold medal victory and Ian Barr finishing 1st place individually. Moments later Randy Taylor returned to the room and informed our team that Donald had finished 2nd place and Team Canada had finished 9th place. Our team was ecstatic! We celebrated Donald’s silver medal victory that night, as well as Team Canada’s second consecutive year for finishing within the “top ten”.
For me, being a part of the team that brought home Canada’s first medal from the WFFCs was a great honour and an unforgettable experience. It was also very fitting that Donald Thom - being of Scottish ancestry - was the one to accomplish this feat, as 2009 had been proclaimed by the Scottish government as being “The Year of the Homecoming”, and what a spectacular homecoming it was!
Final results:
The individual gold medal was awarded to Ian Barr of England;
The individual silver medal was awarded to Donald Thom of Canada;
The individual bronze medal was awarded Christian Jadouille of Belgium.
Top Ten countries:
1 England
2 France
3 Scotland
4 Finland
5 Wales
6 Czech Republic
7 Italy
8 USA
9 Canada
10 Ireland
2008 Canadian National Fly Fishing Championship - Mont Tremblant, Quebec
2008 Canadian National Fly Fishing Championship & Conservation Symposium
by Todd Oishi
The 6th Canadian National Fly Fishing Championship & Conservation Symposium (NFFC&CS) took place in the picturesque Laurentian Mountain village of Mont-Tremblant, Quebec from September 7th to the 13th. Fly fishers from all across Canada gathered to compete at the 2008 NFFC with hopes of qualifying for a spot on Canada’s National Fly Fishing Team. The Laurentian’s lush forests of birch, maple and pine of the encompass some of Canadian Shield’s finest rivers and lakes that are renowned for possessing a great wealth of brook and brown trout. Without a doubt, this region of Quebec was the ideal location to hold this year’s NFFC.
The Venues:
This year’s championship consisted of five, three hour sessions of competition that were held on two river and three lake venues. Club Baroux Outfitters generously donated the use of three of their premier lakes and supplied twenty-four boats for the official practice and competition sessions. Two of the competition lakes (Du Cap and Vinet) possessed brook trout while the other (Renversi) had a mixture of rainbow and brook trout.
For the river venues, the organizers wisely selected a five kilometer section of the “fly fishing only” portion of the Diable River. Its French name; “La Rivière de la Diable” translates to “The Devil’s River”, which certainly lived up to its name as it not only challenged the angling skills of all sixty competitors, but its swift currents and slick boulders tested their wading abilities as well. During the competition, many competitors took a spill and/or wound up swimming in the cool waters of the Diable. It wasn’t very long before everyone came to the realization that a sturdy wading staff and quality set of footwear were essential pieces of equipment for safely traversing the Diable.
The Competition:
There were twelve teams (sixty individuals) registered for this year’s NFFC, which included three American competitors and five members of Fly Fishing Team USA. Team USA and the other Americans were eligible to win a team medal, but as this was a Canadian national championship, the individual medals were reserved for Canadian competitors only. The attendance of the Americans added an international flavour to this year’s events, and certainly raised the bar higher for the competition.
During the NFFC, the weather conditions were ideal and the fish were more than willing to chase a properly presented fly. As with any competition - the angling became more challenging and difficult as the competition progressed, as the fish grew wary from the constant smorgasbord of flies that had drifted past their noses. During the latter part of the competition the competitors that fished the less obvious lies and harder to access locations managed to entice and score a few extra fish.
With the mixture of brook and brown trout in the Diable, the effective tactics and techniques proved to be limitless. At times the trout rose freely for dries and emergers, while those that were proficient at Czech Nymph did exceptionally well in the pocket water and deeper runs. Others did amazingly well by simply swinging streamers along the edges and seams, or pulling them through the deeper pools.
The lake venues were fished using traditional loch-style tactics (casting a team of flies ahead of a free-drifting boat) with two competitors sharing a single boat. As the lakes have are frequently stocked, they fished well for the duration of the competition. The main challenge for Lac Du Cap and Renversi was locating the transient schools of brook trout and rainbows. Competitors that succeeded in locating the schools of trout did extremely well by presenting dry flies on long leaders and attractor patterns on fast sinking lines.
Vinet, a spring fed lake, was the most scenic of the competition lakes, but had proved to be the most challenging. Many competitors failed to catch a single fish within its crystal-clear, emerald-green waters. With hardly a rise to be seen, locating fish was a constant challenge, and often, the competitors simply fished blind. In attempt to find the elusive brook trout of Vinet, the competitors constantly experimented with fly patterns and employed a wide range of sinking lines to adjust the depth and retrieval rate of their presentations.
Final Results:
After the final session of competition had concluded and the score cards were tallied, some impressive statistics emerged: Nearly eleven hundred eligible trout (twenty centimeters and longer) were caught and released during the fifteen hours of competition; Every competitor had managed to catch and record fish; George Daniel of Team USA recorded the highest “fish points” with fourty-seven trout; Ivo Balinov of Team Osprey recorded an equally impressive number of fish with fourty-five trout on his score cards.
The Cinderella story at this year’s NFFC was that of Canada’s National Youth Fly Fishing Team (AKA the “Team River Tawdz”). With the mentoring and guidance of their coach Bob Sheedy, and several members of the senior teams, their performance at this year’s NFFC was an example of teamwork at its absolute finest. The River Tawdz rose to the challenge of this year’s NFFC, and against all odds overtook several seasoned teams and top ranked individuals.
Sixteen year-old Michael Lennox of the River Tawdz had an absolutely brilliant performance and won the individual gold medal. His fellow team mate seventeen year-old Simon Wells gave an equally brilliant performance to win the individual silver medal. Their combined efforts along with the contributions and stellar performances of eighteen year-old David Nonomura, seventeen year-old John Bransfield and thirteen year-old Colin Huff helped to lead their team to a silver medal victory in the team category.
Norman Maktima and Anthony Naranja of Team USA finished third and fourth respectively, in the individual category, and helped their team earn the gold medal in the team category. Team Airflo Equipe was locked in a three-way tie for third place, but broke the tie with the highest “fish points”, and took home the bronze medal. The individual bronze medal was awarded to Sorin Comsa of Team Double Hauls.
Closing Ceremonies:
Le Club des Moucheurs EnDiables of Mont Tremblant volunteered to host and organize this year’s NFFC. Jim Iredale, Denis Landreville, Bernard Dalbec, Pierre Beauregard and Alain Monast and a long list of club members did an outstanding job of making certain that things ran smoothly and to ensure that a great time was had by all. A special round of applause and heart-felt thanks went out to all of the controllers, sector judges, drivers, box lunch makers and volunteers that worked diligently to ensure that this year’s events was a success and provided everyone with an enjoyable and memorable experience.
The Grand Lodge hosted the closing ceremonies banquet, which was followed by the awards ceremonies and a live auction. The kindness and generosity of those that attended the auction helped to raise a significant amount of funds for Fly Fishing Canada’s conservation and youth fly fishing projects.
At the conclusion of the ceremonies, a trophy and a bottle of scotch was awarded to the top placing Canadian team at this year’s NFFC. This symbolic gesture honours the memory and contributions of Bob Jones, who was one of Fly Fishing Canada’s founding members and its self-proclaimed “PR Geezer”. The River Tawdz respectfully and graciously accepted and vowed to save the bottle of scotch until the day that they were all of legal age to raise their glasses in honour of Bob’s memory. The somberness of the moment was shattered for those of us that sat near the podium - as we overheard one of the members of the youth team proclaim that the bottle of scotch was actually older than the youngest member of their team.
The performance of the youth team at this year’s NFFC was a real inspiration, and to be quite honest, I have never met a more respectful, talented and disciplined group anglers… at any age. When I stop to reflect upon their accomplishments at this year’s NFFC, it gives me great pleasure, and reassurance, to know that the future of competitive fly fishing in Canada definitely has a very bright and promising future!
Conservation Symposium:
“Fish as the indicator of water quality, from the source to the Saint-Lawrence”, was the title and theme for this year’s conservation symposium. Three key biologists gave presentations in French, which were simultaneously translated and broadcast in English. The symposium addressed environmental concerns regarding habitat loss and destruction that impact and directly affect water quality, fish populations and angling opportunities within the St. Lawrence waterway and its tributaries.
Side bar:
Brook trout are native to Quebec, but contrary to what their name suggests - they are actually a member of the Char family and not actually a trout. The remarkable colouration of brook trout, truly make them one of the most beautiful and photogenic fish in the world. Their aggressive nature and willingness to chase anything that moves provides a great challenge and sport for the fly fisher.
by Todd Oishi
The 6th Canadian National Fly Fishing Championship & Conservation Symposium (NFFC&CS) took place in the picturesque Laurentian Mountain village of Mont-Tremblant, Quebec from September 7th to the 13th. Fly fishers from all across Canada gathered to compete at the 2008 NFFC with hopes of qualifying for a spot on Canada’s National Fly Fishing Team. The Laurentian’s lush forests of birch, maple and pine of the encompass some of Canadian Shield’s finest rivers and lakes that are renowned for possessing a great wealth of brook and brown trout. Without a doubt, this region of Quebec was the ideal location to hold this year’s NFFC.
The Venues:
This year’s championship consisted of five, three hour sessions of competition that were held on two river and three lake venues. Club Baroux Outfitters generously donated the use of three of their premier lakes and supplied twenty-four boats for the official practice and competition sessions. Two of the competition lakes (Du Cap and Vinet) possessed brook trout while the other (Renversi) had a mixture of rainbow and brook trout.
For the river venues, the organizers wisely selected a five kilometer section of the “fly fishing only” portion of the Diable River. Its French name; “La Rivière de la Diable” translates to “The Devil’s River”, which certainly lived up to its name as it not only challenged the angling skills of all sixty competitors, but its swift currents and slick boulders tested their wading abilities as well. During the competition, many competitors took a spill and/or wound up swimming in the cool waters of the Diable. It wasn’t very long before everyone came to the realization that a sturdy wading staff and quality set of footwear were essential pieces of equipment for safely traversing the Diable.
The Competition:
There were twelve teams (sixty individuals) registered for this year’s NFFC, which included three American competitors and five members of Fly Fishing Team USA. Team USA and the other Americans were eligible to win a team medal, but as this was a Canadian national championship, the individual medals were reserved for Canadian competitors only. The attendance of the Americans added an international flavour to this year’s events, and certainly raised the bar higher for the competition.
During the NFFC, the weather conditions were ideal and the fish were more than willing to chase a properly presented fly. As with any competition - the angling became more challenging and difficult as the competition progressed, as the fish grew wary from the constant smorgasbord of flies that had drifted past their noses. During the latter part of the competition the competitors that fished the less obvious lies and harder to access locations managed to entice and score a few extra fish.
With the mixture of brook and brown trout in the Diable, the effective tactics and techniques proved to be limitless. At times the trout rose freely for dries and emergers, while those that were proficient at Czech Nymph did exceptionally well in the pocket water and deeper runs. Others did amazingly well by simply swinging streamers along the edges and seams, or pulling them through the deeper pools.
The lake venues were fished using traditional loch-style tactics (casting a team of flies ahead of a free-drifting boat) with two competitors sharing a single boat. As the lakes have are frequently stocked, they fished well for the duration of the competition. The main challenge for Lac Du Cap and Renversi was locating the transient schools of brook trout and rainbows. Competitors that succeeded in locating the schools of trout did extremely well by presenting dry flies on long leaders and attractor patterns on fast sinking lines.
Vinet, a spring fed lake, was the most scenic of the competition lakes, but had proved to be the most challenging. Many competitors failed to catch a single fish within its crystal-clear, emerald-green waters. With hardly a rise to be seen, locating fish was a constant challenge, and often, the competitors simply fished blind. In attempt to find the elusive brook trout of Vinet, the competitors constantly experimented with fly patterns and employed a wide range of sinking lines to adjust the depth and retrieval rate of their presentations.
Final Results:
After the final session of competition had concluded and the score cards were tallied, some impressive statistics emerged: Nearly eleven hundred eligible trout (twenty centimeters and longer) were caught and released during the fifteen hours of competition; Every competitor had managed to catch and record fish; George Daniel of Team USA recorded the highest “fish points” with fourty-seven trout; Ivo Balinov of Team Osprey recorded an equally impressive number of fish with fourty-five trout on his score cards.
The Cinderella story at this year’s NFFC was that of Canada’s National Youth Fly Fishing Team (AKA the “Team River Tawdz”). With the mentoring and guidance of their coach Bob Sheedy, and several members of the senior teams, their performance at this year’s NFFC was an example of teamwork at its absolute finest. The River Tawdz rose to the challenge of this year’s NFFC, and against all odds overtook several seasoned teams and top ranked individuals.
Sixteen year-old Michael Lennox of the River Tawdz had an absolutely brilliant performance and won the individual gold medal. His fellow team mate seventeen year-old Simon Wells gave an equally brilliant performance to win the individual silver medal. Their combined efforts along with the contributions and stellar performances of eighteen year-old David Nonomura, seventeen year-old John Bransfield and thirteen year-old Colin Huff helped to lead their team to a silver medal victory in the team category.
Norman Maktima and Anthony Naranja of Team USA finished third and fourth respectively, in the individual category, and helped their team earn the gold medal in the team category. Team Airflo Equipe was locked in a three-way tie for third place, but broke the tie with the highest “fish points”, and took home the bronze medal. The individual bronze medal was awarded to Sorin Comsa of Team Double Hauls.
Closing Ceremonies:
Le Club des Moucheurs EnDiables of Mont Tremblant volunteered to host and organize this year’s NFFC. Jim Iredale, Denis Landreville, Bernard Dalbec, Pierre Beauregard and Alain Monast and a long list of club members did an outstanding job of making certain that things ran smoothly and to ensure that a great time was had by all. A special round of applause and heart-felt thanks went out to all of the controllers, sector judges, drivers, box lunch makers and volunteers that worked diligently to ensure that this year’s events was a success and provided everyone with an enjoyable and memorable experience.
The Grand Lodge hosted the closing ceremonies banquet, which was followed by the awards ceremonies and a live auction. The kindness and generosity of those that attended the auction helped to raise a significant amount of funds for Fly Fishing Canada’s conservation and youth fly fishing projects.
At the conclusion of the ceremonies, a trophy and a bottle of scotch was awarded to the top placing Canadian team at this year’s NFFC. This symbolic gesture honours the memory and contributions of Bob Jones, who was one of Fly Fishing Canada’s founding members and its self-proclaimed “PR Geezer”. The River Tawdz respectfully and graciously accepted and vowed to save the bottle of scotch until the day that they were all of legal age to raise their glasses in honour of Bob’s memory. The somberness of the moment was shattered for those of us that sat near the podium - as we overheard one of the members of the youth team proclaim that the bottle of scotch was actually older than the youngest member of their team.
The performance of the youth team at this year’s NFFC was a real inspiration, and to be quite honest, I have never met a more respectful, talented and disciplined group anglers… at any age. When I stop to reflect upon their accomplishments at this year’s NFFC, it gives me great pleasure, and reassurance, to know that the future of competitive fly fishing in Canada definitely has a very bright and promising future!
Conservation Symposium:
“Fish as the indicator of water quality, from the source to the Saint-Lawrence”, was the title and theme for this year’s conservation symposium. Three key biologists gave presentations in French, which were simultaneously translated and broadcast in English. The symposium addressed environmental concerns regarding habitat loss and destruction that impact and directly affect water quality, fish populations and angling opportunities within the St. Lawrence waterway and its tributaries.
Side bar:
Brook trout are native to Quebec, but contrary to what their name suggests - they are actually a member of the Char family and not actually a trout. The remarkable colouration of brook trout, truly make them one of the most beautiful and photogenic fish in the world. Their aggressive nature and willingness to chase anything that moves provides a great challenge and sport for the fly fisher.
2008 World Fly Fishing Championships - Rotorua, New Zealand
2008 World Fly Fishing Championships & Conservation Symposium
by Todd Oishi
The North Island of New Zealand has long been considered a Mecca for fly fishers throughout the world. Although New Zealand is renowned for its pristine rivers and lakes that are teeming with trout, it is the stunning panoramic views of majestic volcanoes and lush, sub-tropical forests that made this “Paradise on Earth” the ideal setting for this year’s 28th World Fly Fishing Championships (WFFC).
Twenty-four countries were represented at this year’s WFFC, which was held in Rotorua, New Zealand, from March 22nd to the 30th. Fly Fishing Canada sent seven fly fishers to represent Canada at this annual championship. Team Canada 2008 consisted of: Terence Courtoreille from Hay River, NWT; John Nishi from Millarville, Alberta; Randy Taylor from Kanata, Ontario; Donald Thom from Cantley, Quebec; Gord Bacon (team captain) from Kamloops, BC; John Beaven from Parksville, BC; and me (Todd Oishi) from Maple Ridge, BC.
Team Canada’s goal for this year’s WFFC was to place within the "top ten" in the team category. We had high hopes of a respectable finish, as three of our team members had explored and fished the competition venues a year prior to this year’s competition. The information that had been gathered by these individuals provided our team with invaluable insight on tactics, techniques, and patterns that would prove to be effective for enticing New Zealand’s rainbow and brown trout.
The story of New Zealand’s trout:
Historically, the rivers and lakes of New Zealand possessed no trout until 1867, when Tasmanian brown trout (which were originally imported from England) were introduced into its waters. Being a fairly hardy fish, these trout adapted extremely well and thrived in their new environment. As this experiment was deemed a huge success, additional brown trout eggs were ordered and shipped from Scotland, England, Germany, and Italy. Over the next fifty years, over fifty million European brown trout were released into various rivers and lakes throughout New Zealand.
1883 marked the arrival of the first shipment of rainbow trout eggs that were sent from North American. Research has been proven that these eggs belonged to a strain of steelhead that spawned in Sonoma Creek, California (a tributary of San Francisco Bay). Eggs from several other well-known North American rivers, such as the Russian River, were eventually sent as well. Eggs from Gerard rainbow trout, which came from Kootenay Lake in British Columbia, Canada, were also selected based upon the rapid growth rate and impressive size of these trout when fully mature.
With a much longer “growing season” -- in comparison to their cousins within the northern hemisphere -- New Zealand’s trout grew to larger proportions in relatively shorter periods of time. Tagged fish in several of the more productive lakes have been documented gaining as much as four pounds within a single year.
Trout have adapted so well and thrive within these waters, which make it difficult to even imagine A New Zealand without trout, which leaves me to wonder if during its creation; perhaps God may have been so pre-occupied with the task of sculpting its breathtaking landscape that he may have somehow forgotten about the trout.
Practice waters:
Lake Kuratau and Lake Aniwhenua were selected as the two official practice lakes for the WFFC. Both lakes are shallow, man-made reservoirs that fish well during the month of March, which is early autumn in the southern hemisphere. Aniwhenua is considered to be a trophy lake and receives a fair amount of angling pressure throughout the entire year. Kuratau has far greater numbers of trout that are much smaller in size compared to those found in Aniwhenua. Being somewhat representative of the competition lakes, the two practice lakes allowed us to successfully experiment with patterns and techniques.
Catching trout within the dense weedbeds of these lakes involved a tactic that the locals refer to as “fishing the cupboards”. This tactic involves using floating or slow-sinking lines to target the trout that hide in the holes in-between the weedbeds. A stout leader is mandatory as the takes are often savage, and once hooked, the trout bury themselves in the weeds.
The Rangitaiki River was designated as an official practice river as a result of its large populations of brown and rainbow trout. Often, large trout could be observed sipping dries and emergers while sitting in only inches of water. During our time spent on the Rangitaiki we had several practice sessions that produced well-over fifty trout per angler!
In the more remote stretches of the Rangitaiki, enormous fern trees and dense forests of wild, untamed native bush dominate its banks. In these places, the hypnotic sounds of the Cicadas accompanied choirs of unseen songbirds often overpowering the soothing sounds of its rushing waters. These sights and sounds reinforced my belief that this is a rare and special place to stalk trout.
Competition Venues:
Three rivers (Waihou, Waimakariri and Whanganui) and two lakes (Otamangakau and Rotoaira) were selected as the venues for this year’s WFFC. These venues were chosen based upon their natural, unspoiled beauty and the spectacular fishing that they provide. At times, presenting flies to trout within these venues required great concentration as the breathtaking beauty and grandeur that encompasses these waters was a constant distraction.
The Waihou and Waimakariri are spring-fed creeks that have gained reputations for producing healthy numbers of small- and medium-sized trout. Their mineral-rich waters transform into vivid shades of cyan-blue as they flow over layers of white pumice gravel and sand. Massive weed-beds found within their waters create an ideal habitat and shelter for aquatic insects and trout.
The Whanganui River, a wide freestone river, is located in the Taupo - Turangi region. It was selected as a competition venue for its impressive trout populations as well as the larger-than-average size of these trout. The ever-changing gradient transforms the river as it flows through magnificent canyons and wide-open farmland. With an endless supply of shallow riffles, pocket-water, pools and deep heavy-water, it is a river that seems to have been tailor-made for fly fishers.
Lake Otamangakau (also known as “The Big O”) is a relatively small, shallow, weedy lake. It is famous for producing extremely large brown and rainbow trout and is managed as a trophy fishery. These large trout patrol the edges of the deep channels and weed-beds in relatively shallow water. Situated high in the moorland, it offers a unique wilderness setting with a clear and unobstructed view of Mount Tongariro (an active volcano).
Lake Rotoaira is several kilometers in length and much deeper than Lake Otamangakau. It is internationally renowned for its trophy rainbows that often exceed five kilograms in weight. The insect life within its waters is quite prolific, which accounts for the rapid growth-rate and impressive size of its trout. The fighting quality and size of its trout made Rotoaira an excellent choice as a competition venue.
The volcanic mountain ranges within the Taupo - Turangi region are affectionately referred to as “sleeping giants”, even though some are still active. Towering high above the competition lakes, they served as a constant reminder of New Zealand’s turbulent and explosive past. The sight of steam rising through volcanic vents along their rugged slopes added a degree of wonder and uncertainty as we set-foot and cast our flies within their shadows.
The festivities:
This year’s World Fly Fishing Championship and Conservation Symposium was held over a period of eight days with the opening ceremony; a fly tying contest; two official practice days; three days of actual competition; a conservation symposium; and an awards ceremony banquet held at its conclusion.
The grand opening ceremonies were held at the Te Puia Cultural Centre in Rotorua, where traditional Maori dancers welcomed the guests who came from all corners of the world to compete at this annual fly fishing championship.
The New Zealand Open Fly Tying Championships took place on Easter Sunday, which was officially set aside as a day of rest and worship. The fly tying competition was sponsored by Feather Merchants and Umqua, with the intention of showcasing the fly tying skills and creativity of fly tiers from around the globe.
John Nishi and I represented Canada in this friendly competition. The rules were quite simple; we were allotted sixty minutes to tie three flies: a standard Royal Coachman, Gold Bead Olive Wooly Bugger, and a fly of our own personal design. Once completed, the patterns were judged for quality, creativity and the tier’s ability to replicate the original patterns.
This was an excellent opportunity to socialize with other competitors while observing their methods of fly tying. A great time was had by all, and in the end, an extremely talented Finnish fly tier took top honours.
The fly fishing competition:
The potential of encountering extremely large trout at this year’s WFFC added a slight twist, as many of the European competitors were far more accustomed to angling for small grayling and trout. Attempting to use leaders less than seven pound-test was unthinkable and would prove to be a recipe for disaster for many competitors. Stories of snapped leaders and large trout that ran well into the backing seemed to be a common theme of the conversations amongst competitors.
My first session was on the Whanganui River. While large numbers of small trout can be found within its shallow riffles and pocket-water, the larger trout seem to seek shelter and comfort in the deeper waters. During our practice sessions on the Whanganui, we had several sessions that produced high numbers of trout in relatively shallow water. We felt that we had perfected a winning strategy for this venue.
During my session on the Whanganui, I was fortunate to score twenty-five trout using various nymphing techniques. Focusing on the areas that held smaller trout had certainly paid off, but even though I had caught the second highest number of trout for my group, several competitors that had caught lesser numbers had scored higher points as a result of catching a few of the larger trout.
At the end of Day One, we were off to great start as Donald Thom had taken first place on Lake Rotoaira and recorded the biggest fish after two sessions of competition (624mm). Team Canada caught a combined total of 111 measurable trout on the first day and had finished fourth place in Session Two. We currently sat in ninth place overall; trailing only five points behind third place Team Italy; three points behind Team France; and only a single point behind Team England and Team USA who were tied for eight place.
On Day Two I fished the Waihou and Waimakariri Rivers. The depth and power of these spring-creeks is quite deceiving, which made the task of wading and getting my flies down to the appropriate depth extremely challenging at times. Short- and long-line nymphing proved effective for covering trout that sat in shallow riffles and pocket-water while swinging and pulling streamers through the deeper pools produced fish as well.
At the end of Day Two, the standings in the "middle of the pack" were still very tight. After four sessions, we were now tied with Team USA for seventh place; sixth place Team Slovakia was only a single placing point ahead of us; and Team Italy fell three points behind us. We were hopeful of another strong performance on our final two sessions.
On Day Three, my morning session was on Lake Rotoaira. Although the overall size of Rotoaira can be fairly intimidating, we knew that the best fishing would be found in and amongst its massive weed-beds. Fishing was slow, but half-ways through my session I landed a 528 mm rainbow trout, while the Australian competitor in my boat landed his first fish just as time expired.
During my afternoon session on Lake Otamangakau I couldn’t believe my luck -- or lack of -- as the first five trout that I measured were just millimeters shy of scoring and I broke-off a fairly large trout courtesy of a submerged tree branch. Eventually my luck changed when I landed two decent rainbows and a brown trout that measured 457 mm.
During final day of competition, Team Italy finished strong and shot ahead as we dropped one position behind Team USA, which left us with a ninth place finish. Although we had drawn a few tough beats, and had caught a fair number of undersized fish and lost others that could have possibly made a slight difference (par for the course), we were satisfied with the final results, as we had achieved the third highest finish for Team Canada in over twenty years of competing at the WFFC.
In the end, Team Czech Republic was awarded the team gold medal; Team New Zealand was awarded the silver; and Team France the bronze. The individual gold medal was awarded to Martin Droz of the Czech Republic; the silver medal to Julien Daguillanes of France; and the bronze medal to Tomas Starychfojtu of the Czech Republic. Donald Thom finished as the “top rod” of our Canadian Team, with an impressive sixteenth place overall.
At the conclusion of the 2008 WFFC the statistics were amazing to say the least: the average fish length was 255 mm; John Horsey of Team England won the biggest fish award with a 689 mm trout; and an impressive 4270 trout had been recorded during the competition. Team Canada had also set a new personal best, with a combined score of 247 trout.
Later that evening during the closing ceremony’s banquet, we raised our glasses and celebrated our team’s ninth place victory with as much zest and enthusiasm as the medal winning countries, for we knew in our hearts that we had ALL given our very best effort...
Notes from the Conservation Symposium:
This year’s international conservation symposium was a well-attended event, with “Rotorua Lakes Ecology and Restoration Program” being the main theme. Several key speakers and biologists gave presentations about the negative impact that agriculture and farmed animals have on New Zealand’s rivers and lakes.
Although the speakers focused on water quality issues, the topic that seemed to generate the most discussion was that of the plague of the rivers in the South Island... Dydimo!
Dydimo -- frequently referred to as “rock-snot” -- is a freshwater algae that forms thick brown mats on plants, rocks and other objects that are found along the bottom of rivers and streams. The thick blankets of Dydimo suffocate the river bottom and destroys habitat for invertebrates and other organisms that are a major part of the trout’s diet. Without these valuable sources of food, the trout will eventually starve or leave in search for less infected waters.
Currently, there is no “environmentally-friendly” solution for controlling the spread of Dydimo, so New Zealand officials are aggressively enforcing and educating anglers and boaters to check and clean or thoroughly dry their equipment when traveling between waterways. Anglers that are intending to visit New Zealand are strongly encouraged to visit www.nzfishing.com for more information on this subject.
by Todd Oishi
The North Island of New Zealand has long been considered a Mecca for fly fishers throughout the world. Although New Zealand is renowned for its pristine rivers and lakes that are teeming with trout, it is the stunning panoramic views of majestic volcanoes and lush, sub-tropical forests that made this “Paradise on Earth” the ideal setting for this year’s 28th World Fly Fishing Championships (WFFC).
Twenty-four countries were represented at this year’s WFFC, which was held in Rotorua, New Zealand, from March 22nd to the 30th. Fly Fishing Canada sent seven fly fishers to represent Canada at this annual championship. Team Canada 2008 consisted of: Terence Courtoreille from Hay River, NWT; John Nishi from Millarville, Alberta; Randy Taylor from Kanata, Ontario; Donald Thom from Cantley, Quebec; Gord Bacon (team captain) from Kamloops, BC; John Beaven from Parksville, BC; and me (Todd Oishi) from Maple Ridge, BC.
Team Canada’s goal for this year’s WFFC was to place within the "top ten" in the team category. We had high hopes of a respectable finish, as three of our team members had explored and fished the competition venues a year prior to this year’s competition. The information that had been gathered by these individuals provided our team with invaluable insight on tactics, techniques, and patterns that would prove to be effective for enticing New Zealand’s rainbow and brown trout.
The story of New Zealand’s trout:
Historically, the rivers and lakes of New Zealand possessed no trout until 1867, when Tasmanian brown trout (which were originally imported from England) were introduced into its waters. Being a fairly hardy fish, these trout adapted extremely well and thrived in their new environment. As this experiment was deemed a huge success, additional brown trout eggs were ordered and shipped from Scotland, England, Germany, and Italy. Over the next fifty years, over fifty million European brown trout were released into various rivers and lakes throughout New Zealand.
1883 marked the arrival of the first shipment of rainbow trout eggs that were sent from North American. Research has been proven that these eggs belonged to a strain of steelhead that spawned in Sonoma Creek, California (a tributary of San Francisco Bay). Eggs from several other well-known North American rivers, such as the Russian River, were eventually sent as well. Eggs from Gerard rainbow trout, which came from Kootenay Lake in British Columbia, Canada, were also selected based upon the rapid growth rate and impressive size of these trout when fully mature.
With a much longer “growing season” -- in comparison to their cousins within the northern hemisphere -- New Zealand’s trout grew to larger proportions in relatively shorter periods of time. Tagged fish in several of the more productive lakes have been documented gaining as much as four pounds within a single year.
Trout have adapted so well and thrive within these waters, which make it difficult to even imagine A New Zealand without trout, which leaves me to wonder if during its creation; perhaps God may have been so pre-occupied with the task of sculpting its breathtaking landscape that he may have somehow forgotten about the trout.
Practice waters:
Lake Kuratau and Lake Aniwhenua were selected as the two official practice lakes for the WFFC. Both lakes are shallow, man-made reservoirs that fish well during the month of March, which is early autumn in the southern hemisphere. Aniwhenua is considered to be a trophy lake and receives a fair amount of angling pressure throughout the entire year. Kuratau has far greater numbers of trout that are much smaller in size compared to those found in Aniwhenua. Being somewhat representative of the competition lakes, the two practice lakes allowed us to successfully experiment with patterns and techniques.
Catching trout within the dense weedbeds of these lakes involved a tactic that the locals refer to as “fishing the cupboards”. This tactic involves using floating or slow-sinking lines to target the trout that hide in the holes in-between the weedbeds. A stout leader is mandatory as the takes are often savage, and once hooked, the trout bury themselves in the weeds.
The Rangitaiki River was designated as an official practice river as a result of its large populations of brown and rainbow trout. Often, large trout could be observed sipping dries and emergers while sitting in only inches of water. During our time spent on the Rangitaiki we had several practice sessions that produced well-over fifty trout per angler!
In the more remote stretches of the Rangitaiki, enormous fern trees and dense forests of wild, untamed native bush dominate its banks. In these places, the hypnotic sounds of the Cicadas accompanied choirs of unseen songbirds often overpowering the soothing sounds of its rushing waters. These sights and sounds reinforced my belief that this is a rare and special place to stalk trout.
Competition Venues:
Three rivers (Waihou, Waimakariri and Whanganui) and two lakes (Otamangakau and Rotoaira) were selected as the venues for this year’s WFFC. These venues were chosen based upon their natural, unspoiled beauty and the spectacular fishing that they provide. At times, presenting flies to trout within these venues required great concentration as the breathtaking beauty and grandeur that encompasses these waters was a constant distraction.
The Waihou and Waimakariri are spring-fed creeks that have gained reputations for producing healthy numbers of small- and medium-sized trout. Their mineral-rich waters transform into vivid shades of cyan-blue as they flow over layers of white pumice gravel and sand. Massive weed-beds found within their waters create an ideal habitat and shelter for aquatic insects and trout.
The Whanganui River, a wide freestone river, is located in the Taupo - Turangi region. It was selected as a competition venue for its impressive trout populations as well as the larger-than-average size of these trout. The ever-changing gradient transforms the river as it flows through magnificent canyons and wide-open farmland. With an endless supply of shallow riffles, pocket-water, pools and deep heavy-water, it is a river that seems to have been tailor-made for fly fishers.
Lake Otamangakau (also known as “The Big O”) is a relatively small, shallow, weedy lake. It is famous for producing extremely large brown and rainbow trout and is managed as a trophy fishery. These large trout patrol the edges of the deep channels and weed-beds in relatively shallow water. Situated high in the moorland, it offers a unique wilderness setting with a clear and unobstructed view of Mount Tongariro (an active volcano).
Lake Rotoaira is several kilometers in length and much deeper than Lake Otamangakau. It is internationally renowned for its trophy rainbows that often exceed five kilograms in weight. The insect life within its waters is quite prolific, which accounts for the rapid growth-rate and impressive size of its trout. The fighting quality and size of its trout made Rotoaira an excellent choice as a competition venue.
The volcanic mountain ranges within the Taupo - Turangi region are affectionately referred to as “sleeping giants”, even though some are still active. Towering high above the competition lakes, they served as a constant reminder of New Zealand’s turbulent and explosive past. The sight of steam rising through volcanic vents along their rugged slopes added a degree of wonder and uncertainty as we set-foot and cast our flies within their shadows.
The festivities:
This year’s World Fly Fishing Championship and Conservation Symposium was held over a period of eight days with the opening ceremony; a fly tying contest; two official practice days; three days of actual competition; a conservation symposium; and an awards ceremony banquet held at its conclusion.
The grand opening ceremonies were held at the Te Puia Cultural Centre in Rotorua, where traditional Maori dancers welcomed the guests who came from all corners of the world to compete at this annual fly fishing championship.
The New Zealand Open Fly Tying Championships took place on Easter Sunday, which was officially set aside as a day of rest and worship. The fly tying competition was sponsored by Feather Merchants and Umqua, with the intention of showcasing the fly tying skills and creativity of fly tiers from around the globe.
John Nishi and I represented Canada in this friendly competition. The rules were quite simple; we were allotted sixty minutes to tie three flies: a standard Royal Coachman, Gold Bead Olive Wooly Bugger, and a fly of our own personal design. Once completed, the patterns were judged for quality, creativity and the tier’s ability to replicate the original patterns.
This was an excellent opportunity to socialize with other competitors while observing their methods of fly tying. A great time was had by all, and in the end, an extremely talented Finnish fly tier took top honours.
The fly fishing competition:
The potential of encountering extremely large trout at this year’s WFFC added a slight twist, as many of the European competitors were far more accustomed to angling for small grayling and trout. Attempting to use leaders less than seven pound-test was unthinkable and would prove to be a recipe for disaster for many competitors. Stories of snapped leaders and large trout that ran well into the backing seemed to be a common theme of the conversations amongst competitors.
My first session was on the Whanganui River. While large numbers of small trout can be found within its shallow riffles and pocket-water, the larger trout seem to seek shelter and comfort in the deeper waters. During our practice sessions on the Whanganui, we had several sessions that produced high numbers of trout in relatively shallow water. We felt that we had perfected a winning strategy for this venue.
During my session on the Whanganui, I was fortunate to score twenty-five trout using various nymphing techniques. Focusing on the areas that held smaller trout had certainly paid off, but even though I had caught the second highest number of trout for my group, several competitors that had caught lesser numbers had scored higher points as a result of catching a few of the larger trout.
At the end of Day One, we were off to great start as Donald Thom had taken first place on Lake Rotoaira and recorded the biggest fish after two sessions of competition (624mm). Team Canada caught a combined total of 111 measurable trout on the first day and had finished fourth place in Session Two. We currently sat in ninth place overall; trailing only five points behind third place Team Italy; three points behind Team France; and only a single point behind Team England and Team USA who were tied for eight place.
On Day Two I fished the Waihou and Waimakariri Rivers. The depth and power of these spring-creeks is quite deceiving, which made the task of wading and getting my flies down to the appropriate depth extremely challenging at times. Short- and long-line nymphing proved effective for covering trout that sat in shallow riffles and pocket-water while swinging and pulling streamers through the deeper pools produced fish as well.
At the end of Day Two, the standings in the "middle of the pack" were still very tight. After four sessions, we were now tied with Team USA for seventh place; sixth place Team Slovakia was only a single placing point ahead of us; and Team Italy fell three points behind us. We were hopeful of another strong performance on our final two sessions.
On Day Three, my morning session was on Lake Rotoaira. Although the overall size of Rotoaira can be fairly intimidating, we knew that the best fishing would be found in and amongst its massive weed-beds. Fishing was slow, but half-ways through my session I landed a 528 mm rainbow trout, while the Australian competitor in my boat landed his first fish just as time expired.
During my afternoon session on Lake Otamangakau I couldn’t believe my luck -- or lack of -- as the first five trout that I measured were just millimeters shy of scoring and I broke-off a fairly large trout courtesy of a submerged tree branch. Eventually my luck changed when I landed two decent rainbows and a brown trout that measured 457 mm.
During final day of competition, Team Italy finished strong and shot ahead as we dropped one position behind Team USA, which left us with a ninth place finish. Although we had drawn a few tough beats, and had caught a fair number of undersized fish and lost others that could have possibly made a slight difference (par for the course), we were satisfied with the final results, as we had achieved the third highest finish for Team Canada in over twenty years of competing at the WFFC.
In the end, Team Czech Republic was awarded the team gold medal; Team New Zealand was awarded the silver; and Team France the bronze. The individual gold medal was awarded to Martin Droz of the Czech Republic; the silver medal to Julien Daguillanes of France; and the bronze medal to Tomas Starychfojtu of the Czech Republic. Donald Thom finished as the “top rod” of our Canadian Team, with an impressive sixteenth place overall.
At the conclusion of the 2008 WFFC the statistics were amazing to say the least: the average fish length was 255 mm; John Horsey of Team England won the biggest fish award with a 689 mm trout; and an impressive 4270 trout had been recorded during the competition. Team Canada had also set a new personal best, with a combined score of 247 trout.
Later that evening during the closing ceremony’s banquet, we raised our glasses and celebrated our team’s ninth place victory with as much zest and enthusiasm as the medal winning countries, for we knew in our hearts that we had ALL given our very best effort...
Notes from the Conservation Symposium:
This year’s international conservation symposium was a well-attended event, with “Rotorua Lakes Ecology and Restoration Program” being the main theme. Several key speakers and biologists gave presentations about the negative impact that agriculture and farmed animals have on New Zealand’s rivers and lakes.
Although the speakers focused on water quality issues, the topic that seemed to generate the most discussion was that of the plague of the rivers in the South Island... Dydimo!
Dydimo -- frequently referred to as “rock-snot” -- is a freshwater algae that forms thick brown mats on plants, rocks and other objects that are found along the bottom of rivers and streams. The thick blankets of Dydimo suffocate the river bottom and destroys habitat for invertebrates and other organisms that are a major part of the trout’s diet. Without these valuable sources of food, the trout will eventually starve or leave in search for less infected waters.
Currently, there is no “environmentally-friendly” solution for controlling the spread of Dydimo, so New Zealand officials are aggressively enforcing and educating anglers and boaters to check and clean or thoroughly dry their equipment when traveling between waterways. Anglers that are intending to visit New Zealand are strongly encouraged to visit www.nzfishing.com for more information on this subject.
2007 Canadian National Fly Fishing Championship - Grande Prairie, Alberta
5th FFC NATIONAL FLY FISHING CHAMPIONSHIP & CONSERVATION SYMPOSIUM
by Todd Oishi
The 2007 FFC National Fly Fishing Championship and Conservation Symposium (NFFC) was held during the third week of September in the Grande Prairie region of northern Alberta. The City of Grande Prairie, which lies just north of the 55th Parallel, played gracious host to 65 competitors who gathered from across Canada.
Grande Prairie is situated within the southernmost boundaries of the Peace River Country. Its picturesque fields of wheat, barley, oats and canola extend seemingly without end toward the east, while to the north, rich boreal forests and blankets of muskeg extend well into the Northwest Territories. To the west and south, dense forests of lodgepole pine, black spruce, tamarack and aspen provide some relief from unsettled prairie winds.
With an enormous network of rivers and lakes, the Peace River Country’s 300,000 square kilometres of pristine wilderness remain virtually unspoiled by the hands of man. As a result, the rivers in this region possess some of the healthiest populations of grayling and whitefish found in our great nation. It also offers world-class angling for introduced brown trout and native bull trout. For those who prefer casting a fly on stillwaters, the lakes offer a wide variety of species that are second to none for targeting pike and walleyes, plus rainbow, brown, brook and lake trout.
It is the environmental diversity and natural beauty these lands possess that truly makes this a unique and wondrous place to visit with a fly rod in hand, which made it a perfect setting for last year’s 5th NFFC.
CONSERVATION SYMPOSIUM
The event opened with a well-attended Conservation Symposium. These play such an important role that in order to be considered as a host, the area must be actively involved with conservation projects such as habitat reclamation, water preservation, and fish stock rehabilitation. The common theme at this year’s symposium was the concerns over declining numbers of anglers that are actively participating in sport fishing, and the positive steps, such as classroom programs, which will inevitably help turn these statistics around. The guest speakers also revealed some very positive plans for preserving the dwindling fish stocks and protecting and enhancing their habitat.
THE TEAMS
Thirteen teams were entered in the 5th NFFC, resulting in a record-breaking 65 competitors competing for the individual and team medals. Along with several well-experienced and proven teams, three teams of Alberta’s finest fly fishers also rose to the challenge of partaking in the event. Team Henderson, an enthusiastic group from Grande Prairie, consisted of five members of the Henderson family: brothers Dwight and Hugh, Dwight’s sons Greg and Cory, and Hugh’s son, Tanner who, at age 11 set a new record for being the youngest fly fisher to ever compete at a NFFC (and proved to be a real inspiration to the other competitors).
In addition to the regular teams, this year’s NFFC also attracted three of Canada’s fly-fishing legends: Brian Chan, Phil Rowley and Kathy Ruddick, who competed as members of the newly-formed Team Stillwater Solutions. The participation of these celebrity fly fishers generated some additional public interest and awareness of these national competitions. It was felt that their willingness to step out of their individual “comfort-zones” to enter the 5th NFFC may have altered public perception of competitive fly fishing as a whole, which might tempt other fly fishers to consider participating at future events.
THE VENUES
The competition was held at three locations. Four loch-style sessions, each lasting three hours, were held on Spring Lake and Moonshine Lake, and a single bank-style session on the grassy banks of Kakut Pond lasted two hours.
The first morning of competition saw clear skies with fairly light winds, which made lake fishing sessions a pleasant experience for all. The trees surrounding both lakes provided competitors with some relief from the constant wind. Since the lakes were to be fished “loch-style” (casting ahead of a free-drifting boat with the wind at the angler’s back), the winds allowed the boats to drift seemingly without effort along the shorelines.
Spring Lake was the largest and, as its name implies, being spring-fed lake its waters were cool. It possessed large rainbow and brook trout (up to five pounds) that eagerly pursued properly presented flies in those gin-clear waters. Numerous beaver lodges dotting the shoreline provided excellent structure and habitat for aquatic insects and small forage fish, and for the trout that prey on them. Its gradual transition from shallow, weed-covered shoals to a maximum depth of nearly 70 feet required a wide selection of fly lines and tactics to cover the various depths and zones effectively.
With a maximum water depth of only 14 feet, Moonshine Lake is at the opposite end of the spectrum. Due to this severe lack of depth and the prolonged hours of daylight during the summer months, it was highly prone to algae blooms that left the competitor’s flies and tippet knots coated with vibrant shades of emerald green. Similar to Spring Lake, the beaver lodges seemed to act as a magnet for the lake’s trout. Although Moonshine possessed slightly smaller-sized rainbows than Spring, what they lacked in size they more than made up for with sheer numbers, for it consistently produced the largest number of catches per sessions.
Both Spring and Moonshine fished very well during the entire competition. Many trout were landed and scored on both, and every competitor caught fish at one time or the other. Kakut Pond, on the other hand, was an extremely challenging venue, as it offered the competitors little or no protection from those occasionally harsh prairie winds.
Kakut Pond (roughly translates to “mud lake” from the Cree language) is a Wetland Conservation Project that was built and funded by Ducks Unlimited Canada. An extremely small body of water, due to safety concerns over its muddy, unstable bottom it was designated as a “bank-style” venue, meaning that wading was strictly forbidden. Due to heavy weeds that choked the shoreline, the no wading rule made landing the pond’s medium-sized rainbow trout an extremely challenging proposition. With the competitors fishing in tight quarters and in such windy conditions, Kakut was also designated as a “single-fly-only” venue to minimize concerns over the safety of competitors and their controllers.
At the halfway point during the bank-fishing sessions on Kakut Pond, the competitors rotated positions to allow each one equal time and opportunity to cast with the wind to their side or back. After fighting a strong headwind for nearly an hour, I eagerly awaited my opportunity to cast with more favourable winds, as the first half of my session on Kakut resulted in zero fish scored. Luckily, the second half was kinder as I had the wind to my back, and I managed to score four rainbows that took a very small dry fly.
As the competition progressed and the waters saw increased angling pressure, the overall number of competitors experiencing blanks (zero fish scored) was also on a slight increase. Rapid barometric pressure changes and constantly changing weather patterns also affected fishing during the latter part of the competition.
THE FINAL RESULTS
Although fly fishing is generally perceived as being an individual sport, competing as a member of a team at a national or international competition is all about teamwork. Being presented with a Team Medal that resulted from the efforts of the entire team is one of the most gratifying and rewarding experiences that any competitive fly fisher can ever achieve. In the end, Team Double Hauls received the Team Bronze Medals, Team Equipe Airflo the Team Silver, and Team Stillwater Solutions the Team Gold Medals.
The Individual Bronze Medal was awarded to Randy Taylor of Kanata, Ontario (Equipe Airflo), Individual Silver Medal to Brian Chan of Kamloops, British Columbia (Stillwater Solutions), and Individual Gold Medal and the prestigious Doug Austin Memorial Trophy (awarded to the “Top Rod” of each NFFC) went to Norman Rupprecht of Edmonton, Alberta (Stillwater Solutions).
EPILOGUE
Overall, it was considered a very successful event that everyone appeared to enjoy tremendously. Several first-time competitors with whom I spoke afterwards, told me that the knowledge they gained during the competition was invaluable, which will add a few new techniques and tactics to their lake fly fishing arsenal for both recreational fishing and future competitions.
During the closing ceremonies, as the teams celebrated their victories and the individual triumphs of each team member, many were already busy discussing and making plans for next year’s FFC National Fly Fishing Championship and Conservation Symposium, which will be held at Mont Tremblant, Quebec, on 6-13 September 2008.
THE WINNING TEAMS
STILLWATER SOLUTIONS: GOLD
Todd Oishi (Captain): BC
Brian Chan: BC
Phil Rowley: Alta.
Kathy Ruddick: BC
Norman Rupprecht: Alta.
EQUIPE AIRFLO: SILVER
Randy Taylor (Captain): Ont.
Mark Anderson: Ont.
John Beaven: BC
John Huff: Que.
Donald Thom: Que.
DOUBLE HAULS: BRONZE
Byron Shepherd (Captain): Ont.
Sorin Comsa: Ont.
Brian Duffy: Nfld.
Matt Major: BC
Tyler Mason: Alta.
by Todd Oishi
The 2007 FFC National Fly Fishing Championship and Conservation Symposium (NFFC) was held during the third week of September in the Grande Prairie region of northern Alberta. The City of Grande Prairie, which lies just north of the 55th Parallel, played gracious host to 65 competitors who gathered from across Canada.
Grande Prairie is situated within the southernmost boundaries of the Peace River Country. Its picturesque fields of wheat, barley, oats and canola extend seemingly without end toward the east, while to the north, rich boreal forests and blankets of muskeg extend well into the Northwest Territories. To the west and south, dense forests of lodgepole pine, black spruce, tamarack and aspen provide some relief from unsettled prairie winds.
With an enormous network of rivers and lakes, the Peace River Country’s 300,000 square kilometres of pristine wilderness remain virtually unspoiled by the hands of man. As a result, the rivers in this region possess some of the healthiest populations of grayling and whitefish found in our great nation. It also offers world-class angling for introduced brown trout and native bull trout. For those who prefer casting a fly on stillwaters, the lakes offer a wide variety of species that are second to none for targeting pike and walleyes, plus rainbow, brown, brook and lake trout.
It is the environmental diversity and natural beauty these lands possess that truly makes this a unique and wondrous place to visit with a fly rod in hand, which made it a perfect setting for last year’s 5th NFFC.
CONSERVATION SYMPOSIUM
The event opened with a well-attended Conservation Symposium. These play such an important role that in order to be considered as a host, the area must be actively involved with conservation projects such as habitat reclamation, water preservation, and fish stock rehabilitation. The common theme at this year’s symposium was the concerns over declining numbers of anglers that are actively participating in sport fishing, and the positive steps, such as classroom programs, which will inevitably help turn these statistics around. The guest speakers also revealed some very positive plans for preserving the dwindling fish stocks and protecting and enhancing their habitat.
THE TEAMS
Thirteen teams were entered in the 5th NFFC, resulting in a record-breaking 65 competitors competing for the individual and team medals. Along with several well-experienced and proven teams, three teams of Alberta’s finest fly fishers also rose to the challenge of partaking in the event. Team Henderson, an enthusiastic group from Grande Prairie, consisted of five members of the Henderson family: brothers Dwight and Hugh, Dwight’s sons Greg and Cory, and Hugh’s son, Tanner who, at age 11 set a new record for being the youngest fly fisher to ever compete at a NFFC (and proved to be a real inspiration to the other competitors).
In addition to the regular teams, this year’s NFFC also attracted three of Canada’s fly-fishing legends: Brian Chan, Phil Rowley and Kathy Ruddick, who competed as members of the newly-formed Team Stillwater Solutions. The participation of these celebrity fly fishers generated some additional public interest and awareness of these national competitions. It was felt that their willingness to step out of their individual “comfort-zones” to enter the 5th NFFC may have altered public perception of competitive fly fishing as a whole, which might tempt other fly fishers to consider participating at future events.
THE VENUES
The competition was held at three locations. Four loch-style sessions, each lasting three hours, were held on Spring Lake and Moonshine Lake, and a single bank-style session on the grassy banks of Kakut Pond lasted two hours.
The first morning of competition saw clear skies with fairly light winds, which made lake fishing sessions a pleasant experience for all. The trees surrounding both lakes provided competitors with some relief from the constant wind. Since the lakes were to be fished “loch-style” (casting ahead of a free-drifting boat with the wind at the angler’s back), the winds allowed the boats to drift seemingly without effort along the shorelines.
Spring Lake was the largest and, as its name implies, being spring-fed lake its waters were cool. It possessed large rainbow and brook trout (up to five pounds) that eagerly pursued properly presented flies in those gin-clear waters. Numerous beaver lodges dotting the shoreline provided excellent structure and habitat for aquatic insects and small forage fish, and for the trout that prey on them. Its gradual transition from shallow, weed-covered shoals to a maximum depth of nearly 70 feet required a wide selection of fly lines and tactics to cover the various depths and zones effectively.
With a maximum water depth of only 14 feet, Moonshine Lake is at the opposite end of the spectrum. Due to this severe lack of depth and the prolonged hours of daylight during the summer months, it was highly prone to algae blooms that left the competitor’s flies and tippet knots coated with vibrant shades of emerald green. Similar to Spring Lake, the beaver lodges seemed to act as a magnet for the lake’s trout. Although Moonshine possessed slightly smaller-sized rainbows than Spring, what they lacked in size they more than made up for with sheer numbers, for it consistently produced the largest number of catches per sessions.
Both Spring and Moonshine fished very well during the entire competition. Many trout were landed and scored on both, and every competitor caught fish at one time or the other. Kakut Pond, on the other hand, was an extremely challenging venue, as it offered the competitors little or no protection from those occasionally harsh prairie winds.
Kakut Pond (roughly translates to “mud lake” from the Cree language) is a Wetland Conservation Project that was built and funded by Ducks Unlimited Canada. An extremely small body of water, due to safety concerns over its muddy, unstable bottom it was designated as a “bank-style” venue, meaning that wading was strictly forbidden. Due to heavy weeds that choked the shoreline, the no wading rule made landing the pond’s medium-sized rainbow trout an extremely challenging proposition. With the competitors fishing in tight quarters and in such windy conditions, Kakut was also designated as a “single-fly-only” venue to minimize concerns over the safety of competitors and their controllers.
At the halfway point during the bank-fishing sessions on Kakut Pond, the competitors rotated positions to allow each one equal time and opportunity to cast with the wind to their side or back. After fighting a strong headwind for nearly an hour, I eagerly awaited my opportunity to cast with more favourable winds, as the first half of my session on Kakut resulted in zero fish scored. Luckily, the second half was kinder as I had the wind to my back, and I managed to score four rainbows that took a very small dry fly.
As the competition progressed and the waters saw increased angling pressure, the overall number of competitors experiencing blanks (zero fish scored) was also on a slight increase. Rapid barometric pressure changes and constantly changing weather patterns also affected fishing during the latter part of the competition.
THE FINAL RESULTS
Although fly fishing is generally perceived as being an individual sport, competing as a member of a team at a national or international competition is all about teamwork. Being presented with a Team Medal that resulted from the efforts of the entire team is one of the most gratifying and rewarding experiences that any competitive fly fisher can ever achieve. In the end, Team Double Hauls received the Team Bronze Medals, Team Equipe Airflo the Team Silver, and Team Stillwater Solutions the Team Gold Medals.
The Individual Bronze Medal was awarded to Randy Taylor of Kanata, Ontario (Equipe Airflo), Individual Silver Medal to Brian Chan of Kamloops, British Columbia (Stillwater Solutions), and Individual Gold Medal and the prestigious Doug Austin Memorial Trophy (awarded to the “Top Rod” of each NFFC) went to Norman Rupprecht of Edmonton, Alberta (Stillwater Solutions).
EPILOGUE
Overall, it was considered a very successful event that everyone appeared to enjoy tremendously. Several first-time competitors with whom I spoke afterwards, told me that the knowledge they gained during the competition was invaluable, which will add a few new techniques and tactics to their lake fly fishing arsenal for both recreational fishing and future competitions.
During the closing ceremonies, as the teams celebrated their victories and the individual triumphs of each team member, many were already busy discussing and making plans for next year’s FFC National Fly Fishing Championship and Conservation Symposium, which will be held at Mont Tremblant, Quebec, on 6-13 September 2008.
THE WINNING TEAMS
STILLWATER SOLUTIONS: GOLD
Todd Oishi (Captain): BC
Brian Chan: BC
Phil Rowley: Alta.
Kathy Ruddick: BC
Norman Rupprecht: Alta.
EQUIPE AIRFLO: SILVER
Randy Taylor (Captain): Ont.
Mark Anderson: Ont.
John Beaven: BC
John Huff: Que.
Donald Thom: Que.
DOUBLE HAULS: BRONZE
Byron Shepherd (Captain): Ont.
Sorin Comsa: Ont.
Brian Duffy: Nfld.
Matt Major: BC
Tyler Mason: Alta.
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