2008 World Fly Fishing Championships

[LorenWilliams]

[quote author=FK link=topic=1474.msg10561#msg10561 date=1207055111]
But they are not involved in traditional fly fishing,,,,,it is a Contest, competition, scoring, judges, rules, egos etc.



Regards,
FK
[/quote]

So you've been to a FIPS-Mouche event and met the folks who compete eh?

[LorenWilliams]

[quote author=alanb_ct link=topic=1474.msg10557#msg10557 date=1207046382]
Thanks for the explanation Loren. From the formula, two 20cm fish score the same number of points as one 45cm fish. Since the smaller fish are much faster to land, catching them increases your productivity or efficiency. Say for example that a 20cm (~8in) trout takes 5s to land, score and release, while a 45cm (~18in) takes 50s or so. In this way, you could accumulate the same number of points (1000) in 10s with the smaller fish (100pts per second), but your efficiency reduces to only (20pts per second) with the larger fish.

In a stream area with lots of small fish, you could rack up the points fast. It's interesting how the competitions force you to locate areas that contain small fish - this is counter to how we usually fish a stream for sport!
[/quote]

alanB,

these competitions reward consistency. No one guns for trophy fish, nor do we break them off if we hook one. Strategically, you try to net a fish in the first 5 minutes of your session to avoid the dreaded blank. If that is a 5 pound beast you see sipping terrestrials so be it. Then, you fish accordingly to what you think will be most effective and take what the beat gives you. I'd hesitate to say we try to catch little fish--we just don't rig to catch trophies.

But, your assessment is indeed accurate--good job.

[AaronJasper]

I will tell you guys something about competitive fly fishermen. I have never seen a bunch of guys that are better for sharing information and wanting to help out fellow angler. Davy and Loren are two prime examples. Riley Cotter is another person who is on team USA and always takes time to answer my questions and I truly believe they have a genuine interest to see me do well.

I have not had a negative experience when dealing with a competitive fly fisherman. Have any of you?

[FK]

Yes, many years ago we had a very friendly tournament on Martha's Vineyard in October. Gradually it became well known and many prizes were offered,,,,,then we had fishermen adding lead sinkers to the fishes stomach to boost the weight and win the $$$$. We were FF in the early 1970's when very few even considered the long rods in salt water.

I have a friend who competed in the B.A.S.S. tournaments, he followed one very big personality on the CT river in the few days prior to the "tournament" hoping to learn some techniques. This famous TV personality was salting wire boxes with larger bass caught in the pre tournament days of pracitce. Guess what happened on the first day,,,,he blasted down to the wire cages and filled his live well and won the day. He also found many examples of cheating by the contestants and quit the B.A.S.S. tournaments.

IGFA - Light line tests for FF and saltwater fish,,,,,killing many thousands of fish by overplaying them to exhaustion,,,,why does the IGFA need 4#, 6# etc. class for large saltwater fish? More entries and more membership to pump up "I have a world record fish in the books".

If the individual likes competion and prizes and names in the record books that is fine and should be a personal decision. I have over generalizing all competitive fishing and it may not apply to "World Championships" for FF.

If I have offended anyone, I sincerely appologize.

Regards,
FK

[AaronJasper]

The fish caught in WCFF are netted, measured and returned to the water. There is no room for cheating someone watches all the time and its not only the controller. Also, many useful techniques are gained from this type of fishing. No fish are creeled either. Barbless hooks are used as to cause no damage to the fish.

Also, people have the choice not to do it.

[SlowNDeep]

If there is competition, there is room for cheating - somewhere.

There are no hooks that cause NO damage to fish, and some debate that barbless hooks cause more damage, though I have no opinion on that matter, I have not examined the data critically.

[jareynolds]

Interesting thread. My only experience with competition anglers is on this site and i will agree with others that they have been a wealth of info. I have been fly fishing for 30+ years and by no means an expert or evan close, i just really enjoy the sport. Many times when people find out that i ff there is an immediate sense that think i am some kind of snob. Conversely their have been many times i have been on the river and tried to be freindly and start a conversation with somebody and gotten a cold shoulder. I can't say that i blame competitive fishing for the problems some of us see in attitude, it is just the way we are as a society.
So i will continue to say hi to fellow anglers in the hope we can just get along.

[Nymphmeister]

Aaron, I hear the French have been known to cheat in competition. It may just be a rumor, but I've heard it more than once.

[LorenWilliams]

Torrey, all I've ever heard was rumor. I've watched them fish enough to know that if there is a team that does not need to cheat it's the French. They really are that good.

[Nymphmeister]

Loren-

All I've heard is rumors too. But, I have heard that they are quite talented, just like you said. I know the French love to catch, keep & eat their trout and make Pate. I hear the streams in France are HARD fished and it takes considerable skill to catch fish there. There is a good chapter in Leonard Wright's book "Trout Heresies" entitled "The World's Greatest Trout Fisherman" where he talks about following around a professional French fisherman who made a living catching trout out of public streams and selling them to restaurants. He said the guy's abilities were nothing short of amazing.