Hamann: Thank you again for taking the time to entertain these questions. As always I like to jump right in. What was the impetus to write this book and what does “Dynamic Nymphing” mean to you? Also, all though you don’t find the word “competition” on the cover all of the material discussed is extremely pertinent to the competitive angler: what do you hope it will bring to that community?

Daniel: Thank you for the interview. My passion behind the book was to write a broad perspective on nymphing. As much as I enjoy fishing the Euro methods, I understand there’s other nymphing tactics that suit unique stream conditions.

In order for success to occur, I believe anglers must implement a wide range of tactics throughout a season. Also, variety is the spice of life and utilizing a range of tactics, keeps my interest peaked everyday on the water.

Also, I think in very simple terms (well, at least that’s what I believe) and I wanted to express my basics views on what many anglers believe to be complicated strategies.

I hope readers understand I’m not advocating a “new” or “revolutionary” tactic. For example, Czech Nymphing is a form of Tight Line Nymphing that has been practiced for eons. However, these “euro” tactics are simply improvements (progress…if you will) to an already solid foundation. For example, improvements in long rod technology, sighters, curly cue (spiral) indicators, tungsten beads and specialty hooks are significant advances in nymphing. All I’m attempting to do is share with readers the small advances in nymphing that will aid their successes along the stream.

Hamann: Many competitors self impose a strict regimen of fishing only by comp standards. After so many years in the game what is your take on this? Do you think it’s essential to fish fips-mouche style 100% of the time?

Daniel: If you’re really set on becoming a good competitive angler, you first have to possess confidence with the enforced rules. For me, that meant spending a good 6-8 months practicing only with the Fips rules. However, at some point during this strick regiment, I felt I needed to position myself outside these rules and look in.

Meaning, I actually began to use manufactured suspenders (aka indicators) and spent time with some great indicator-fishers, which eventually provided me with insights as to how to fish the dry dropper. This thought process only occurred to me when I stepped away from the Fips format, which provided me with a fresh look at tactics.

Also, I enjoy catching fish and that means I’m usually open to most tactics (except for bait fishing) to get the job done. My current passion is throwing large articulated streamers, which is a big no-no in international rules. I think sticking strictly to these rules takes away many of fly fishing’s enjoyable avenues to catch fish.

Hamann: Just skimming through your book it’s obvious you’re not a “one man show”. So much of the book pays homage, in photo and writing, to the many great teachers and friends you’ve met along the way. Tell us a little about some of the most influential voices who brought these techniques to life for you?

Daniel: Yes, I have had so many great mentors over the years. One key to my success was to surround myself with anglers who are better than I was. Humility was one of my best teachers. You can’t be afraid to be outdone by another angler…it’s inevitable so you should embrace it.

First and foremost is Joe Humphreys – the man who took the time to spend a few moments to teach a youngster. I really owe Joe a lot for building a strong foundation and more important for giving me encouragement. It’s amazing what a little encouragement can do!

Second, I want to give credit to many of my teammates who shared their knowledge with me during my 7 year stay with FF Team USA. One thing Joe Humphreys always stressed to me was to “give credit where credit is due.” I’ll be honest when I say that I learned the most from Lance Egan. The guy is one of the most solid (all around) anglers on the globe. However, there are so many guys including Loren Williams, Devin Olson, Josh Stephens, Pete Erickson, and Brett Bishop that also shared some great tips. A man who always fishes alone fishes lonely waters.

I like to surround myself with those who aren’t afraid to disagree with me. Engaging yourself in deep conversation really makes you think why you do what you do. This is the only way you grow as an angler and as a human being.

Hamann: The section on your flies coupled with the photos is almost worth the price of the book alone. I knew you were a nut for weighing flies but the detail you dive into and the care you take in organizing your fly boxes is quite impressive. Tell us a little bit about why this is so important and how this aspect of your game has evolved over the years?

Daniel: Besides lengthening the cast to provide my nymphs additional time to gain the bottom or changing rod tip angles during the stop (i.e. modified tuck casts)… weight adjustment is my third adjustment. I’m not going to go into great detail about my organization system but sum it up in one sentence – my nymphs are organized according to weight, in small increments. This really allows me to micro manage the weight used during the drift.

Hamann: Speaking of great photography. I see much of the photo work attributed to you and your wife. Could you tell us a little about your photo gear? Is this just a perfunctory adjunct to producing a book or more of a hobby?

Daniel: I own a Nikon D90-a good entry level camera that served me well during the last year of the book project. Before that, I utilized the original Nikon D100, which also captured usable images.

I actually love photography but have to admit that I have a lot of work to do before calling myself a photographer. My editor, Jay Nichols passed along some great tips that allowed Amidea and myself to capture usable shots. Also, I have a younger brother who lives in West Yellowstone and has become a good photographer. This has motivated me even more to travel out west and spend time learning from him. Becoming a better photographer has become one of my top goals for 2012.

Hamann: I was a little surprised to find a good portion of the book dedicated to casting technique. Do you think many competitors overlook the importance of effective casting when they get “Close Nymphing Blinders” on?

Daniel: Maybe a few competitive anglers! I wanted to really break down every split second before, during, and after the cast. There are so many subtleties in casting and the presentation so I wanted to break it down to the very core.
photo by Hallie Mansfield

Hamann: Now that it’s obvious this book will be a great success what plans do you have for your next project?

Daniel: I have a few projects that will keep me busy the next five years 

Hamann: Let’s turn our attention to your Team USA credentials for a moment. I believe one of the most impressive accomplishments in American Competitive Fly Fishing to date was your back to back National Championship wins in 2007 and 2009 (no national in 08’). Please, without brevity, can you walk us through this incredible showing?

Daniel: Limited skill and a good bit of luck go a long way. I had a great group of teammates that shared great information with me in 2007 and 2009. What I remember most during those two comps was my ability to stay calm when things went wrong (e.g. getting a rough beat or dropping a fish).

The key to sustained success is not thinking about past accomplishments. The only thing that reminds me of past accomplishments are the few medals in my house. My advice to current competitors is to never get hung on past performances. I see a few of the new guns strutting their stuff after a good finish at a regional qualifier. Their arrogance reeks and these are normally the anglers that rarely continue to improve. Confidence is a necessary tool in any aspect of life but I have no time for arrogance. The presence of arrogance creates an information barricade.

I’m not a competitive person by nature. That is, I never went into a competition saying to myself, “man, do I really want to kick this guy’s butt today.” That would have ruined it for me. Instead, I consider myself pretty laid back in comparison to many in the competitive circuit. All I had working for me during those years was the will to do the best I was capable of doing…nothing more. What I lack in skill…I make up for in work ethic.

Hamann: I’m sure you must cherish your multiple trips as a member with the Fly Fishing Team USA World Squad. Can you highlight some of your fondest memories including your 5th place finish in the 2006 World Championships held in Portugal?

Daniel: My fondest memory was during my last session on the Mondego River. This was the river that proved to be the most difficult for all competitors. It was a large, warm, and slow moving body of water with few holding spots for trout…it reminded me more a warm water fishery.

I think I was ranked somewhere like 8th or 9th going into this final session. Up to that point, I felt good with my performance but knew I was about to face my most difficult venue. I had Vladi and Anthony watching, which helped immensely. The river is actually classified as a tail-water but temperatures were pushing 70 degrees. Water generation would occur without warning. A few trout were caught during non-generating but many were caught just as the river was rising and you only had about 25 minutes to produce before the river was blown out. There were very few likely holding spots for trout in this large expanse of water so you had to be at the right place as the water begun to rise.

I fished my beat for over two hours without any signs of a trout, although I did manage to land several course fish. With only 30 minutes left, I was fishing the lower half of my beet (400 yards long) when Vladi began yelling “the water is rising.” As soon as I hear these words, I ran 100 yards up the middle of the river to the one likely holding spot and began to work the water. Within 25 minutes, I landed two trout and then the river was completely blown out. What I remember most during Portugal was the last 10-15 minutes of my last session on the Mondego River. At that point, the river was completely blown but and it was getting to be late evening. The river flowed through a beautiful valley filled with small villages and terraces spread over the landscape. The soft evening light highlighted the entire valley and I just had one of those moments when I thought to myself: “wow…what an experience!” I ended up 5th, which is respectable but what I remember most was the last 10 minutes of that session. In fact, the only photo of Portugal I have is the shot taken from the top of the mountain (from my hotel window) looking down at the spot in the valley I finished my last session.

Hamann: This might seem like a minor question, but I’m curious. Do you end up using your “home flies” at World venues? Or do you find, when the beat bell rings are you are using almost exclusively flies you’ve tied on site?

Daniel: Absolutely! As I’ve gotten a little older and perhaps wiser, I have become a minimalist and have found most trout patterns will work anywhere around the globe. Of course, the team would learn about a particular “local” pattern but most often I use confidence patterns.

Hamann: With the advent of incredible resources like the TroutLegend Forum and your Book it seems there are no “secrets” anymore. No secret flies, no secret leaders, no secret techniques. Do you believe this to be true?

Daniel: I would agree with that statement 97% of the time. However, I’m sure there are a few tightly held secrets out there.

Hamann: I recently saw a statistic that said 175 Individual World showings have originated from European countries and 3 from the Americas. Why has there historically been so much “suckage” on this side of the pond and do you think we’re gaining any ground on our European competitive counterparts?

Daniel: In my opinion, up to 6 years ago…the US has sent few qualified angler over the pond. In my opinion, so many of the top Euro competitors are guys who compete on a weekly basis. Literally, the Euro countries are smaller where competitors can meet and compete against each other on a weekly basis. The key is repetition. You can practice by yourself all you want but only anglers can replicate the pressures of competition in that setting. This is changing with the formation of regional competitive teams. I think you’re going to see a better US showing in the future.

Also, teams like France, Czech Republic, Slovakia and several others have strong youth programs. The US Youth Team is making some noise and there is now a group of kids that can transition into the adult team.

Hamann: You recently had a short stint as Head Coach for the USA Adult Fly Fishing Team, but then resigned. What is your view of where this team has been and where it needs to go?

Daniel: There is no doubt that FF Team USA possesses the best group of competitive anglers. One of the team’s biggest challenges is gaining support from both the public and fly fishing industry. I believe creating a transparent organization is the first step to gain support. That is, when FF Team USA says the board has made a decision…who is the board? If this truly is America’s team then the public needs to know who is making these decisions. Somebody needs to be held accountable.

That is, when Team USA says that three anglers will be hand picked – who is hand picking the team? If I were an angler looking to spend thousands of dollars traveling to make the team…I want to know who is deciding my fate.

Also, the team needs to develop another National Championship committee. This was a huge task Jack Dennis was able to accomplish in 2006 & 2007. Unfortunately, this group dissolved after only two years. Ideally, this group would organize all regional qualifiers along with the nationals rather than the actual competitors, which is the case for some of the 2012 events. Competitors need to focus on competing – not organizing events. This group would also be responsible for uniting hosting clubs/ff groups across the country to bring about greater awareness for FF Team USA. In my opinion, this was one of Jack’s greatest contributions to FF Team USA – he demonstrated that creating such organizations could happen. For example, he formed a group of volunteers from Fresno, Kalamazoo, Bend, Salt Lake, Cody, and Boudler – all within a two year period. Unfortunately, I failed to accomplish such a task during my brief tenure as coach. I hope whoever is in charge takes their job serious enough to think of forming a similar structure. It’s a huge task but it needs to be done.

Hamann: Put simply, what do you think sets a very high level competitor apart from a true champion who finds the podium again and again?

Daniel: Great competitors acknowledge their weaknesses and focus a large part of their training to improve. I always heard guys like Lance, Loren, and Devin talk more about their weaknesses they planned to work on.

Hamann: What are your thoughts on the TroutLegend Fly Fishing League? And do you think you’ll ever enter the competitive circuit again?

Daniel: Frist, I appreciate the fact that the site demands users display their real names and appreciate the site is clean. I see very little bashing on this site. Strong opinions are fine as these qualities bring about richer conversation but pure rudeness only breaks apart human relationships. So thanks to Mr. Hamann for his efforts to unite anglers.

As for competing again…No. One thing I will give myself credit for is the ability to focus. When I competed from 06-09, my entire world revolved around FF Team USA. My focus was so intense that I sometimes neglected other aspects in my life.

When my daughter was born in Feb 2009, I was competing for FF Team USA, Head Coach for the US Youth Team, writing Dynamic Nymphing, travelled and spoke to 20 fly fishing organizations along with my normal 45 hours a week job at TCO and trying to be a husband. I was totally burnt out by the end of 2009 and even back in 2008 I knew I didn’t have the time necessary to stay at the top. So before the 2009 Nationals, I told my wife that I was going to win Nationals and retire on a high note. My plan actually worked.

I just don’t have the time needed to compete at a high level. This was evident during my 2009 and 2010 performance in the Worlds. I was wasting my time and taking a spot from someone who could better perform the job.

Also, I realized there are more important things in life than a fly fishing competition….money in the bank, funding a few ROTH IRA’s, and spending time with my family.

Hamann: I hope I’m not spilling the beans here, but I’ve heard rumor you’ve signed on to Coach the North Carolina Fly Fishing Team this year? Team NC dominated the TroutLegend League last year taking home the much sought after Top Team of North America Trophy – what do you hope to bring to this all ready stellar squad?

Daniel: I thought I was done (at least for a while) coaching competitive fly fishing when I resigned from FF Team USA. However, I got a call from Paul Bourcq one day after my resignation to discuss the opportunity to work with the NC FF Team. I ran a clinic last fall for this group and was impressed with the organization. In fact, while driving home I called Amidea to tell her how impressed I was with NC FF Team and the excitement I felt from all team members. I love people who have a “synergy” mindset and knew this was the most organized competitive team/organization in North America followed in second by the US Youth Team.

Long story short, it didn’t take me long to decide I wanted to be part of this organization. Everyone wants to be part of something that is bigger than they are and the NC FF Team is exactly that. They have an active board, a non profit status, funding, great community support, and an excited group of anglers. Tough to say no to that.

Hamann: People are starting to see the competitive scene “Blow up” in the last year. As of this writing there are all ready 30 competitions on the schedule for the current 2012/2013 cycle and an estimated 70-100 comps may clear before the cycle’s end. Reports tell us World leaders like the Czechs and Brits engage in competitions nearly every weekend of their open season. Still, recent stats show us our National Fly Fishing team members engage in only a handful of competitions each year at best. Do you believe a competitor can excel at the World or National level without the rigor of regular competition?

Daniel: If you read Michale Phelps book “No Limits,” Malcom Gladwell’s “Outliers,” or any number of self help books, you will see that there’s a parallel between time spent working on the skill and the level of success. The Czechs do compete on a weekly basis and you can see how honed they are while competing.

I think the US has more than enough skill to strike a medal this year but I know the current team would have a better chance if they fished on a monthly basis. The physical distance that separates current team members and the lack of funding is hurting this team.
All I’m saying is if you put the top five FF Team USA anglers into a similar Czech system (competing every week) – they would rock it every year. Fly Fishing Team USA really has all the talent needed to strike gold – if the talent is developed.

Hamann: When one drives up to the TCO Fly Shop in State College PA they will see a huge billboard poster of you guiding your wife. Would you be so kind as to introduce your family to us? How has your wife guided you over the years?

Daniel: My incredible wife of 10 years; Amidea has been with me since 1996 and has never looked back. She was the one who encouraged me to travel to the first US qualifier in Bend, OR. Amidea is also the one who supported my decision to spend weeks away from home and spend some of our discretionary income to travel with FF Team USA. She actually loves to fish and it was tough for both of us when I traveled to Europe and she couldn’t go. There was a 4 year period when we didn’t take a single fishing trip together due to all my vacation time being put towards Team USA. As an old saying goes, “Behind every good angler is a great women” and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.

We also have a three year old daughter and a one year old son. Amidea and I don’t really care if they ever take up fly fishing but we want to immerse them in the outdoors…something so many kids today never take part in. It’s amazing to see the difference in both their attitudes when they spend an hour outside playing as compared to watching TV inside.

Hamann: What are your dogs names?

Daniel: Helios and Madison.

Hamann: I hear you just moved to a place right on the banks of the famed Big Fishing Creek in Centre County Pennsylvania? How has this creek shaped you as an angler?

Daniel: We bought an old foreclosed farm house. Most people told us we were nuts due to the amount of work needed. But time goes fast. We bought the house in July and now plan to move in sometime in March. Amidea and I have spent every spare moment working and planning its resurrection. The long time frame allowed us to pay in cash for all the improvements rather than taking a loan. I hate to be in debt to anyone.

Fishing Creek is where we felt the most at home. When we first got married, we rented the second floor of an old farm house across from the Federal Fish Hatchery in Lamar. At that time, I spent nearly 100 days a year on BFC. All I will say is that BFC taught me patience.

We loved the area and enjoyed taking walks along the stream everyday and we told each other that we would eventually find a house in the Valley. We bought a house in Lock Haven and made it our home for almost 8 years but we always kept an eye open for the right place. After four years and several real estate agents…we found our home.

Hamann: Thank you again for taking this interview. Would you leave us with some thoughts on what competitive fly fishing has brought to your life and how you hope it will evolve in this country?

Daniel: Competitive fly fishing has taught me that you learn more from your losses than you do your victories. While I really despise losing, I also know that learning from my past mistakes will increase the chance of success down the road. Doing this interview actually forced me to look at my journal, where I noticed 4 times the wording for my less desirable outcomes than for any top finish. For me, a loss created a greater sense of humility -something all of us could use a little more of these days.

Overall, I think competitive fly fishing will continue to push boundaries and hopefully lead to improved tactics. I say “improved” because I don’t like to call these Euro tactics “new” because the origins of Czech Nymphing date back to England when Skues decided to look at subsurface presentations. Skues was a true revolutionary – going against traditional thoughts. Instead, these Euro tactics are improvements to an already developed system. This is why I call it progress, rather than revolutionary.

The idea of competitive fly fishing is to make the most out of your time on a given piece of water. That is, catch the most fish in the least amount of time. This teaches efficiency. Lets face it, life is crazy in this day and age. People are busier than ever before and have less time on the water. Most anglers have a limited amount of time to fish. So why not look to competitive fly fishing to learn a few lessons in time management?

The recreational angler can quickly apply any of the skills and lessons learned from competitive fly fishing. I really believe the development of tungsten flies, colored mono, jig hooks and the development of long rods has increased the success rate of most anglers. Fly fishing has been around for a long time and so much has been written on the subject. There’s really nothing radical or different these days. Instead, there are what I call “small steps forward”- small but measurable improvements and competitors are always looking for that microscopic detail. I think any angler would like to know how to catch one or two more fish every time out.

Hamann: Jeff, wanted to thank you again for taking the time to do this interview. Looking through your blog (http://flyfishingbum.blogspot.com/) you’re a busy man flying around the world fishing incredible destinations, so let’s jump right in. Quick recap: your bronze medal was earned at the 2003 World Championships in Spain. Could you walk us through the team you traveled with and a recap of the venues?

Currier: I fished on the team previously and in Spain we had the best team ever. Not to knock older anglers, but we were young. We could handle long demanding days, tough wading, change flies faster than a speeding bullet and crawl. Crawling was mandatory in Spain. The venues consisted of four rivers and one lake. Three of the rivers were small and crystal clear. In these rivers were small brown trout that were as spooky as any trout I’ve ever met. They weren’t always rising, rarely now that I think of it so you belly crawled along to stay out of view. I’d often spot one then attempt him with a dry first. If he didn’t eat the dry I’d do a dry dropper and by then you had him or spooked him. The fourth river was high and very off color. You just had to Polish Nymph it and pray. I lucked into three fish here. The lake was tough. Some beats were on the shallow end of the lake others were near the dam. You wanted to be as far from the dam and the deep water as possible. I got screwed; I was the third beat from the dam. It was a miracle I caught a fish in my beat.

Hamann: Backtracking just a bit. How did you gain a position on Team USA? What was the organization like at that time? Who were the key players/coaches? Did you win trials/regionals to make the team?

Currier:
Back in the days I got to fish there were no trials. You had to know the right people, such as a man named Walter Ungerman. Walter was a customer of mine in Jackson at the fly shop for years. I had a great relationship with him. When the competition was held in Jackson, WY where I lived at the time, I didn’t fish but I donated a lot of my personal time to help it run. Walter appreciated that and took me to the Poland Championships in 1998 as an angler. That was my opportunity to show I could help the team. I did well and I think the team scored 13th Place. 13th doesn’t sound too good, but it was the best Team USA ever did. I was 20th overall. I earned the right to go again next year and we continued to improve and I continued to get to go. Best of all, we added younger anglers each year.

After I retired from the Worlds, I participated in the first ever regional/nationals. It was held in Oregon and I got 2nd place. That helped me get chosen to come out of retirement for Portugal in 2006. That was my last competition as I never had the funding or time off from work to compete in the Nationals again.

Over the years the key players would have to be Jay Buchner, Pete Erickson and Sam Mavrakis. These guys can fish like you can’t believe. They can tie flies, something I suck at. They are fun. Their not afraid to go out and mingle with the other teams and try to get them to cough up some information that you normally can’t get. And most of all, they were great sportsmen and well respected by all other teams. That’s important. Towards the end of my run, Jack Dennis was coaching. He had some weird fishing ideas at times but he was fun. I liked having him around.

Hamann: Could you tell us some of the back story behind this passage: “Jeff Currier crawled, swam chilly waters cradling netted fish, and risked intestinal illness in an
attempt to reach the pinnacle of his sport.” (Quoted from an article by Michael Pearlman)

Currier: That quote came from an article after winning the Bronze in Spain. I already said crawling was mandatory. Honestly, these were the spookiest hard to see trout I’ve ever found. If you didn’t crawl you didn’t have a chance. The bad news however, you even had to crawl in the water. Sometimes I would be crawling up a riffle. The water would be gushing over the top of my waders dragging me downstream. Occasionally it would get in my mouth. I couldn’t let it stop me. If I stood up I’d spook every fish and there weren’t many fish.

Swimming to opposite banks was something I became well known for. One time the famous Thomas from the Czech Republic pulverized my beat before me. He had it in the morning and I had it in the afternoon. So imagine fishing a piece of water that was pounded by one of the world’s greatest anglers only three hours earlier. You are in bad shape unless you know where Thomas didn’t fish. Of course he fished all the good spots. On big rivers where you could not wade across, you knew the other bank was always virgin. I swam a lot of rivers. And in particular, I swam the muddy Aragon of Spain. This river skunked more people than any other river in the history of the Worlds Competition. I was the fourth angler to this beat and not a fish had been caught. I wasn’t about to fish the same water where everyone failed. You should have seen my judge’s face when I swam across to start. I caught my first fish in about 8 minutes and carefully held up my netted fish in one hand and swam best I could with the other. This action made me take in a lot of water. But I turned around and swam right back. Over the three hour beat I swam two more fish across. I was a drown rat and I did end up with some bad intestinal issues.

Because of my crazy crawling and swimming, I won a medal. I gave my body and soul for that medal and it was worth it.

Hamann: Heading into the final lake session you needed to “not blank” to win a medal? Tell us about that scenario? Must have been some heart-thumping pressure.

Currier:
I never felt the pressure. I was expected to fail. Not a fish had been caught in this particular lake beat. Plus, I was American. Americans can’t win a medal – right?
Nonetheless, I just went into the last session feeling confident. Somehow I knew a fish would swim by and he was mine. All I had to do was be myself and I’d catch his ass.

Up to this point, temperatures had been scorching hot. But between the morning session and the beginning of the lake session we had several monster thunderstorms and temps plummeted. Our coach, Ed Opler was waiting for the bus to drop me off at the lake. I got off and he said here’s the lake rod the team has been using. I looked at him like he was nuts. I said, “Ed, Team USA has yet to catch a fish on the lake. They all used that stupid rig. Why in the world would I use it when I absolutely need to catch a fish?” Ed really didn’t know what to say. He smiled and he followed me and my judge a mile walk around the lake to my beat.

Honestly, my body ached. I’d crawled and swam rivers for three days. My stomach problems were kicking in. And it was so cold I couldn’t believe it. I was actually shivering in my wet clothes and waders from my river session in the AM. When we got to my beat I pulled out my 5-weight and tied on a favorite fly of mine, the Thorax Mahogany Dun. Ed looked at me like my hair was on fire. I promised him that if a fish swam by he would not be able to resist the fly.

By the time the session started, it was calm and cold and the sky was thick with clouds. I leaned against a rock on shore in the best looking spot and cast out my fly. I stared at it for a few minutes and recast. Exactly 14 minutes into the three hour beat a 9” trout ate it and in three long strips he was in my net. Ed, me, my Polish friend Vladi and the judge were in shock. Do you believe in miracles?

I still thought I’d get 4th place to Simon Kidd of England. It turns out; our scores were so close it took hours after the competition ended to see who won. Not only that, we were dead tied in points. The over ruling factor was number of fish. I’d caught 27 in three days he’d caught 16. The bronze was mine.

Hamann: What were some of the advanced techniques, gear, flies that you utilized in your victory?

Currier: I kept it pretty simple. I realized right away, it wasn’t fancy flies and special Euro tactics that were needed. In Spain, you just try to get your fly to the fish before you spook them. You will laugh, but I fished a size 16 elk hair caddis with an olive pheasant tail nymph tied by Jay Buchner two feet below. Only once did I Polish nymph to catch a fish. That was on a particular river and I caught two with this method. That gave me 7 that session and a 3rd place in that session.

Hamann: Hindsight is always 20/20, but where did Team USA finish at that Championship and how do you think you guys could have also earned a team medal?

Currier: I believe we finished 5th. We were very, very close.

Hamann: Have you been following the sport of competitive fly fishing since your departure from Team USA? If so, how have you seen the techniques change since those days?

Currier: Yes. I root hard for our current team. When the team is off competing I check results on the internet ten times a day. I get really ticked when the results are late. The guys on the team now are exceptional anglers, and they have plenty of competition practice. That makes a difference. It’s like shooting an 8 ball to win a pool game. You may have never missed that shot in your life. But because of inexperience in competition you miss. The experience these guys have make them very good. I do hear of some new techniques. But I’m not too familiar with them. Now that I don’t compete, I just go out and vacuum rivers for fun with my fundamentals.

Hamann: How old were you when you won your medal? Could you comment on the “energy of youth” vs the “wisdom of experience” in competitive fly fishing?

Currier: I was 37 years young. The aches and pains were just starting to hit me. But in the heat of competition I didn’t feel a thing. At the same time, I was becoming a very wise angler. I thought things out well – presentations, the stalk, and what fly would be best. And, my experience allowed me to totally keep my cool. So basically I was at that one time in life where my body could still handle the beating of crawling, swimming etc and I got the bonus of having a clue of what I was doing. A great combo.

Hamann: Have the techniques you acquired as part of Team USA fueled your “recreational fishing” life? Or have you found that leaving those purely competitive focused techniques behind have led to your enjoyment of the sport?

Currier: When I go fishing, I go to catch fish. Sure, the famous line, “It’s just nice being out there”, has some truth to it, but if there’s fish to be caught I need to catch them. At heart I’m a dry fly guy and rarely nymph anymore. But if there’s a half hour left and I haven’t caught a fish, and I know Polish Nymphing will catch me one, I do it. I’ve also noticed that when I fish with friends they kind of gun for me a bit. They want to out fish me. Normally I couldn’t give a hoot, but if they start to do better than me and point that fact out, I step it up and enjoy teaching them a lesson. It’s great fun. People have no idea how many tricks I learned in the few years of World Competition. And if I need to fall back on one I will. I enjoy that in my recreational fishing days.

Hamann: And in that vein, do you think you may compete again some day? Or where some hat in the competitive fly fishing world?

Currier: I doubt I’ll ever fish in the Worlds again. That’s a young angler’s game. Unless it was a mostly lake tournament I probably won’t. However there are other competitions out there. I already do the annual “Bass on the Fly” held in Ririe, Idaho. This has been held for about five years now and I’ve placed in all but one. It’s a one day deal and my blood pumps hard during it. I love it. In addition, last year I fished in the Jackson Hole One Fly and I loved that too. I’ll be doing it again here soon. So the answer to your question is yes. I really enjoy the competitions and perhaps as long as they are convenient for me I’ll be there.

Hamann: With a great deal of time to reflect, what would you say are the key elements, whether physical or emotional, that elevate an angler from just “competitive” to medal worthy?

Currier: You need to be a damn good angler for starters. Once you have that going then you just need to elevate the rest. First you need to be in top shape. A three day, five session competition will brutalize the body. You need to learn to live without sleep. Be a superb swimmer, runner, and build your core – ever try crawling for three straight days? It’s the hardest thing you will ever do. Especially over rocks in cold water. And don’t let pain slow you down. You will be in a lot of pain but that can’t stop you. Standing up just once to stretch your back during a session could scare a fish you need.

Then it’s the kill instincts. In a competition you should never be satisfied. If you caught fifteen fish and that’s enough to win the session, who cares. Catch more. If there’s five minutes left in a session and you see a 9” fish but ten feet further up there’s a 12” fish. Don’t skip the 9 incher and go for the 12. Catch the 9 incher fast then catch the 12 incher. Every fish counts and every fish must be caught. I scored numerous fish in the last minute over the years and in Spain it won me a medal.

Last, there is the mental factor. You must be confident. You must know and expect that you will catch a fish. No matter what terrible beat you have or conditions you face. You will catch one if not more. And you can’t mess up an ordinary opportunity. You can’t get nervous because its competition. If a trout is rising and eating away he can’t be botched. You calm down and get the job done. If you’re netting a fish, you net him. You don’t lose him with a bad sweep of the net or knock him off. These are fundamentals that you are great at. You don’t screw them up just because its competition and you’re freaked out. The bottom line is you can’t make any stupid mistakes. None. Have your head together.

Hamann: Thank you again for the interview. Are there any closing reflections or thoughts you’d like to relay to those currently competing in the North American competitive scene?

Currier: Enjoy it. Enjoy fishing for a meaning. Enjoy working to prove you are the best. And along the journey learn as much as you can. There are so many great anglers out there and if you compete you have the good fortune of being surrounded by them. Every trick you can learn and apply to your own fishing makes you better. Even though your competition days may go away, these tricks of the trade will come in handy the rest of your life.

Devin Olsen strode to an almost 2000pt gap victory as the Top Rod of the North American TroutLegend Premier Fly Fishing League 2010/2011 Ranking Cycle.  Olsen finished 7 competitions “In The Points” with no less than three 1st place finishes, two 2nd, and one 3rd:

America Cup 2011 – 7th Place (875pts)

USA Nationals 2011 – 2nd Place (2000pts)

USA OR Regional 2011- 1st Place (808pts)

USA NM Regional 2010 – 1st Place (760pts)

N.A.L.S Chesterfield 2010 – 2nd Place (240pts)

America Cup 2010 – 1st Place (3250pts)

USA CO Regional 2010 -  3rd Place (380pts)

 
Check out an interview with North America’s highest ranked competitive fly fisherman back in December of 2010:

http://troutlegend.com/player/behind-the-leader-board-devin-olsen/

Geldhauser: Without a doubt, the biggest key to our success is our desire to compete in as many events as possible. We believe there is no substitute for experience, and are fortunate to be able to compete against some of the best fly anglers in the country on a fairly regular basis, all within a short drive from home. We share all our experiences with each other, and work hard towards the collective goal of making the best it can be.Hamann: Team DeadDrift’s top 5 performers in the 2010/2011 cycle were: Corey Roberts (1825 pts), Bret Nelson (1199pts), Joey Walraven (912pts), Mark Adams (861pts), and Jamie Sullivan (504pts). Which of your team mates do you feel might be your rising stars and big performers in this cycle?

Geldhauser: Corey is ridiculously consistent, and is poised to help lead our team into the 2012/2013 cycle. Bret and Mark gave DeadDrift our first win, and always seem to be in the hunt at the end of the day. I expect big things out of Joey in the future, he is an excellent angler, and has had some very solid performances in his short comp. career thus far. I would keep an eye on Seth Sullivan, Scott Brown, Pat Brechbill, and Jamie Sullivan to do big things this year as well.
Hamann: What kind of techniques and flies brought home the win for you at the “Chattahoochee Winter Mini Series I”?

Geldhauser: Nothing crazy, standard winter nymph patterns with a little junk food mixed in for good measure. That section of the “Hooch” is a large tail water, and can sometimes be a little overwhelming to folks that aren’t familiar with it. The key to that comp. was locating the fish. Once you found where they were holding, you generally could pick up a few before they shut off. The river is 60+yds wide in many areas, so you really had to put your work into finding fish.

Hamann: Did you feel some added pressure to perform well on your home waters?

Geldhauser: Absolutely. This was the first comp. I’ve attended that was in my own “backyard”, so I think I was putting pressure on myself to do well. Fortunately it went away after I scored a few fish, finishing towards the top of my first flight.

Hamann: Where do you feel your strengths and weaknesses lie as a competitor? What are you concentrating on this year?

Geldhauser: This year I’m focusing more on relaxing, not overthinking everything, and attacking each beat/flight/comp. with as much confidence as possible. One of my biggest weaknesses seems to be my preparation before each flight. I often find myself in a rush to get everything rigged, and in its place, before time begins. Hopefully this will be an easy fix. I would say my attitude, and the ability to apply lessons learned are some of my greatest strengths.

Hamann: Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. As we wrap up, what plans does DeadDrift have for the upcoming cycle? And could you leave us with some thoughts on what competitive fly fishing and being a part of the TroutLegend Premier Fly Fishing League means in your angling life?

Geldhauser: Continued involvement in the fly fishing community, sending our first squad to the Americas Cup, and finishing the new cycle with a top 3 team ranking are among the most important goals we set as a team.

Before I discovered comp. fishing, and the TroutLegend Premier Fly Fishing League, I felt as though I was getting stale with the fishing I was doing at the time. I had no idea there was so much I could learn, and so much I have to learn about fishing. Having the ability to converse with so many top quality anglers, across North America is amazing. Being able to compete against these same anglers is even better. It has been the spark I needed to re-energize my drive to become a better angler.

Most Photography above provided by Hallie Mansfield Photography:

http://www.halliemansfield.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hallie-Mansfield-Photography/143119032417617

And now announcing the official winners of the 2010/2011 TroutLegend Ranking Cycle. Team NC and Devin Olsen take Top Team and Individual awards respectively by a very large margin.

Awards are being minted as we speak.

Congratulations to all the ranked competitors.

(BRONZE) Callaway Gardens Loch Tourny – December 3. Pine Mountain, GA, US. For more info: HERE

(SILVER) Winter Stonefly Classic – December 17-18. Brevard, North Carolina, US. For more info: HERE

LEADER BOARDS RESET FOR 2012/2013 CYCLE

Team Leader Board Moves:
All though many competitors strive for individual medals, the Team Awards are truly the pinnacle of the TroutLegend Premier Fly Fishing League. Nearly sweeping the top positions at this year’s Rumble in the Rhododendron, Team NC further increased their Gold Medal lead. It may be a mathematical impossibility for the flag ship southern squad to be unseated. Meanwhile, a dog fight continues for Silver/Bronze. Team Cormorant had a strong chance of wrapping up it’s Silver Medal bid at the Canadian National event, but left a small window open for Team Freestone. With only a few chances left in the cycle the Mid Atlantic based “Freestoners” may have to pull off a complete sweep of their upcoming “Clarks Creek Mini” to have any chance of touching Silver. Meanwhile, with 3 decent competitions still left on the calendar in the South Eastern United States there is viable chance for Team Deaddrift(10th) to make a move on Team Mergansers(9th), and likewise Team Stonefly(7th) to possibly overtake both Equipe Airlfo(6th) and Team Colorado(5th). The sprint to the finish line starts now.
Team Standings follow the fips-mouche world standard of 5 wo/man teams. Thus, TroutLegend Team standings are calculated by adding the top 5 Individual Board Leaders from each team. As of the date of this posting the following 15 competitors are contributing to their team placings:

Currently in 1st: Team NC
CHRIS LEE 4855
JOSH STEPHENS 3301
PAUL BOURCQ 1983
NICK JOHNSON 1734
BILL STRICKLAND 1506

Currently in 2nd: Team Cormorant
TERENCE COURTOREILLE 3489
TODD OISHI 2783
SCOTT ROBERTSON 1900
ROB STROUD 1404
PETE ERICKSON 903

Currently in 3rd: Team Freestone
DEJON HAMANN 3680
PAT WEISS 2412
JUSTIN LYONS 2051
ANDY KOONS 739
KALVIN KALOZ 673

Young Guns:
The “Top 25” Individual Leader Board Snapshot has been a stepping stone that many league members seek to achieve. The TroutLegend League would like to highlight two teenagers who have proven repeatedly that they have what it takes to hang with the continents best anglers.
Phillip Short, the 19 year old from Team Endiable based out of Quebec Canada has been on a podium tear this cycle. With only 4 “showings” in the cycle Short has catapulted himself to 10th position. The angler some call “The Kid” has secured nothing less than back to back Gold Medal finishes at both the 2010 and 2011 Quebec Provincials and followed up that incredible feat with a Silver medal at Nationals.
Justin Lyons, the 17 year old from Team Freestone and a current member of Fly Fishing Team USA Youth sits 19th on the Leader Boards. All though he hasn’t found a podium in the 2010/2011 cycle Lyons has proven a real thirst for competitions. Placing in the top 50% of 8 of the 9 competitions he fielded in the last 2 years Justin embodies the sought after quality of a consistent performer.

Consistency:
Late in 2010 the TroutLegend League added an important statistic to the Leader Boards. “Plc” or “Placings” tracks the number of times an angler achieved a top 50% finish and thus acquired points toward the leader boards. Observing “Placings” is a great way to track an anglers aptitude for being consistent, a quality that may not always give that angler a podium finish, but is so vitally important to the larger goal of the Team Medal. Again and again we have witnessed, especially at the World level that a team can walk away with a Team Medal and not a single individual piece of hardware. Let’s take a look at the 11 most consistent anglers in North America.
11 Placings:
Chris Lee from Team NC and current member of Fly Fishing Team USA would most certainly receive the League’s award for most consistent angler if there was one… and maybe there should be! With nearly double the placing points of 90 plus percent of the field and 3 more than the next tier Lee’s team mates can rest assured he’s walking away with points when he walks into a competition.
8 Placings:
Next we have Lee’s Team NC counterpart Josh Stephens. A current member of Fly Fishing Team USA and multi world championship bid angler Stephens brings a technical approach to each competition that pays dividends. The “Young Gun” Justin Lyons shares the 8 Placing Pts tier with Stephens and proves once again that his angling maturity far outweighs his years.
7 Placings
In the 7 Placing slot Team USA World Squad members Devon Olsen and Rob Kolanda are joined by Team Stonefly leader Chris Smith showing they have not only the ability to medal, but place well when they miss the podium.
6 Placings
Five anglers currently occupy the 6 Placing Tier. Team Freestone offers two more to the top 11 with TroutLegend Founder Dejon Hamann and team mate Pat Weiss, the latter also proudly wearing a Team USA cap. Team NC leader Paul Bourcq joins the frey as does Stonefly’s troubadour Michael Yelton. Team USA’s road General Anthony Naranja fills out a position as the national team occupies an impressive 6 of 11 of the continents most consistent anglers.
Canada’s offering to these categories is notably scarce because to date they just haven’t had the number of competitions that are starting to show up in the United States in the last 2 years. However, with seminal teams like Cormorants, Equipe Airflo, and Mergansers joining the TroutLegend Fly Fishing League and dedicating themselves to building an architecture of regional competitions that is sure to change dramatically in the next cycle.

The following is reprinted directly from “http://www.theamericacup.com/”

Team 1st Place – Gold Medalist – TEAM EMERGER
Sandro Soldarini (Italy), Todd Oishi (Canada), Michale Drinan (Ireland), Marek Walczek (Poland), Rob Kolanda (USA)

From Left to Right:
Dejon Hamann
3rd Place Individual
Bronze Medal
Fishing for Team Freestone
Rob Kolanda
1st Place Individual
Gold Medal
Fishing for Team Emerger
Riley Cotter
2nd Place Individual
Silver Medal
Fishing for Team Caddis

Team 2nd Place SILVER Team Wyoming
Josh Graffam, Charlie Card, Sean Baker, Josh Curtis, Dan Oas

Team 3rd Place BRONZE Team Caddis
Ben Metcalf, Chris Galvin, Riley Cotter, Dzifa Glymin, Jeremy Sides

Meanwhile, the Adult Fly Fishing Team USA fell just short of the medal stand in 5th place. Perennial performer Lance Egan made a late stage ascent to finish 6th with team mates Devin Olsen and Norman Maktima hot on his heels with 11th and 12th finishes respectively. Team USA captain Anthony Naranja finished 36th and Loren Williams 73rd. A little luck may have nudged Team USA into a medal position with 6 placing points separating 5th and Bronze. Fly Fishing Team Canada could not capitalize on their 8 position jump in the 3rd session and took a slight step back in their World Championship showings with a mid level 14th place finish. Byron Sheperd lead Team Canada’s efforts with a 29th finish followed by Arron Varga 42nd, Sorin Comsa 72nd, Clint Goyette 78th, and Terrence Courtoreille 88th.