Hamann: Robbie, just wanted to thank you out right for being a great source of sage advice and friend to the League over the last few years. If you don’t mind, let’s jump right in. Take us way back if you will to the origins of competitive fly fishing in England? How old is the sport really? Are there origins even older in neighboring countries?

Bell: I would at the outset like to thank you for inviting me on here as it is a great honor for me to follow in the footsteps of all these fantastic anglers.

Well now I suspect the origins of Competition Fly Fishing in England would be at the same time as in the rest of the world. That would be the first time two anglers were on the same piece of water! Being a bit more serious the origins of competition fishing will be lost in the mists of time. There would almost certainly be competitions amongst members of Clubs and Angling Associations or just groups of friends that have long since disappeared.

I am very proud to be a member of the Ellem Fishing Club which is recognized as the Oldest Fishing Club in the World and they held their first Competition in 1829. However it is only in recent years that it became “Fly Only” as up until then most fish were caught on a fly rod but using the “Upstream Worm” technique.

The oldest National Fly Fishing Championships first took place on the 1st of July 1880 on Loch Leven in Scotland. Members from seven Scottish Clubs took part. A Mr. McGregor was the first winner and the famous PD Malloch caught the heaviest fish at 2 lb. 51/2 oz.

Hamann: When would you say we entered the “modern age” of competitive fly fishing globally?

Bell: Well the first International Competition took place between England and Scotland in 1928 and in 1932 Wales and Ireland joined in.

The early Internationals were always held on Loch Leven and such was the prestige of the Competition that England’s first Captain was to be HRH the Duke of York. However state business forced him to relinquish that post and W.H. McCreath became England’s first Captain. He was from my hometown of Berwick on Tweed and it is maybe of some interest that his son H.G. McCreath is currently the President of the Ellem Club having been a member of the club for 78 years!

However, the first Fips Mouche World Championships in Fly-Fishing took place on the 3rd of October 1981 and was held Lake Echternach in Luxembourg. The winners were the B team from Holland with Luxembourg A and Belgium A in second and third place. Obviously the event has grown from then to the event we see now.

Most likely one of the major turning points was in 1990 when the World Championships were held in Wales. This year was probably when modern techniques and flies really kicked in. The Polish team blew the field away with their “Rolled Nymph “ technique. I believe it still really grates them that this method is now almost universally known as Czech Nymphing.

Hamann: This is a 2 part question. Could you first take us, in detail, through the architecture of English Competitive Fly Fishing? From small weekend clubs to how your National Teams are chosen and organized?

Bell: Well there is a major difference between the English system and the Scottish system for Loch Style. I live on the border between England and Scotland and have fished in both systems.

In Scotland you have to be a member of an Affiliated Club and then to finish in the top 3 in that club to enter the National Championships which consist of heats, a semi-final and then the National Final.
At one time only the Club Champion was allowed to enter and a club might have as many as 20 outings during the season to decide the champion who could enter the National the following year!

In Scotland the top 18 anglers will then go forward to the Home Internationals the following year where they will fish in either the Spring or Autumn International against England, Wales and Ireland.

In England there is not so much of a club system and anyone can enter the regional eliminators where a proportion will progress to the National Final. The exact number is determined by the number of entrants to the individual regionals and the total number of entrants to all the regionals. We normally have 100 in the English National Loch Style Final and the top 28 will qualify for the two Home Internationals of the following year. There are 14 in each team.
At one time only the top 20 qualified and the top four anglers were carried over from each of the previous Home international.

Scotland still has a carry over system to make up the 28 needed for the following year.

For our Rivers Home Internationals both Scotland and England have similar regional competitions with a pro rata qualification to the National Finals where the top five anglers make up the National Teams. You still need to be in a club in Scotland and some have eliminators to enter their regionals

For the World Championships the systems are again different.

In Scotland another governing body is responsible for these teams and they have recently set up a league system where the top anglers from the 1st Division make up the World team. There is also a promotion and relegation format between the 1st and 2nd Division.
There are around five competitions a year in these leagues.

In England the World Championship Team is picked behind closed doors and this inevitably leads to discontent. There was a system where English results are put into a “League Table” but this was only used as a guide. When England won the World Championship in Scotland in 2009 it was not the top five who were in the team although it was some of them. However this did cause a lot of grief as some anglers were denied a realistic chance of becoming World Champion. Nowadays the league table has disappeared from the website and I can only assume that the team is totally picked by a committee. Although I am sure they will still have access to all the results. Now it is not my place to recommend how anyone chose their World Teams but I do know that any system that is not based solely on results (matters of discipline excepted) will cause resentment. This can lead to politics and splits and Scotland now has two separate Governing Bodies for Competitions which is in no ones interest.

The Stillwater Bank Internationals are a recent addition to our competition scene. The English National Championships started about 20 years ago and before they were granted International status they were a revenue generator so multiple entries to the regional qualifiers are allowed. The top six in the National Finals now make up the teams for the Home Internationals.

The whole system as you can see is a bit of a mish-mash but it is just the way it has grown organically.

Czech System.

My good friend Milan Hladik has supplied me with this information and I have condensed it down to give the gist of it. Some of the forum members will know Milan from the Czech Nymph Masterclass where he is now the principal organizer. He was also the Chief Organizer for the European Championships in 2011.

The Czech system is run over a two year cycle and there are first and second divisions with a promotion and relegation system.

Points are awarded with regard to the prestige of the competition and the number of entrants.

Winning the world Championship would give you 50 points 2nd 49 points 3rd 48 points and so on.

Winning the European Championships would give you 50 points. 2nd 49 points 3rd 48 points and so on.

A First Division competition win would be 30 points and second division 24 points with pro rata points for the lower positions.

Open competitions get 30 points for the winner if more than 40 entrants and 25 points if more than 30 entrants.

An interesting point is that competitions in other countries also count and some of the Czech Anglers are regulars in John Horsey’s Lexus competition where good points are available.

A running total is kept on a Czech website and an anglers best seven results are counted.

Around 190 points are usually needed at the end of the year to qualify in the top 14 anglers who go forward to another set of competitions in the following year.

This is a set of 5 competitions which reflect the upcoming World Championships with a balance of river and lake sessions.

After these the scores from these 5 competitions together with the previous years points are added together.

The first three positions are guaranteed entry into the World Championships and the next three almost always make up the team and the reserve. The next six competitors make up the second team and take part in the European Championships. The Team Coach does have some discretion to make minor changes between these two teams with regard to specific venues but this is seldom if ever used

This is a pretty comprehensive system but it is open and transparent and so there are no arguments and anglers have to be consistent over a two year period to make the teams.

All the Czech Competitions follow a strict set of rules. They are mainly Fips Mouche or an adaptation but could be something like British Loch Style rules. For the more serious competitions they will have controllers but many of them will be angler controlled.

River competitions are on fixed beats but they often sacrifice time to increase rotation with some sessions as little as an hour. This will help even out the luck of the draw.

Hamann: If you are able, can you give us a sense of how the English National teams are financed? Is there any funding from the government?

Bell: There is little if any government funding for the teams.

The various nationalities rely on entry fees as their primary source of income and sometimes there is some sponsorship money but not often. Some companies will offer the teams goods or a discount but that is generally it.

There has recently been some movement for the teams to organize some fundraising themselves. Particularly by the Scots. They have been organizing some Bank Fishing Competitions through the winter which are open to everyone and members of the teams come along to support it.

I personally think this is the way forward.
Any government funding is someone else’s tax bill…………

It would be easy for the Angling Bodies to draw up blueprints for small groups of team members who are local to each other to organize fund raising with competition and or tuition days.

Hamann: What would you say are the strengths and weaknesses of your national competitors and organizing body?

Bell: With regard to the organizing bodies I think some of my answers above will point out the weaknesses.

Of course the vast majority of officials are unpaid volunteers and I respect that. However that does not preclude things from being done better. Entries for national competitions in England are declining and are probably half of what they were 20 years ago. There are almost certainly a number of reasons for this but in England one of them may be the lack of a totally clear route to the World Championships.

I also think it is becoming harder and harder to qualify for even our Home Internationals. Even though numbers are declining every one has access to the internet with all the information and videos etc. There are literally hundreds of Guides and Instructors in the country these days. Many people will have more disposable income so the technical developments in rod and line technology are open to almost everyone. Magazines have all the latest techniques and flies and these flies are quickly brought to market by top companies like Fulling Mill and Highland Flies. You can fish to a very high standard these day without ever having tied a fly!

I think the strength of our competitors is the long history and tradition of Competition Angling particularly in Loch Style.
I think one of the weaknesses is that we had our first full Fips Mouche competition in 2010 apart from when the World Championships were here.

Also our River Internationals only go back to 1992. The qualifiers and National Final for these are also held on a roving basis rather than a beat basis which probably stops us from progressing in river techniques which dominate the World Championships.

I have some sympathy with this method as we are only allowed one shot at qualifying for the final and it is a one day fishing final so you do not wish to be hamstrung from the outset by a bad draw.

Hamann: Is fishing access an issue in England? Or would you say there are ample river and lake opportunities available to anyone.

Bell: Yes and No is the answer to that one.

We have probably the best Lake organization of anywhere in the world. Places like Rutland and Grafham have 50+ identical boats and engines with all the facilities that go with them. There are also plenty of smaller venues throughout the country with more than 10 boats on them.

Scotland has the Lake of Menteith with a fleet of 30 boats and again there are also many other smaller venues with boats.

There are also numerous small water venues where bank angling takes place. This is the biggest part of fly-fishing in the UK now and there is a lot more to it than meets the eye. It can be easy on a stocking day but these fish may see tens of thousands of flies in a week! They soon wise up.

Access to Trout fishing on Rivers whilst different to North America is easy and reasonably priced in the North of England and Scotland.

However it is generally limited and expensive in the South of England.

Salmon Fishing in Scotland can be ridiculously expensive but can be obtained more reasonably in the smaller and less well known rivers.

Hamann: What about wild vs. stocked trout venues in your country? Would you say the primary venue might be a stocked, “put & take” lake situation? What is your personal preference and how do you think the norm in your country affects your anglers progression?

Bell: Well as I have said the vast majority of fly fishers in this country now use small put and take fisheries. It is not hard to see why. Everything is put on a plate for you. Easy and safe parking, a log book with flies and methods that are working, friendly staff, refreshments and meals available. You can fish with friends and easily make friends amongst the regulars and you have the opportunity to watch and learn from other anglers.

With regard to an anglers progression then it is a fact that a very large percentage of our anglers start on these small waters and never get past them. However many of the venues do have competitions such as Winter Leagues and Charity Events and this does encourage those who are minded to move on.

Personally I like all fly fishing. In fact I love all fly fishing!

The best fishing of all for me is good wild river fishing but as we all know rivers can be very cyclical, unpredictable and often inconsistent.

Stillwaters as a general rule are more consistent and as you get older boats with a good seat become ever more appealing! A good box for sitting on a bank comes a close second……..

Hamann: It’s no secret. English competitors are very proficient lake fisherman. There is no doubt a well rounded competitive angler must be both proficient at lakes and rivers. What would you say are some of the conceptual differences an angler must adopt when transitioning from being a river angler to both? And what do you love about the Stillwater sport?

Bell: Most of my Stillwater fishing is for stocked rainbow trout and that is the case for the vast majority of stillwater competitions in this country.

With that in mind I think for a start you need the right tools for the job.

It has taken up until the last few years for North Americans to embrace our longer rods both in Salmon fishing as well as Trout fishing. I personally think that 10 foot 8 weights are the tool for the job. It is what Iain Barr uses…….and it is what I used in Canada last year.

Within reason there is nothing you can do with a 6 weight that you cannot do with an 8 weight but it does not work the other way around.

If you cannot get your point fly 35 yards away with only a couple of false casts you are already behind the 8 ball. I was going to say LBW but only a few will understand that as it is a cricket term!

Casting Distance is one of the keys to successful Stillwater angling be it bank or boat.

I often see a lot of girls rods talked about on Trout Legend. Get yourselves some proper mans rods!………. J

In all seriousness you do need at least a 10 foot 7 weight and around 15 lines or more.
Preferably 3 identical rods and 3 identical reels to go with them for bank fishing competitions

I also think that at times Rivers are easy to read.

You know where the fish are going to be, well at least some of them.

In still waters they could me anywhere and in stocked Stillwaters in some places and not in others.

I would probably think that Stillwater fishing is to a larger extent more of a three dimensional game than rivers.
Not always but generally more.

It is also often about the decisions you make rather than out and out ability. Of course good anglers will be more consistent but information about where and how can really level the playing field or tilt it in your favour.

Iain Barr may arguably be the Worlds Best Competition Loch Style Angler but most anglers on our competition circuit will have beaten him on the odd occasion. Even me!

Hamann: How has the culture of competitive fly fishing shaped the evolution of gear offered in Europe and vice versa?

Bell: Well I think it the same as in other fields. Motor racing has brought about things like ABS and traction control and competition fly-fishing has pushed the envelope of fishing tackle.

Companies like Airflo have brought about innovations like the Di-7 and 40+ plus lines.

Rod makers like Greys have brought in the11 foot 3 weight.

Leeda were the first company to bring in the cassette reel and many have followed suit.

I would think it fair to say that this has been in the most part from demand from competition anglers. Mind you that is not to say “recreational” anglers have not played their part.

I also think it probably works both ways. Things like the 11 foot 3 weight allow anyone to fish a long French leader easily.
Cassette reels allow quick and easy and cheap line changes for anyone.

Hamann: What are some your favorite European publications covering competitive fly fishing?

Bell: Well there are not really many magazines that extensively cover competitions these days. It used to be a big part of them many years ago but then virtually died out in print.

Up until recently even a National Final would not make the news section however it is coming back a little bit.

The best general magazine in the UK is Fly-Fishing and Fly-Tying. However for novices Trout Fisherman is good for at least a few years

Hamann: I know it’s a bit cliche, but what are your top 5 favorite lake patterns? What about your top 5 favorite lines?

I was a mentor for the USA team in the run up to the World Championships being held in Scotland in 2009.

I answered many e-mails from the team members and Lance Egan asked almost this very question.

This was my reply.

”Lance asks for my top five flies…..

That is an impossible question………..

Thanks Lance!……….Ha Ha

What I can do is give you my top five groups and then try an narrow those down to a few of my favourites.
The groups would be;
Boobies
Hopper/Daddies (UK Style)
Buzzers
Nymphs
Lures.

Now I know that covers almost everything except wet flies (I have some of those as well) but I could not envisage going out on a Loch without all of them.

One of the main things about Loch Style fishing is that you have an opponent in the boat with you. Obvious yes, but it does have consequences that a river session does not have.
Now I have to once again put in the proviso that I am not trying to teach my grandmother to suck eggs and as I do not know that much about all of you I would rather be blunt than miss something out.

Not easy for an Englishman…..
Good job I am half Scottish! J

So to get back to the point there you are in a boat and your partner, Iain Barr has just had 2 fish in 2 casts on a Pink Booby.
What do you do?
Well the only answer I know is to strap on a Pink Booby…… (and the same or nearest Fly line if you have it.)
What if you do not have one…..
Well you could ask him for one!
Knowing Iain as I do he would give you one but he would wait till he was 8-0 up!
The thing is that you cannot have 5 favorite flies and you cannot have even five favorite groups.

What you can have is a system.

You cannot have all the flies in all the colors and all the sizes………..and then have them all again with a red head!
So If we take Boobies, I have in my box most of the colors and the named boobies such as Cats Whisker and Viva Booby in size 10 and a few repeats in the favorite colors such as Peach and CW in size 12.
That way if my partner starts catching on Pink Booby even if it is a bit different to mine I can then put on something similar.
Now my system with nymphs is the same.
I take a few patterns such as Diawl Bach, Cruncher, PTN, Hares Ear, and I have them in different colors in 10 and 12 with a few 14‘s thrown in.
It is the same with Hoppers (UK) I will have around eight colors in 10 and 12 with a couple of them, say Black and Hares Ear in a 14 as well.
The same type of thing would apply to the other groups. What I am trying to achieve is to have a range of flies that will cover a range a scenarios including some thing similar to anything my boat partner puts on.

You cannot have everything but you need something for each of the ballparks.
Just as an insight I will list a few of my favorites in each group.

Boobies
Peaches and Cream
Pink Straggle Fritz
Cats Whisker
Cocktail Coral
Orange Fritz
Cormorant

Nymphs
Cruncher
Olive Cruncher
Black Cruncher
Diawl Bach
Red Headed Diawl Bach
Red Holographic DB

Buzzers
Black Buzzer 1
Black Buzzer 2
Black Buzzer 3
Olive Buzzer
Bloodworm

Hoppers/Daddies
Real Daddy (foam)
Black Hopper
Olive Hopper
H.E. Hopper
Orange Hopper

Lures
Cormorant
Red Bodied Cormorant
Pearl Bodied Cormorant
Cats Whisker
Viva

So Gentlemen there we are; the basis of a system that hopefully covers the fishes bases but also your boat partners bases.”

My current favourite lines are Fast Glass, Floater, Di5, Di3, and Di7

Hamann: Just as in the States with the conventional Bass circuit there is an in depth culture of competitive fishing not oriented around trout and the fly in England. Could you give us a snapshot of this world? What is Course Angling? Do you think these other divisions compliment or contradict competitive fly fishing and do you see many “crossovers” from sport to sport?

Bell: Well Coarse Angling is by far the biggest sector in fishing in England. Not Scotland though but it is increasing there.

Basically it is the catching of Coarse fish. These would be mainly Roach and Perch. Bream, Chub, Rudd, Gudgeon etc. In recent years Specialist Commercial Carp Fisheries have become increasingly popular. I suppose it is a bit like our small water fly-fishing in that everything is laid on and it is so convenient. In the south of England these fisheries are very popular and many a trout fishery has been converted to Carp. One of the reasons for that is that Carp are able to withstand the rigors of catch and release in the warmer temperatures of summer which trout are not.

Some of our best Fly Anglers started off as Coarse Fishermen. Indeed Brian Leadbetter who was the first man to win the Individual WFFC for a second time started as a coarse fisherman. I think some of the things they appreciate more than us is depths and presentation.

I do hear about a number of fishermen coming over to fly-fishing from the coarse world and this may be because fly-fishing is a more continually active form of the sport and suits the less patient angler!.

Hamann: In the States we have Army teams in other sports, but not yet Fly Fishing. Could you tell us a little about the British Army Fly Fishing Team?

Bell: Well it was all started by Andy Croucher who some of you will know. The Soldier Palmers is the organization for fly fishing in the British Army and this has been going for a good number of years. In 2005 when Andy was the Secretary he started thinking about having a trip abroad for some of the members. He found out that if there was a competition involved the Army Sports Lottery Fund would give the serving members a small subsidy. He then started looking around for a competition and came across the first website for the 2006 USA National Championships. So basically Andy blagged a place in the competition and the British Army team was born.
I think the organizer were glad to have us as perhaps we added an extra dimension to this competition which was in its inaugural year.

We must have behaved ourselves as we got invited back the next year. This is also when we met the Canadian Team and we got invited to their Championships as well but because of date clashes we were unable to take them up on the offer until 2010.

Hamann: You’ve signed on as a “hired gun” to two Canadian National Championship squads in recent years. Who did you fish with and can you share some of your experiences on the way to your Team Medal finishes?

Well I think Hired Gun is a bit strong but I will take it as a compliment………….. J

In 2010 we accepted the Canadians long standing invitation and our team consisted of Andy Croucher as Captain together with Graham Lumsden, Pete Mumford, Ronnie Christie and myself.

The competition was partly cancelled because of the wind but we had a fantastic time in the town of Roblin where everyone made us so welcome. We were lucky enough to win a Bronze Team Medal which was the icing on the cake. The end of term party was simply outstanding and I think we were the gold medal winners in the beer stakes.

By 2011 Andy and Graham had left the Army and Ronnie Christie was in Afghanistan so it was not possible to send a team over.

However one of the Canadians who was on my sector in 2010, David Forgeron told me his wife’s family was from Whitehaven in England and he might look me up when he was visiting in 2011.

So David came and stayed with me for a few days and I guided him for some River and Loch Style fishing. Over a couple of beers in the evenings he forced me into agreeing to return in the Autumn for the Championships in Quebec. I then contacted Randy Taylor to see if there was a place available and there was. Randy said I could fish as an individual and if a team was short of a man I could join them.

So I stayed with and practiced with David’s team the Dredgehogs but as it turned out one of Randy’s team accidentally eliminated himself by fishing a venue too close to the competition and so I took the slot in Equipe Airflo. As you will be aware the we won the Gold Medal but they would have still won it if I had been placed last in every session.

I was lucky enough to come second but quite rightly could not receive the Silver medal as I was only a guest. The Quebec experience was different from Manitoba but will always be one of the great memories in my fly-fishing life. I hope to get an invite back this year.. In 2011 was lucky enough to fish with Todd Oishi, John Nishi and Philip Short as well as Sunny Van Der Kloof but also to meet up with many people from the year before.

Hamann: What is your take on the Trout Legend League? How have you seen it evolve over the last 2 years and where do you think it can go?

Bell: I think the Trout Legend League and Forum is fantastic.
I think it is significantly responsible for propelling North American Fly-fishing into a position where it can seriously challenge for WFFC Team Medals in the near future.

I remember talking to Eddie Pinkston after the 2007 USA Nationals and he and I were of the same opinion that the USA would never win a team medal. This was not because of the ability of individual anglers but because of the lack of a National Competition structure.

We could both see brilliant American anglers around us but as they improved so did the anglers from other countries and we could not see the gap significantly closing. I think Trout Legend has changed this and I am sure Eddie would agree. A National structure is now emerging and your WFFC Team is now being pushed forward by hundreds of anglers and not just by a few well meaning and enthusiastic people.

I think Trout Legend will continue to grow and the only problem I can see coming is finding someone or some group to take over when you decide to pass on the reins.

Hamann: From “across the pond” can you offer some outside advice to the competitors and organizers on how we can improve our North American competitive scene, stock of anglers, and competitions?

The biggest problem the USA faces is the sheer size of the country. Canada has even more of a problem in that respect and a small relative population to boot. The way around that maybe to organize State competitions. I am sure the possibility of becoming Colorado, Montana or North Carolina Champion would have a great appeal. I think the next logical move would then be to have Interstate competitions between neighboring states.

I also think at entry level competitions keep the rules to a minimum.
Other than that just keep progressing the way you are.

Hamann: Recently there has been some discussion on whether the Trout Legend League should develop it’s own set of rules governing play or stick strictly to the Fips Mouche rule book. What are your thoughts on this matter?

Bell: Well to save some typing here is what I said on the thread at the time.

“In the UK up until a couple of years ago there were no competitions that were fished to Fips Mouche Rules.

Even now there isn‘t even a slack handful.

Now I am not trying to tell anyone how to run their competitions but would perhaps make these points.

At the lowest level of your competitions every single rule you have in place will reduce the numbers of anglers who enter.

At the top end of your competitions every deviation from Fips Mouche will make it just that bit harder for your representatives to step up to the world stage.”

I honestly believe that you must encourage newcomers both young and old into competition fishing and easy, relaxed competitions are the way to do that. The enthusiastic amongst them will move on to the more serious levels as full blown competitors and if that is not for them perhaps as controllers and officials but you have to get them in the first place.

Keep all your major competitions at or near full Fips Mouche regulations.

Hamann: Well thank you again for taking the time to do this interview. In closing could you leave us with some thoughts on what competitive fly fishing has meant in your angling life?

Bell: Well I did not get into fly-fishing until well into my thirties and competitions until my forties.

Fly-fishing and competition fly-fishing is now a major component of my life.

My wife Margaret says I have three loves in my life; Trout, Grayling and her and she is not sure of the order……………!

I just love it. I like the taking part and on the odd minor occasion the winning but the most important part is the people.

My best fishing friend was a person I met by being drawn in a boat with him for a Loch Style competition on Rutland which is 250 miles from where I live. I also treasure the people I have met in Canada the USA and Czech Republic. I cannot begin to imagine my life without fly-fishing and competitions are a major part of that.

A few of Robbie Bell’s credentials:
Member of the Game Angling Instructors Association (GAIA)
Full England International Fly-Fisher
Team Gold and Individual 2nd Canadian National Fly-Fishing Championships 2011
Team Bronze Medal Winner Canadian National Fly-Fishing Championships 2010
British Army Fly-Fishing Team Coach. USA 2006 and 2007 Canada 2010
Competition Manager England International Bank Team 2010 Gold Medal
Czech Republic Fly Fishing Team Guide. World Championships Scotland 2009
USA Fly Fishing Team Mentor. World Championships Scotland 2009
England Fly-Fishing Team Loch Style Guide. Scotland 2005 and 2007
England Fly-Fishing Team Rivers Guide. Scotland 2004
Jiri Klima Czech Nymph Masterclass. Czech Republic 2007
Multiple Club Champion on Rivers and Stillwaters
Occasional Tackle Consultant for Hardy/Greys and Sonik

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.

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.

In its inaugural year, the Winter Stonefly Classic drew top competitive anglers from across the states of Georgia, Tennesee, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Competitors tested their skills in four rounds of fishing on the notoriously difficult Davidson River, with adverse weather conditions adding to the challenge. FIPS Mouche International Rules were in effect.

1. Chris Smith – Team Stonefly
2. Josh McFadden – Team NC
3. Chris Lee – Team NC
4. Josh Stephens – Team USA
5. Michael Yelton – Team Stonefly
6. Michael Sprouse – Team Stonefly
7. Jason Buffkin – Team Stonefly
8. Seth Gerring – Team NC
9. David Woody – Team Stonefly
10. Bill Strickland – Independent
11. Tim Fisk – Team NC
12. Andrew Brown – Team NC
13. Dell Neighbors – Team NC

Three new competitions in the Eastern United States have been sanctioned for the Leader Board. First we have a one day mini-comp sponsored by Team Stonefly in North Carolina. Then in the early spring of 2011 we have two Team USA Sanctioned Regionals – the first back down in North Carolina and the first ever North Eastern Regional for Team USA in State College, PA.

(1x) 2010 Winter Stonefly Classic – December 18. Brevard, North Carolina US. For more info: HERE

(3x) 2011 Team USA Southeast Regional – February 19-21. Nantahala River, North Carolina US. For more info: HERE

(3x) 2011 Team USA Northeast Regional – March 12-13. State College, Pennsylvania US. For more info: HERE

Thank you to everyone that took a part in this competition and a special congratulations to our current Top Ranked Anglers!

http://troutlegend.com/leaders-board-2010-2011/

Detailed results of this competition and all future “TroutLegend Sanctioned” competitions will be available for download as a free member of the TroutLegend Forum: HERE

We are very proud to announce the introduction of two new teams into the TroutLegend Competitive Fly Fishing Cooperative:  “Team America Cup” based near Denver, Colorado led by David Pehle and “Team TroutLegend Utah” based near Salt Lake City, Utah led by Jeremy Allan.  The addition of these 2 Rocky Mountain loci will greatly enhance the Coop’s mission to support and grow the culture of Fips-Mouche style competitive fly fishing in North America.

Both of these teams are looking for talented new Members.  Whether you’re a new and ambitious beginner in the comp’ circuit or a “tried and true” veteran being a part of a team is the best way to enhance your skill set and give back to the sport.  Contact information and team updates for both of these squads can be found here in the forum under their respective team boards.

Remember top 15 point totals will make Team USA. Point totals have been tallied from National Championship to National Championship. Next year’s point tally will include this year’s National so the only carry over is the National Championship points. The World Team competing in Poland will be determined by 3 top point getters and 2009 US National Champion. Pete Erickson and Mike Sexton have already been determined to be on the 2010 World Championship Team. These 6 individuals will make up the 5 starters and alternate for Team USA in Poland.

This year’s National Champion will receive 15,000 points and a spot going to the 2010 World Fly Fishing Championships in Poland! Good luck to everyone!

Regards,
Anthony Naranja
Fly Fishing Team USA – Captain

Fly Fishing Team USA Point Totals
(Heading into 2009 National Championship)

1. George Daniel 12,000
2. Josh Stephens 10,483
3. Devin Olsen 9,244
4. Lance Egan 9,109
5. Pete Erickson 8,744
6. Anthony Naranja 7,950
7. Mike Sexton 7,483
8. Loren Williams 5,084
9. Bret Bishop 4,880
10. Norman Maktima 4,557
11. Scott Robertson 3,551
12. Eddie Pinkston 3,500
13. Randy Hanner 3,300
14. Jim Hickey 2,700
15. Kurt Finlayson 1,910
16. Rob Kolanda 1,604
17. Brian Kimmel 1,438
18. Brian Capsay 1,250
19. Riley Cotter 1,200
20. Matt Powell 1,125
21. Jake Ricks 925
22. Dejon Hamann 913
23. Trevor Wine 900
24. Alec Gerbec 800
25. Chris Lee 800
26. John Roberts 701
27. Barney Naylor 700
28. Sandy Wright 693
29. Charles Kempe 600
30. David Woody 533
31. Merry Waugh 530
32. Spencer Higa 480
33. Leonard Sauers 467
34. Paul Colcord 400
35. Tom Smith 343
36. Wes Congdon 300
37. Tony Felicilda 300
38. Zach Herbel 300

The final two regionals of the season have been completed! The competitor stage has been set for this year’s National Championships in Pennsylvania. I want to congratulate those that qualified and also the medalists from those regions.
I especially want to thank Josh Stephens and Brian Kimmel for putting these together and all the volunteers that were able to help to make it happen!

Here are the results from the SE Regional

Top 3 Medalists:
Gold – Randy Hanner
Silver – Chris Lee
Bronze – David Woody

5 qualified competitiors:
Randy Hanner
Chris Lee
David Woody
Paul Colcord
Taylor Bussey

Here are the results from the Rocky Mountain Regional

Top 3 Medalists:
Gold Devin Olsen
Silver Lance Egan
Bronze Kurt Finlayson

5 qualified competitors:
Dan Oas
Glade Gunther
Jeremy Sides
Clint Losee
Eddie Pinkston (Team USA – Alternate)

We also have an alternate from the Northwest Regional. Sean Baker has made the qualifier list from this region.

Please remember to get your registration in asap! I look forward to seeing all the regional medalists and qualifiers in Central PA next month! There will be a presentation of medals to all medalists prior to the start of the National Championships so those medalists please plan on being at this award ceremony the day before it starts.

Congratulations again to all that participated in the National Qualifying system!

Regards,

Anthony Naranja
Fly Fishing Team USA – Captain

With only the Canadian National Championships left on the point scoring spreadsheet we will soon see how the contests are fairing heading into Nationals!!! More to come…

Western Regional MT
1 Devin Olsen
2 Lance Egan
3 Kurt Finlayson
4 Bret Bishop
5 Randy Hanner
6 Dan  Oas
7 Rob Kolanda
8 Norm Maktima
9 Mike Sexton
10 Brian Capsay
11 Brian Kimmel
12 Glade Gunther
13 Jeremy Sides
14 Clint Losee

SouthEastern Regional NC
1. Randy Hanner
2. Chris Lee
3. David Woody
4. Paul Colcord
5. Josh Stephens
6. Taylor Bussey
7. Chris Galvan
8. Jason Baker
9. Brian Capsay
10. Eugene Shuler
11. Chris Smith
12. Tim Barrett
13. Paul Bourcq
14. Gordon Vanderpool
15. Eddie Pinkston
16. Mike Norton