I was a little excited about the results as Nick Angelo, who took 3rd place Snook, is a friend who happens to live about 6 doors down. That kid can fish. My hat's off to anyone who fished that tournament with a fly rod. VERY windy conditions. Glad I wasn't there as I would have been turned into a weather vane sittin' in my kayak. HA!!
Here's the story ...
More than 40 of the top fly anglers on the Suncoast participated in the inaugural ?Fall Fly Fishing Challenge? held in Sarasota on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2005. The catch, photo and release format tournament pitted anglers competing against each other with fly tackle in divisions for snook, redfish, trout and an overall prize of ?Grand Champion?. The tournament, which benefits the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers Scholarship Fund and Coastal Conservation Association, has a laid-back, relaxed type of atmosphere due to no high stakes. Anglers competed for handsome plaques, prizes donated by sponsors and ?bragging rights? to be the best fly angler in the area. Results were as follows:
Grand Champion Capt. Pete Greenan, from Sarasota, FL(largest snook, redfish and trout) with 60.75? of snook, redfish and trout
Snook Doug Forde, from Sarasota, FL, with (Total inches) 148.75? of snook
Trout Steve Gibson, from Sarasota, FL, with
(Total inches) 152.5? of trout
Redfish No prize awarded due to anglers only (Total inches) being eligible for one award
*Although there only prizes awarded for winners of the four divisions, other noteworthy catches were made by Keith Pratt, from Bradenton, FL, with 138.75? of snook, Nick Angelo, from Land ?O Lakes, FL, with 115.5? of snook, Rusty Driver, from Sarasota, FL, with 30.5? of trout and Roger Williams, from Bradenton, FL, with 20.5? of trout.
"Only the half-mad are wholly alive." ~~ Edward Abbey