Fly Classic 2016 Winners

It can easily be said, the real winner as a result of the Blue River Fly Classic, is Blue River herself.  This growing event raised $4071.00 in entry fees, raffle tickets, silent auctions and donations. 

Just five years ago we started this event and had 22 contestants.  This year we had 60, and we fed about 80 people for lunch. 

The mystery fly, a size 14 olive Czech Nymph, performed better than I thought it would.  I really thought it would be a tough fly for many.  However, quite a few fish were caught with this pattern including two 8 point bonus fish - the Redhorse sucker.

When the score cards were tallied here were the winners.

3rd Place - Scott Dittner

 

2nd place - Donovan Clary

 

 

1st place and the winner of the 2016 Blue River Fly Classic is Boone Merhman.

 





Two Bonus Fish For Blue River Fly Classic

Blue River Fly Classic

For the last two one fly events at Blue River, the small mouth bass has been the bonus fish earning six points to any participant regardless of the size of the small mouth.

This year, the same will be true - the small mouth will be a bonus species.  However, this year there will be an additional bonus fish.  In honor of the exclusive Blue River Redhorse Sucker Club, (which, I am still not a member of) the Redhorse Sucker will also be a bonus fish. 

Any participant that captures a Redhorse Sucker with the mystery fly will be rewarded eight bonus points during the event.  Last year, Mike Littrel caught a Redhorse Sucker while participating in that year's event. 

So, good luck to all at the Classic and if you do capture a Redhorse and you've never caught one on a fly before while at Blue River, not only will you get bonus points, but you will also become a rare member of the Blue River Redhorse Sucker Club.... and I will hate you until I become a member.

Blue River Redhorse Sucker Club Grows

On Saturday the exclusive Blue River Redhorse Club added a new member.... and it wasn't me.

Yours truly was attending the Dutch Oven Cook-off competition as part of the Arbuckle Simpson Nature Festival.  This event would require a good deal of work and time, and there wouldn't be anytime for this fly fisher to get to Blue River or anywhere else to fish. 

Around mid-morning, Van Stacey and his lovely wife Kempy (my daughter I might add) showed up at the cook-off where Van wasted little time in obligingly sampling my Dutch oven fare.  I think it was somewhere between a bite of roasted vegetables and Mexican cornbread that Van announced, directed at me, that he would indeed be going to Blue River to fly fish.  A few seconds later he made the boast that he thought while he was there he would just go ahead and catch a Redhorse Sucker, which he very well knows has been something I desperately want to achieve. 

Here I was arse deep in Dutch ovens and charcoal and old buddy Van was rubbing the salt in.  Perhaps I should now say former old buddy. 

After stuffing his face with vittles, Van and Kempy departed my company and headed to Blue River.  I had to stick around the cook-off for the results and as soon as that was done I dead-headed back to the bunkhouse. 

 

Three hours later, while sitting at the Sonic waiting on my No. 1 Cheeseburger to arrive... you know who poked a cell phone in front of my face with a picture displayed.  Although the sun was blocking my view I could tell it was Van, and in his hand was one Redhorse Sucker.  There, in that picture was Van sporting a possum face smile and holding the Blue River species I so want to catch. So, on April 27th, Van comes and eats my Dutch oven food, tells me he's going fly fishing (when he knows I can't), and that he might just catch a Redhorse Sucker, which he does and then shares with me a picture with a smirk on his face.  Rubbing more salt... just keep on rubbing Mr. Stacey. 

 

If that ain't a shit-eatin' grin on his face, I've never seen one.

Van now becomes a member of the elite Blue River Redhorse Sucker Club and I think his entry raises the membership to nine.  He probably doesn't want me to tell you the pattern he caught this Redhorse on, but I'm going to... because I can - it was our favored Brown Bugger.