It was another disappointing finish for me at the now Go Pro Mountain Games, finishing thirteenth out of fifty six competitors. Still beating out every guide from the Vail Valley, I will not be satisfied without a top three finish. Here's how it went....
The mountain games are the country's biggest celebration of adventure sports. The games are sponsored by Go Pro and attract competitors from across the globe. The competitions include mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing, slacklining, stand up paddle boarding, running, adventure racing, slope style biking, dog jumping, rafting, and yes fly fishing. The fly fishing competition consists of two rounds of accuracy and distance with the top eight men and top two women fishing for the finals. Picking up sponsorships from Rayovac and Redington, I set high expectations for myself. I drew a great starting position at number two. Getting a good starting position is key to eliminate the wind that kicks up later in the day. Taking advantage I missed three targets, but was one out of only five competitors to hit the bonus. Qualifying tenth, I was headed to the bridge. The young gun Connor Murphy, around eighteen years old, qualified first. At the semifinals, otherwise known as the bridge, I slid three spots finishing thirteenth. Usually nerves get the better of me at the bridge, but this year I felt great. This year my problem was missing the easy targets. Brandon Soucie from Gore Creek's sister company Taylor Creek fly shop in Basalt won. Ryan Ryzska Filipek from Gunnison River fly shop took second, and Frank Smethurst from Scott fly rods, last years winner, came in third. I felt Connor Murphy's pain as he slid from the top qualifying spot to finish eighteenth. Probably the best story was Hutch Hutchinson, almost missing the competition because of a sick child. Then rallying, with his ill son at his side, finished sixth. I want to say thank you to Redington for the sick Link five weight that I used for the competition. Let me tell you Redington Rods cast great, look beautiful, and stand up to all the abuse that my clients can dish out. Also Rayovac. Rayovac batteries last as long as Energizer and Duracell, but cost less. Use the promo code "flyguy"to save 20% on their entire web site. Be sure to watch for Nate (Sick Dog) Reynolds and I ripping some musky lip at the Musky Fly Fishing World Championships this fall. Keep tuning in to LCFF for river reports, client photos, and other cool stuff.
 |
| Sunrise on the Gore Range |
 |
| Start your engines |
 |
| It's a friendly competition, Alex Parsons taught me a lot about guiding |
 |
| "The Bridge" a thousand people watching you |
 |
| Work it |
 |
| Ex NFL player Tahani Jones learning to cast |
 |
| Hutch with his tough kid |
 |
| It made me remember what's important |
 |
| Watch out muskies |
