It only takes one fly
It only takes one fly
Little Schuylkill fly-fishing tournament limits anglers to just one fly
By Tyler Frantz
The day began with coffee and donuts. Playful banter ensued as wader-clad anglers assembled rods and meticulously rigged lines outside Rivers Outdoor Adventures fly shop near New Ringgold, PA. Team members mingled about the parking lot, stealing careful glances at the nearby Little Schuylkill River. They quickly assessed stream conditions before selecting a single fly, which would hopefully last an entire day on the water. Their knots had to be perfect.
The two-person teams then gathered inside for a random drawing of ten numbers representing various sections of the river. All stretches hold fish, but some are clearly better than others, so each team’s fate was determined by luck of the draw. With everyone assigned a location, anglers took their places on the water with a solitary fly and a prayer.
This unique tournament is known as the ‘One Fly’ fishing contest and has been hosted by Rivers Outdoor Adventures and Schuylkill County Trout Unlimited on the Little Schuylkill River for the past 12 years. The event was started by ROA owner Joe DeMarkis as a fun way to raise local funds for the benefit of the river and SCTU. He modeled the tournament after the Delaware River’s popular ‘1 Bug’ drift-boat fishing contest but appropriately adapted it for wade fishing- a concept that caught on quickly.
The object of the contest is to catch and release as many fish as possible within the allotted timeframe. Field judges accompany all teams to count and measure fish, and the duo with the highest combined tally amassed by the end of the day wins.
The kicker, however, is that anglers may only use one fly, so they must choose their pattern wisely. If an angler loses a fly on a branch, underwater snag or fish fight, he or she can only assist his or her teammate by spotting and netting fish. If both partners lose their fly, the team is disqualified for the remainder of the contest. Current SCTU President Greg Wood took over as tournament coordinator four years ago to carry on the tradition, and he said this year’s event turned out even better than the last.
“The One Fly contest is an awesome event,” Wood said. “I got involved a few years ago because of my love for trout fishing. I wanted to keep its legacy going because of its support for the TU mission.”
“This year, we moved the event to April for warmer weather so the anglers could better enjoy their day of fishing for a good cause. We also decided to stock each of the ten fishing beats at mid-day. That way everyone had an even playing field,” Wood said. “We had a terrific turnout with lots of great prizes,” Wood said. “Ferris Sporting Brand LLC came on again as a chief sponsor and the SCTU volunteers always come through with hand-tied flies and help with judging. I especially want to thank them for their support.”
Additional event sponsors included Eddies Salmon River Lodge, Cheeky Reels, Spirit River, UV2, Orvis, TCO , Cutthroat Leaders, Tom Masano Mazda, JC Hill Tree Farms, The Mckeansburg Hotel, DLP, Yuengling, Snitz Creek Brewery, Hoss's Steak House and Marchiano Pizza.
Team “Knee Deep” was this year’s champions, amassing 17 trout for 208-inches of fish- a new tournament record. Team members won a complimentary guided fishing trip and many other items. They edged out defending champions, CRO Flies by seven fish, though Bobby Wolfgang gave his best effort catching a record setting 25-inch rainbow trout- the largest fish ever caught in the tournament’s history.
My team took 5th place with nine fish caught- one less than the second place team but smaller in size, knocking us down the chart in total inches. My teammate and I also lost a few others on botched net jobs and soft hook-sets, costing us dozens of valuable inches.
Regardless, all participants went home with at least one door prize. Some even made it through with their flies still attached by the end of the day. But best of all, everyone enjoyed a beautiful day fishing the river, which has benefitted greatly from multiple SCTU cleanup projects over the past two decades- the true reason for the contest. All tournament registration proceeds help fund education, conservation, preservation, and rehabilitation projects for the benefit of SCTU and trout populations primarily in the Little Schuylkill River- an incredible comeback stream harboring a great variety of trout- including wild brookies and browns, as well as the 1,060-inches of trout caught and released on the day of the tournament.
The home headquarters for the ‘One Fly’ Contest was Rivers Outdoor Adventures and Fly Fishing Shop, located at 22 Hughes St, New Ringgold, PA 17960. The ROA website can be found by visiting www.riversflyfishing.com.
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