Jackson Hole Jackson Hole One Fly
Pick a fly – one fly – and fish with it all weekend. It’s an interesting idea, especially for a breed that takes great pride in the size of their tackle box. No swapping out; no second chances if that fly is lost. One is all you get.
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Pick a fly – one fly – and fish with it all weekend. It’s an interesting idea, especially for a breed that takes great pride in the size of their tackle box. No swapping out; no second chances if that fly is lost. One is all you get. An odd idea, yes; but it’s also challenging. And there’s nothing anglers like more than a challenge.
Local legend Jack Dennis thought up the Jackson Hole One Fly Competition 19 years ago. The first year, competitors were mainly local guides. Today’s participants, in contrast, must apply months in events. Forty four-member teams from across the country competed in 2003, and the bar continues to rise - both in the popularity of the event, and the talent of its participants.
The rules of the contest are simple: (1) Pick a single fly. (2) Catch the most fish and the biggest fish you can with your fly over the course of 2 days. (3) Don’t lose your chosen fly. The winner is the angler who catches the most fish rated by size.
Both the fly selection and its craftsmanship are essential to succeeding at the One Fly. And then there are the more mundane things such as knot tying, patience and knowledge of the river. It isn’t surprising local fishing guides, with their uncanny sense of the river and how weather affects it, usually come out on top.
The 2004 One Fly is September 9-12. Unfortunately, neither the competition nor the Snake River is spectator friendly. The best way to keep abreast of what’s going on is to hit the bars at night, listening to fish tales great and small.
Regardless of which angler takes the One Fly title, the fish are the true winners. Every year the event raises tens of thousands of dollars for riparian and fishery conservation efforts.
-- Sepp Jannotta
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