He Could Have Been a Contender...

Actually, I'm just poking a little fun at my buddy Lou DiGena from the Fly and Fin blog who made a fine showing at the 2nd Annual New Jersey Fly Fisherman of the Year competition this past weekend.  I'm poking fun because I am actually a little bit jealous that he made a better showing then me during last year's competition.  Lou went into the finals in second place and missed taking all the glory by eight tenths of an inch!  Had he been allowed to retain his score from the morning session he would have taken first with a comfortable lead, but the rules called for all contestants to start with a clean slate for the final round of fishing.

This years event also coincided with the 40th Anniversary of the formation of New Jersey's State Council of Trout Unlimited.  The fly fishing event and the subsequent banquet was sponsored and hosted by The Raritan Inn and Shannon's Fly Shop.  They really put on a fine event and the fund raising banquet for the State Council was a blast.  My hat goes off to them for everything they did!

Although yours truly did not participate in this year's fishing competition, I did participate in the post event, fly casting competition.   Unbelievably, I took first place!  I say it was unbelievable because I competed against some world class casters, but the gods and the winds were on my side (sorry Darren!).

I would also like to congratulate this year's winner.   Angelo Conti from the Ernest Schwiebert Chapter of Trout Unlimited.  Angelo is only seventeen years old but he out fished them all.  Hats off to Angelo, New Jersey's Fly Fisherman of the Year!