1992 Jackson Hole One Fly Event
Wind, Walter, Rabbit Fur and Voodoo
Probably what the contestants will remember most
about the 1992 One Fly will be the gale force winds. After a picture
perfect previous week, on the day before the One Fly anglers experienced
probably the best day of fishing on the Snake River in recent history.
It was a windless, clear, bright, late summer day that made everybody
wish that summer would never end. On Saturday morning, the anglers were
filled with anticipation for a rainless, snowless weekend and it proved
to be just that, until mid-day when near-tornado force winds assaulted
the contestants, dashing everyone's hopes for a perfect One Fly.
Honorary Chairman Gen. Joe Engel, a former astronaut and test pilot,
compared the Snake River to the government wind tunnels used for
aeronautical research!
From the armada of boats scattered in the nine sections of the Snake
River, from Idaho to Wyoming, we received reports of many different
experiences as a result of the wind. Some reports were that anglers were
actually being pushed upstream! Many took refuge in the trees, waiting
for the wind to subside. In spite of the wind, many anglers had
impressive scores. One angler, Walter Ungermann, from Team U.S.A.,
scored a record 561 points in one day. He used a rabbit fur streamer
fly, a Double Bunny.
In 1992 a new scoring system was adopted. Bonus points were now awarded
for the six of eight largest fish anglers chose to measure. Each trout
caught received two points regardless of its size. This rule change was
adopted to minimize the handling of trout. Most everybody agreed that
the rule change had made it a more challenging contest.
Tension was high as the winners were announced since seven teams were
within several hundred points of each other. Rivermeadows, by the slim
margin of 102 points, had won. Team U.S.A., captured second. Less that
100 points separated the next three teams. Team Sage finished third
which finally ended their four year hold on second place. The Double
Bunny had slain them, and Walter Ungermann and Peter Kellogg tied for
first place in the category for the biggest trout, a 20 1/2" native
cutthroat.
1992 One Fly Event Winning Fly
The Double Bunny
In 1992, One Fly winner Walter Ungermann took the advice of guide Carter
Andrews, who suggested that he try Scott Sanchez' rabbit-fur creation on
the South Fork. Walter, who had never used anyone else's flies in the
last four One Fly's reluctantly tried Carter's version of Scott's fly on
the first day. He promptly set a record with 560 points. The next day,
he used the same fly to score another 500+ points and captured the
individual title. This marked the first time a streamer fly ever won the
event. Sanchez crafted the fly from two different colored rabbit pelts
glued together. He cut them into quarter-inch strips and affixed eyes to
the body. It is intended to mimic a small wounded fish. |
