2009 Jackson Hole One Fly Event
Import from Argentina flies in to win One Fly
Event was first fishing contest ever for pro brought to
Jackson by local team Double Digits.
By Brandon Zimmerman,
Jackson Hole News & Guide
Rance Rathie really had no choice. Whether he wanted to or not,
he had to make the trip from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Jackson for
last weekend’s Jackson Hole One Fly.
That’s because his friends donated their frequent flier miles to buy
him a plane ticket. So Rathie, an Argentina-based fishing guide
originally from Bozeman, Mont., came to Jackson to compete in the
first fishing contest of his life.
He made the best of it.
Rathie totaled a score of 1,133 points to win the pro division of
the 24th annual One Fly. His performance was also good enough to
help propel his team – the Double Digits – to the team title. Double
Digits captain Kay Jones, a Jackson resident who has only missed two
One Fly events in her life, said it was worth it.
“We surprised him with a United mileage ticket,” Jones said. “After
we won, we said, ‘Everybody start saving up your miles for next
year.’”
Oddly, Rathie got a little help from another continent to win the
event. Jones’ friend, Peter Carty, of New Zealand, made the fly that
Ranthie used to win the title. The fly is called the Kiwi Ant Fly
and features a foam body with rubber ant legs.
“He made the tie and shipped it over,” Jones said.
Rathie, who owns Patagonia River Guides in Argentina, said he was
unsure what to expect when he arrived in Jackson for the event.
“I thought it was awesome,” he said. “I had no idea what to expect.
I knew it was going to be fun, but I had no idea it would be that
much fun. The fishing tournament aspect and keeping the one fly on
made it fun.”
After spending his fishing career as a guide, Rathie was excited to
be on the other end of the sport.
“I’ve never won anything,” he said. “Actually winning it was a
surprise. I didn’t expect to lose. There was a lot of good fishermen
there. The way I saw it, 25 percent were amateur to mediocre, 25
percent were pretty good, 25 percent were excellent and 25 percent
were pros in my class. I was up against a lot of good fishermen.”
Rathie helped the Double Digits post a narrow win. The team beat the
Fishscalers 1,974 to 1,971. Joining Jones and Rathie on Double
Digits were Whitney McDowell, Susie McDowell and Missy Falcey.
The team held meetings Saturday and Sunday at 6 a.m. during
breakfast at the Gun Barrel Steak and Game House and even had a
coach – Rathie’s friend Travis Smith.
“When we left the Gun Barrel, Travis said to us, ‘Don’t lose your
dinks,’” Jones said. “So, I was yelling to everyone, ‘Don’t lose
your dinks.’”
Dinks – or any fish under 12 inches – count for 2 points.
“I think that was the difference, considering how close it was,”
Jones said.
The Double Digits had plenty of adversity to fight through, as well,
including a bent hook Falcey fished with on Saturday.
“We tried to file it, but it did not fish all day,” Jones said. “We
still had challenges. That’s what makes it all the more rewarding.”
Rathie’s 1,133 paced Double Digits. Susie McDowell scored 252,
Whitney McDowell 245, Jones 317 and Falcey 27.
Don Pegler, of Lincoln, Neb., won the top nonpro individual award
with a score of 918, which included a 677 on Saturday. Pegler
credited his guides, from Southfork Outfitters, which his score.
“I’m an OK fly fisherman,” he said. “But these guides make the
difference.”
This was Pegler’s third year in the event, and first win.
“It just came together,” he said. “It was the right fly and it was
the guides telling me where to put it. The wind blew it into the
right spot when it needed to be there.”
Pegler fished with Bosworth’s Bitchin’ Frizzy Golden Stone fly. The
same fly was used by Bob Williamson, who caught this year’s largest
fish at 23 inches, a brown trout caught on the South Fork.
There were several other awards given for the event.
Guide of the year was Jason Pruitt, of Lodge of Palisades. Top
Guide for Wyoming was Brandon Murphy. Top Guide for Idaho was Mike
Bean.
Third-place team was Team USA, captained by Walter Ungermann.
The article is reprinted
with the permission of the
Jackson Hole News and Guide
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