GREAT BRITAIN INVADES THE CHEECA ALL AMERICAN BACKCOUNTRY TOURNAMENT! ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA KEYS— John Rix from Shoreham, England, does not take fly fishing lightly. He only fishes one tournament, the Cheeca Lodge All American Backcountry Tournament. For three months prior to the All American, Rix works out in the gym and practices his casting technique over and over again before he escapes the frigid UK winter to come to Islamorada for the event. His mission: to win both the Fly Fishing Division and to take home the Grand Champion Angler trophy at Cheeca’s tournament. And on Saturday, he did just that. Fishing conditions were challenging for all 17 of the All American anglers during two days of competition, November 14-15. Clear blue skies, quiet waters and varying water temperatures made it tough to find the fish and approach them without being seen. Tournament officials reported the release of seven tarpon, 52 snook and 20 redfish for a total of 79 releases. Six of those tarpon were caught on fly and released by Rix, fishing with Captain Chris Jones. Runner Up Grand Champion Angler was Doug Dragoo from Pagosa Springs, Colorado, who released five snook and two redfish on fly. Dragoo is Chairman of Mayfly Outdoors and owns Abel Reels,Ross Reels. Abel Reels was a signature sponsor of this year’s All American and contributed greatly to the event’s success. He fished with Capt. Richard Black. Dragoo also won the Outstanding Catch trophy by catching a toothy barracuda on fly tackle. Fishing legend and author Stu Apte from Bozeman, Montana (and Islamorada), fishing with teammate Art Webb from Virginia Beach, Virginia, repeated their performance from last year and took home the Team Division Grand Champion trophies fishing with Capt. Steve Thomas. Apte released eight snook and three redfish on artificial bait, which also landed him Artificial Division Champion Angler honors. Webb released four snook and one redfish on fly. Webb owns BCF Boom Your Brand, a travel marketing firm, and has been a signature sponsor of the All American since its inception. The Cheeca Lodge All American Tournament honors Veterans Day by hosting two soldiers injured in the wars in the Mideast. This year the soldiers were flown in by Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing and associated activities. U.S. Air Force Staff Sargeant Daniel Comrey from Reisterstown, Maryland and Army Capt. Alvin Shell from Virginia Beach, Virginia competed as a team. Fishing with Capt. Mike Makowski, the soldiers won the Team Division Runner Up honors. Sgt. Comrey completed five back-to-back tours in Iraq from 2005-2008, and suffered injuries too numerous to count. “This trip to Cheeca Lodge and the Keys makes me want to pack up and move here,” he said. “This is paradise.” Capt. Shell was deployed in Iraq in 2004 when a rocket-propelled grenade flew over his shoulder and hit a large supply truck which exploded in fire. Platoon Sgt. Wesley Spaid was engulfed in flames. Shell rescued Spaid but when he tried to escape, found himself covered in gasoline and surrounded by a wall of fire. He made it out, but suffered third degree burns over 30 percent of his body. Shell’s recovery took 30 surgeries over 18 months. For his heroic efforts saving Sgt. Spaid, he was awarded a Purple Heart and the U.S. Army Bronze Star with Valor. Shell’s light-hearted response: “I’m not a hero. A hero is a sandwich. I’m a paratrooper.” Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. PHWFF currently has 177 programs in 50 states. In 2013, more than2,400 PHWFF volunteers logged over 130,000 hours helping more than 5,400 recovering warriors and disabled veterans to participate in PHWFF programs. Hometown favorite Jim Bokor and his guide, Frank Ortiz, won the General Division Angler and Guide awards with nine redfish on bait. Bokor lives in Tavernier and is well-known for winning numerous tournaments. He was Overall Champion in last year’s All American. Fishing headquarters for this tournament was World Wide Sportsman, Islamorada’s premier headquarters for fishing in the Florida Keys. The beneficiary this year is the Guides Trust Foundation, which assists Florida Keys fishing guides in need, helping them meet their financial obligations in times of crisis or injury. The GFT also awards scholarships to local students. For more information and donation forms, visit the website at guidestrustfoundation.org Wells Fargo Bank, Abel Reels, BCF Boom Your Brand travel marketing firm and the Florida Keys & Key West’s fishing umbrella were the All American’s major sponsors. Other sponsors included Simms, Costa, Executive Printers of Florida, Printing Plus, Tommy Bahama, Linens & More, Florida Keys Outfitters, Imperial Sports and Cotee lures.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 19:09:18 +0000
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