So, I get a phone call from the General Manager at Bass Pro Shop (Garland) asking me to come in sometime, within a few days.- I'm on the Pro-Staff at BPS, to make the story make sense if you didn't know. Well, I was actually on Lake Ray Hubbard at the very moment fishing, so I puttered over to the slips and walk up to BPS. When I got up there, the GM shows me a flier. It's the �

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � 4th ANNUAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
� � � � � � � � � � � � BASS ON THE FLY FISHING TOURNAMENT
� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � @ LAKE FORK

He tells me they are sponsoring me for the tourney and I am to enter it. I said ok, but with a confused face. He said to me right then, "You don't have a confident look right now." I then told him this:

1) I have fished Lake Fork 9 times. 6 of those days were Big Splash.
2) I have never fly fished for bass, EVER.

He tells me to figure it out. So, I order a new Vangaurd 8 weight fly rod and it has been sitting in the corner of the garage till Friday, the day before the tourney.

On Friday, I get my bass tourney partner to go scout it out with me. He doesn't fly fish but he knows the lake way better than I do, so he was out this tourney and I was solo for the tourney.

730 am we are on the east arm of the lake in 5-12 ft of water beating it up and hitting the banks with top waters. It took us 2 hours to figure out a good pattern and then then we started to rake them in.





After we figured out what the fish were doing, I picked up the fly rod and started stripping flies.









We ended up boating 30-40 LMB and I jigged up a couple crappie i found bedded up in some grass. Most of the bass �were 4--6 lbs on average and where ever we went, we were catching them. I saw the biggest bass I have ever seen in the wild, had to be over 13-15 lbs. She was on a bed with a male in 5 ft of water on a log. She must have been found before, cause she was Spooking way to much and never calmed down, just kept swimming around. Would have loved �to land that fish!

Day Two morning of tourney:

I get up and empty the boat of all tackle and rods, except a small fly box with some flies I tied up Friday night, and three fly rods. I'm on the highway at 3:15 am and arrive at 4:50 am. I get registered and launch the boat and I'm on the way to my honey hole!

As soon as it started to get light, my spot spontaneously combusts and it's on fire now. I landed 3 magnum Sandbass 18 inches on the dot. Then the bass rolled though. From 615am till 645, I landed 14 black bass and a toad 22.5

I texted a buddy telling him: I think won. He texted back that the tourney just started. Well, I figured no one had caught that many or even close to how big 4 of mine were.









So then the wind and air pressure started to get all funky. I hid in a cove for an hour and the wind changed again and it was blowing NW. So took a long drive to the east arm, and the water was crystal clear there. Then 20 mins later the wind changed again and blowing right into the cove I was in again. I just needed one more big fish for the the five fish limit. I needed one bigger than 20 inches. I had a 17 incher in my five fish limit already, but I really wanted another 20 incher. Then I found one in 3 ft of water sitting near a log guarding a bed. I put my red neck power pole down, a cinder block with rope, and sat on her for 45 mins till she made a mistake. Took me 9 mins to get her in. She pulled me 50 yards from the hook up location and had me weaving in and out of the trees and under a log, but she came right back under the log and out pretty much without me doing anything. Otherwise, I thought it was going to be over after that. After that epic battle, my line didn't �even have a nic in it. Crazy.



Tip: if you have a camera/ video smart phone like I have the iPhone 5. Video yourself! Then you can pause the video, and push the top power button and the menu button at the same time and take a screen shot of anything on your screen at the moment. That's how I took the photos all alone when I'm out solo.



At this point it's noon and I am pretty sure I have it won so I trailer the boat. I pull up to the kiosk and weigh in and there are 3 boats there already. They gave up and didn't catch anything. They did the numbers and I had 100.5 inches for the win and 22.5 inch bass for the Bigg Bass pot.

1st Place and Biggest Bass.

I am now the new "World Champion Bass On the Fly" �holder. 10 years ago, when I started to guide Sandbass in a creek from the bank, �I never would have guessed I would be a World Champion Fly Fisherman!

-2nd time flyfishing for black bass.

Way to go, Casey. Looks like all kinds of fun and goodness.
Now you are going to have to change all of your business cards.

Kirk

2013 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
BASS ON THE FLY FISHING TOURNAMENT
RESULTS

The 2013 World Championship Bass on The Fly Fishing Tournament was held Saturday, May 11th, at Lake Fork Marina near Alba, TX. This tournament is exclusively for fly fishing and all the equipment must be made for fly fishing. It is one of only two such tournament in the world. Forty-one participants from Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas & Colorado enjoyed the nice weather and the morning topwater bite before the sun got bright and an unusual North wind picked up.

By 2:00 pm all the teams had checked in and the results were tallied in this catch-photo-release tournament. Each team could check-in up to five largemouth bass which had to be photographed laying on a measuring board showing the length of the fish and a unique identification tag. All fish were then released immediately back into the lake. Since there is a 16�-24� �slot� on Lake Fork, this allowed contestants to photo and release even their slot fish unlike conventional tournaments where only the bass below 16� and over 24� can be weighed in. The total length of the five fish determined the winner and the big fish of the boater division and the non-boater(kayak) division.

Although there were some teams with no fish to check in, there were some good photo stringers also brought in. In the boater division, first place was won by Carey Thorn with a five fish total length of 100.5� which paid $600! Defending champions, Benson & B.C. Fowler, claimed second place with 93.5� and received $325, Robert & Mary Ann Cummings took third with 81� and earned $225, and brothers Hal & Mike Maris received $110 for fourth with 48�. Big fish was 22.5� caught by Carey Thorn which paid $120 and second was 22� caught by B.C. Fowler for $55. Once again poppers and streamers were the best fish catchers of the day.

There were six fishermen in the Non-boater (Kayak) division. Greg Stine took first place with 34� earning $145 and Tim Kapp was second with 17� worth $70. Greg and Tim tied for the longest fish with 17�. The wind was a little rough for the kayakers to handle.

Rex White won the big blue gill side pot with a 9� blue gill and Tim Kapp claimed second with one 8.5�. Tim also won the new Sage Largemouth rod in a drawing for those who registered by May 1st.

The Dallas Fly Fishers Club barely retained the Club trophy as the North Louisiana Fly Fishers mounted a strong challenge that came up just a few inches short.

Once again, the sponsors who donated products and gift certificates made the tournament fun for everyone. All participants received a newly introduced Gypsy Jack bass lure made for fly fishing, a Skeeter or Ranger tee shirt, a hat from TFO or Skeeter, a Peoples Communications water-proof phone protector, and Cabela�s promotional items. Other sponsors were TFO rods, Bass Pro Shops, Oakley sunglasses, Sage, Simms, Redington, Buffs, Rio Lines, Mariner Sails, and Tailwaters Fly Fishing store. Every participant received a drawing prize after the winners received their checks due to the generosity of our sponsors.

Proceeds of the tournament benefit the Federation of Fly Fishermen and East African Christian Ministries. Plans are underway to make the 5th tournament in 2014 even bigger and better than ever. The date for the 2014 tournament will be announced later in the Summer. For more information about participating in the tournament or becoming a sponsor check the website, www.bassonthefly.org.

Congrats Carey Heck of a stringer.

The accolades just keep piling up, huh, Casey? Way to go!! I fished Fork last July and caught one bass. It was definitely not too tough for you!!!

Carey you will get addicted! I started fly fishing for large mouth bass last spring after 30+ years fly fishing for trout & perch. I have caught and released over 300 LMB since February 1st of this year! I have landed 6 fish over 5 pounds all on my TFO 3wt & a Targus 8wt. I too saw but could not catch the largest female LMB I have eve seen in the water, like the fish you saw she easily went 13-15 pounds and was guarding a nest. as a 4th generation fly fisherman I will be starting my guide service in the near future specializing in teaching newbies how to cast a fly and guiding on urban lakes & streams here in the metroplex! Look out Carey I'm coming for ya!

j/k. There is plenty or room for guides on the creeks and stream in DFW. I think I am the only one at the moment. Bring it!

Congratulations Carey!

No, you're not the only one. But, congrats on a great win!!!

Congratulations Carey that's awesome!

Congrats, Cary. Good lookin catch.

OH JEEZ, SO NOW ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE YOU ARE GREAT AT, NOW WE GOTTA LIVE WITH THIS ONE TOO????!!!!!!!!

I NEED TO TAKE TWO ASPRIN AND CALL SOMEONE IN THE MORNING!!!

J/K, THAT IS AWESOME T-FLY!!! Surely BPS is gonna sweeten that winner's pot for ya!!!

Rudy

Above fly was the best.








Above fly was very good for deeper than 4-5 foot depths.

Great, now something else...

Congratulations Casey...

Way to go Carey, local boy does good!