The 2016 FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships wrapped up last week in Vail, Colorado, where Team USA made a strong showing for a third-place overall finish. Unfortunately, we can’t be #1 in everything 100% of the time.
Americans Lance Egan and Pat Weiss placed third and fourth among the individual standings, while competitors from Spain and France took the top two spots. Spain won the all-around team gold, with more than 300 fish caught over the course of the competition.
This year marked the 36th FIPS-Mouche event, and the first time that the Championships have taken place on American fishing land since 1996. FIPS-Mouche (Fédération Internationale de Peche Sportive Mouche, or in English, the International Sport Fly Fishing Federation) began in the late 1950s as a way for fellow fishermen to exchange information and organize friendly competitions, and it now includes over 50 million members from 42 countries around the globe.
In the U.S. alone, over 38 million Americans participate in fishing and/or hunting in some way. But few of them would have the skills it takes to compete for the title of World’s Best.
The fly fishing property in Vail used for this year’s competition had its own unique set of challenges, especially for fishermen more accustomed to European waters. This year’s organizer, John Knight, has been preparing riverfront and lakefront fishing land in Eagle County for three years leading up to the event, “preparing our waters for the very best,” he said.
One of the main differences from years past could be found in the fish themselves: “Here the anglers will fish for wild trout,” Knight explained. “In most of the rest of the world, they’re fishing stocked or artificially enhanced trout.”
Additionally, all of the fish hooked in competition — and there wound up being more than 3,800 catches throughout the event — are catch-and-release. In fact, fishermen can be penalized for even accidentally killing a fish.
Though the Americans didn’t win, the beauty of Eagle County helps explain why ranches in Colorado with fly fishing property are so popular among anglers interested in buying land.
“The whole Vail area is gorgeous,” said bronze-winner Lance Egan. “And the water is slower, so it’s not too high to wade and makes for great fishing conditions.”