Youngest team wins Buy/Fly Fishing Tournament

MEEKER I The 10th annual White River Community Association Buy/Fly Fishing Tournament brought out six excellent teams who competed for some great prizes and enjoyed good food and community hospitality.
The purpose of the tournament is three-fold: to raise money for the sustainability of the historic Buford School; to secure the whitefish for the annual Community Fish Fry held in June each year; and to provide a fun, competitive opportunity for the community. Folks can mark their calendars for this year’s Fish Fry, set for June 14, 2014.
Even with bad weather for the first day of the tournament, the teams fished hard, and Sunday turned in to a very productive day with plenty of bright sunshine and hungry whitefish. Final weigh-in was Sunday afternoon followed by a delicious chili dinner complete with jalapeno cornbread prepared by Boots Campbell, Dean Hubbell and Arlene Fritzlan. Delectable desserts were also on hand, prepared by association members.
Topping the prize table was Orvis Mirage Big Game Fly Reels for the first-place team, which was also the youngest team. Co-Sponsored by Sable Mountain Outfitters and the K Bar T Ranch, locals Daylon Nielsen, Dayton Willey, Jake Edinger and Codee Woodward took top honors and each received an Orvis fly reel. Fly boxes with fishing accessories, donated in part by Wyatt’s Sports Center, were also awarded to this team.
The second-place team, calling themselves “Better Lucky than Good,” came all the way from New Mexico. They also garnered the high point individual award. The team was comprised of Duane Baker, Victor Sanchez, Jeff Warren and H. Warren. Second-place winners all received Orvis Fully Loaded Trout Flats Pack, and Baker was awarded the high point individual prizes of a $150 gift certificate donated by Elk Creek Fly Fishing Shop and a pair of wading boots donated by the Rio Blanco Ranch.
For the third year in a row, the third-place team hails from Castle Rock, Colo., calling themselves “The Mustangs,” consisting of Tom Brauch, his son Hayden, Carlos Aragon and Tanner Capulong. This team received heavy-duty Leatherman tools from Wyatt’s Sports Center.
There were three other teams. Most notable for their “getting wet” style of fishing, and calling themselves “The Commish Team,” were Rio Blanco County Commissioners Shawn Bolton and Jeff Eskelson, Jeff’s son Zach, and Quentin Smith.
The two other teams were “The Princess Team” headed up by Mark Scritchfield, Mason Scritchfield, Dakota Docheff and Pat White. Sable Mountain sponsored another team that put out a great effort and are to be commended on their dedication to the Meeker High School girls’ basketball team. They competed at the State Basketball Tournament in Pueblo this past week, waited to cheer on and support the girls’ team on Friday night, then drove all night from Pueblo to be at the up-river location of the Buford School for the early start of the tournament on Saturday morning. This Sable Mountain team was made up of Ty Dunham, Noah Overton, Kash Atwood and Jake Smith.
The White River Community Association thanks the judges for this year’s event: local Colorado Parks and Wildlife District Wildlife managers Bailey Franklin and Jeff Goncalves, Shawn Welder, Kent Nielsen and Tony Weiss. The association also thanks the community for its continued support of the Historic Buford School, looking forward to seeing everyone at the annual Community Fish Fry on June 14 at Buford School.