Team USA

We Are the Champions My Friends!

I’m alive.  Since I started the blog in October of 2009 I have never gone so far behind in my daily fishing stories.  And even so, my routine is to pick up right where I left off once there’s time, which in this case would be an entry for July 12.  And it will come.  … Read more

Gold At Our Fingertips on the Last Day

Sleep was hard to come by last night.  Today our USA Masters Fly Fishing team entered the last session of the competition in first place by one point over the Belgians, seven over the Czechs and nine over the Italians.  Yeah, things looked good for a medal, but all we wanted was Gold.  Over forty … Read more

Team USA Struggles but Holds First Place

We, Team USA woke up today in first place in the World Masters Fly Fishing Championships with room to spare.  But we were determined to get out there in Session 4 and kick butt and grow a stronger lead.  But we felt stress – I certainly did.  And I know this team.  We’re tight and … Read more

Session 3 Upper Noce

5 AM came quick.  Currently its day three of the World Masters Fly Fishing Championships.  I headed for the feared Noce River.  While both sections of the Noce, the Upper and Lower have skunked more competitors than any of the three rivers, the Lower is by far the toughest.  Its where Loren blanked yesterday.  I … Read more

Unexpected Hurdles in Session 2 – the Chiese River

In 2003 I was on Team USA at one of the biggest World Championships.  It was in Jaca, Spain.  A rare thing happened for me.  All five of my sessions went nearly flawless despite some of the most difficult conditions and wisest wild brown trout in the history of the event.  Our Team finished 8th … Read more

Crawling for Fish on the Upper Sarca – Session 1

The 5 AM alarm I set wasn’t a welcome sound to Pete and I went it blazed off.  But each of us and the rest of Team USA had buses to catch at 6:15 AM to head for Session One in the World Masters Fly Fishing Championships here in Italy.  It wasn’t only us that … Read more

The World Masters Fly Fishing Championships in Italy

Today was registration day and the start of the World Masters Fly Fishing Championships here at Madonna di Campiglio, Italy.  Though Stefano offered to guide us fishing this morning, everyone opted to make today a rest day and a day to tidy up the tackle to be ready for the first session tomorrow.  Pete, Stefano … Read more

The Final Day of Practice for the Master’s

It wouldn’t have hurt to have spent the final day of World Masters Fly Fishing practice organizing our stuff rather than fishing.  At least Pete and I that is, being today was our eighth fishing day in a row.  Quite frankly, we’re a little worn out.  Our tippet, fly boxes, empty floatants and etc. could … Read more

The Hottest Wader Day of My Life

Today was team practice on the feared Noce River.  I say feared because our Italian guide Stefano thinks this river will blank many contestants in the World Master’s Fly Fishing Championships next week.  A blank and your team is in trouble.  With that in mind, we all had to catch at least a fish today … Read more

Good Fishing Times in Italy

We had a full team practice today.  We split up a little only because in Italy they don’t allow more than three anglers on a piece of water at the same time but for the most part we hung together.  Pete and I watched a lot to give the new arrival teammates more time to … Read more

The Full Team USA is Here Now

The rest of our World Masters USA Fly Fishing Team (Brett Bishop, Mike Sexton and Loren Williams) landed in Milan, Italy this morning and began the four hour drive up to meet Pete, Jerry, Stefano and I.  Jerry and Stefano drove to the lower Sarca River to meet them to immediately get them on the … Read more

The Sarca River Practice Water

During the World Masters Fly Fishing Championships next week there we will fish two sessions on Italy’s Sarca River.  There will be an upper and a lower section.  Both parts of this beautiful river run in an off blue glacial like color over shallow boulders and rocks.   Pete and I fished the Sarca ourselves … Read more