Cache Anglers capture 2012 Trout Unlimited Utah Single Fly title

Teams prepare to launch their boats on the Green River's "A" section during last week's Utah Single Fly event held near Dutch John, Utah.

Fifteen teams of four anglers gathered near Dutch John, Utah, last week for the annual Utah Single Fly, and for the second year in a row, a team made up of  Trout Unlimited chapter members from Utah took the top prize.

The team from Cache Anglers, based near Logan, Utah, scored 161 points during the one-day event on Friday, Sept. 28, besting the teams, Three Rods and a Pregnant Hooker and Winston Fly Rods/Western Rivers Fly Fisher, which both scored 155 points. Last year, the team from Salt Lake City-based Stonefly Society of the Wasatch took the top spot.

“It was a great event, and I think everyone had a lot of fun,” said Dave Kumlien, the director of TU’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program, and one of the event’s organizers. “It’s become something that both the guides and the anglers look forward to every year, and it just keeps getting better.”

Participants in the event only get to use one fly for the entire day. If they lose their fly, they’re done fishing for individual and team points. This year, in order to save a fly and continue fishing for points, Matt Hyde of the Hyde Drift Boats team, climbed a tree to successfully retrieve a fly. Last year, a tournament angler broke his fly off in the mouth of a fish. Moments later, his teammate caught the same fish, and the fly was retrieved.

Funds raised from the Utah Single Fly go to benefit Trout Unlimited's work on the ground in Utah, including efforts to protect the storied Green River.

Top guide and winner of this year’s Bomar Tipton Award was Brandon Feller–his boat netted 93 points for the team from Park City, Utah. TU employee and Green River guide Charlie Card notched 87 points for Cache Anglers. Nick Jackson, the other Cache Anglers guide, notched 74 points.

Sponsors of the event included Flaming Gorge Resort, Red Canyon Lodge, Hyde Drift Boats, Winston and Holland and Hart, LLP.

Official results are as follows: