This past week the Snake River was the fishing grounds for the One Fly, a yearly tournament that pits some of the region’s strongest fishermen against each other in a competitive but friendly setting.
Each year the Jackson Hole One Fly raises money for conservation, habitat preservation, rehabilitation projects and stewardship education to the benefit of trout populations in the Snake and Yellowstone headwaters. Despite the unusual struggles of the pandemic, along with high waters on the Snake, the event was able to run smoothly while offering a break from the stresses of everyday life.
This year the theme was simple: the art of the fly.
For those unfamiliar, the rules are pretty straightforward. The competition included 40 teams spread throughout the Snake River, each consisting of four anglers (one of whom is a professional guide) and a single fly. Each participant was to select eight trout to be scored, with the rest being released immediately. With a guide in each boat in the water, each of their selected fish was given a number, with point values increasing for the larger the fish was measured.
After a weekend of catch and release, One Fly was capped with a banquet Sunday night, where anglers and their families gathered at Snow King Resort’s outdoor venue to tell tales from the water, while recognizing some of the tournament’s finest participants in a variety of categories.
Finishing with a score of 3,053, the Lip Rippers, consisting of Trey Scharp, Fletcher White, Dan Oas and Michael Coles, came out victorious in first place. The Lip Rippers’ score came just one year after finishing runner-up in the 2020 event, but the team had won in 2011 as well as 2015.
Coles used a dry, parachute mahogany fly on the first day on the water and a screamer on the second. While the 15-year One Fly veteran admitted there is certainly an element of luck to it, he said there are several ways fisherman can set themselves up for higher success on the water.
“I think picking the right fly and having a good guide is probably more important than what section you’re in,” Coles said.
The team dedicated its win to the late Spencer Morton, a prominent community member and Jackson angler, while making a significant contribution to the Spencer Morton Children’s Educational Trust.
Alec Gerbec of team Thomas and Thomas caught the tournament’s largest trout, coming in at 23 inches, reeled in on a section of the Snake River from Palisades Dam to Spring Creek.
In the individual category, Brian Byerly of the second-place team, Colorado Casters, finished in first with a combined weekend score of 1,129. Gerbec finished in second as an individual with a score of 1,093, while Jay Kemmerer finished third with a score of 971.
For Wyoming guides Josh Cohn caught a first-place finish with a score of 1,692, a couple hundred points ahead of second-place finisher Nick Fiorini, both guiding in the Moose to Wilson section of the river. For Idaho guides, Ryan Troy came out on top with a score of 1,730, finishing just ahead of Dave Deardorff, at 1,694.
One recognition, given in Morton’s name, was awarded to a guide who went above and beyond to help fishermen on the water. This year Jean Bruun was the recipient.
“I am particularly honored by the Carmichael-Cohen-Morton Memorial Award because it also honors my friend Spencer Morton,” Bruun said. “I am stunned by this honor from the One Fly and its environmental support and because my mentor, my love and best fishing buddy, Paul Bruun won the first one.”
Jean also finished in the top three for Wyoming guides, with a score of 1,357.
With water levels of the Snake being much higher this year than in summers past, that didn’t stop fishermen from enjoying their weekend of competition, that brought in anglers from all over the country.
“This was an acceptable [water] level, you’re just going to fish at different places on the river,” said longtime Jackson angler Scott Sanchez, who has been around for every One Fly event. “Your bank structure changes. Most of these guys have been guiding [the Snake] forever, so you adapt. Everybody’s got the same cards. I think probably the fact that we had another record year in a row and there’s almost a record number of guided trips probably impacted it as much.”
While the levels have been in flux all summer, One Fly anglers benefited from the event occurring later in the summer.
“The waters have come down … It’s at least at a reasonable level compared to a month ago,” Sanchez said.
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