Stedina Competes

For Spot on U.S. Fly Fishing Team

Stockbridge resident Matt Stedina, owner of Trout Bum Guide Services, returned from Salt Lake City, Utah, Sunday, July 20. He was there to fly fish against 24 competitors, including current U.S. Fly Fishing Team members, for a spot on the U.S. team that will compete at the 2010 World Fly Fishing Championships to be held in Poland on the River San.

The qualifying event consisted of two lake and two river "flights." Stedina won one of the river events held at the Victory Ranch on the Upper Provo River by landing 12 brown and rainbow trout and white fish in three hours. He caught a 25-in. rainbow during a practice event.

"I got a good beat on the river," said Stedina regarding his win, although he didn’t fare as well in the lake events. "The lake events kicked my butt. I only fish rivers and don’t fish lakes. I had the strikes but didn’t get them to the boat."

For the river events, he set up for fishing green drakes, but had to use stone flies instead. Stedina said it ultimately worked in his favor because that’s what he’s set up for here in Vermont.

"This is a big stone fly area," he said.

Stedina has convinced U.S. Fly Fishing Team organizers to host a qualifying event in central Vermont in May 2009 and will work with them to plan the event. He will also practice his lake fishing in preparation for the next qualifier being held in September in Bend, Oregon.

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