Outing Report: Bud Priddy Memorial One-Fly Contest - 2008
by Todd Fleming, AFF Outings Director
Guadalupe BassThe Nueces River has got to be one of the prettiest rivers in the state. Bud Priddy recognized that, and wanted all other fly fishermen to experience its beauty. It was Bud’s idea to organize a fishing contest as an excuse to go fishing, and to show off his home water. The Alamo Fly Fishers, being his home club, have continued the tradition in his name. The contest and dinner was held this year on Saturday May 3rd.
The contest takes place on the headwaters of the Nueces River from Barksdale, through Camp Wood, and south along state highway 55 toward Uvalde. The river borders Edwards and Real counties, and then runs through Uvalde county closely paralleling highway 55. Every time I fish the Nueces River, I’m amazed first of all at how clear the water is, and secondly how many road crossings there are to provide public access. The water is deceptively clear, and refreshing on a warm sunny day. Caution is advised while wading, because the water you think is only knee deep is probably at least waist deep, and could easily be up to your neck or higher. The freestone gravel bottom contributes to the clear water and easy wading. The fish, in their bright spawning colors, are the gems of this setting. People unfamiliar with this river and the native fish are surprised at the number of fish caught in one day on a single fly. And when they see the pictures, they can’t believe how clear the water is, or how bright the colors.
Rio Grande PerchThis year the river was low, but flowing gently due to some recent showers on the watershed – and still running clear as ever. Attendance was down compared to past years, and I thought maybe I had a chance to win one of the big prizes. Aaron Riggins, one of the perpetual contenders to win any of the prizes, had already sent me a note to say he was finishing up a project out of town, and would not be back in time to join us for the One-Fly Contest – basically leaving the door wide open. Aaron is from Uvalde, he guides on the Nueces in his spare time, and is intimately familiar with every mile of the river. Aaron knew I had been close in recent years, and he thought it was my time to win this year. His note suggested what fly I should use, and told me where to go to catch the most fish. Two weeks before the contest, I decided to “pre-fish” for the tournament, check-out the river conditions, and test my flies. I was ready, and feeling very optimistic.
On contest weekend, Carroll Voss, Steve Flanagan, Doug Slick, and I set up our tentcots at the Big Oak River Camp. It is a beautiful camp, full of amenities, and right on the river – I highly recommend this place. A cool night made for some great camping. After taking care of the contest registration the next morning, I headed to the river to get started as soon as possible. My fly was working well. I was fishing the deeper holes and undercut banks. The marks on my sheet were adding up to some good numbers of perch and bass. I even caught two hungry catfish to add to my total fish count. I was careful to re-tie my fly often, as recommended by Aaron Riggins, and even tiptoed in a little deeper than I planned, to retrieve my fly when it overshot the target and wrapped around a low sturdy branch. That was a small sacrifice to stay in the contest, and keep fishing. I had a good day, and I was anxious to see how my numbers compared with everyone else.
Our usual dinner spot, the Casa Falcon, now closes after lunch, and was not available to serve dinner. We were thankful to find a new restaurant in Camp Wood has opened, called Holy Smoke BBQ, and they are open for dinner. John Carnes, proprietor, served a very nice barbeque dinner for our group. During dinner, Steve Flanagan (CPA) tallied the fishing results. The prize for most total fish caught on a single fly went to Brandon Dillard from Austin with seventy-nine fish. Dang, I was close with seventy – guess I should have skipped lunch and kept on fishing. The prize for longest bass was a tie between Brandon’s brother Jason Dillard of San Antonio and Max Love of Kerrville at 14”. Dang, I was close again, but still short at 13”. One more chance to win. The prize for the longest perch went to Steve Flanagan from Schertz at 9-1/2”. My big perch was only nine inches – maybe I forgot to pinch the tail! Oh well, maybe next year. I’m sure Bud never intended for the contest to get this competitive anyway. It’s all for fun, fishing, and fellowship.
Prizes and door prizes for the Bud Priddy Memorial One-Fly Contest were provide by the Tackle Box Outfitters in San Antonio, Gruene Outfitters in New Braunfels, and Sportsman’s Finest in Austin. These are great businesses, with terrific people, and they deserve our patronage. They support our functions and fundraisers every year, and we appreciate their generosity. Please go by to see Bruce Young and Rick Laird at the Tackle Box. Go visit Tiffany Fluitt at Gruene Outfitters. And catch Ted Mendrek and Kevin Hutchison at Sportsman’s Finest. They are some of the most knowledgeable people in the fly fishing industry. They do a great job for us, and we need to keep them busy.
Thanks again to the sponsors, and thank you to everyone who participated. We’ll do it again next year!