Lydia Ann Fly Masters Tournament - 2009 Recap
by Palmer Simpson & Rob Burlingame
The first annual 2009 Lydia Ann Fly Masters tournament has come to an end, and what a tremendous success it was! When we talked in February about putting a tournament together it quickly grew from just a fly fishing tournament to raise money for a charity, to “let’s start the biggest fly fishing tournament on the Texas Coast and raise money for a charity at the same time”. There were countless emails and phone calls at all hours of the night, trips to Kinkos and to the Post Office, groveling for any amount of money we could raise. But after all of that, all we can think of now is how soon we can get started again doing the same things for the 2010 Lydia Ann Fly Masters Tournament! And to tell you the truth, we’re already looking forward to it all.
We felt all along that the first tournament would be a success if we had 30 anglers and could donate $2,000 to Casting for Recovery’s Texas Chapter. We are proud to say both of those goals were exceeded! There were 52 registered anglers (55 counting the 3 kids). Of that number, there were 22 kayakers and 30 boaters. Obviously, that is a tremendous turnout for our first year. On the money side, we raised a total of $7,860.00 through private and corporate donations, entry fees, raffle tickets and silent auction. Our expenses for the event totaled $2,636.14. THAT LEAVES A NET DONATION TO CFR’S TEXAS CHAPTER OF $5,223.86!
The fishing was a little tough on the day of the tournament, but nearly everyone we spoke with at least saw fish and plenty caught them! After the scores were tallied up, the winners of the tournament were:
The generosity of our sponsors speaks to the quality of fly fishermen on the whole. Companies, Guides, Lodges and individuals were very eager to support the tournament and CFR’s cause. We were extremely satisfied with the items we were able to offer for Raffle and Silent Auction, and we ask that each of you try hard to support all of the Sponsors that helped to make this year’s tournament such a success.
As for Casting for Recovery…we couldn’t think of a better group to support with a tournament like this. And we’re looking forward to the 2nd Annual Lydia Ann Fly Masters tournament, also benefitting Casting for Recovery. Mark your calendars for the 3rd weekend of July (July 17, 2010) for next year’s event. Help spread the word early amongst the fly fishing world, and let’s double the number of anglers for next year.
In the end, after all of the trophies and prizes have been handed out, the raffle tickets drawn, and goodbyes exchanged amongst new and old friends alike, we’re left to reflect on our good fortunes – that we are able to experience days like last Saturday; that we can be supportive of others in need; and that we can do all of it with something that we’re all so passionate about. That is the most important thing to take away from a tournament like this.
We truly want to hear all of your comments and suggestions, whether positive or not, so we can build off of this year’s experiences and provide an even better 2010 tournament. As a side note, if any of you are interested in helping to organize the 2010 tournament, please let us know as well. Feel free to e-mail Palmer Simpson or Rob Burlingame with your comments.
We would like to personally thank Susan Gaetz (of CFR) for her dedication to the cause and for helping to keep everything moving from start to finish. Also, a very special thank you to Erin Simpson (Palmer’s Wife) and Doug & Cathy Simpson (Palmer’s parents, who joined us from Boulder, CO) for all of their help on the ground in getting everything set up and ready while we were busy fishing!
Thanks to all of the participants for fishing with us, supporting our tournament, and most importantly for supporting Casting for Recovery.