Fly Fishermen Battle Elements at 2009 U.S. Fly Fishing Championships

The National Fly Fishing Championships were held in the State College, Penn., area Oct. 24-26, 2009, with anglers from around the country vying for a spot on the U.S. world championship team scheduled to compete in Poland next June.

Despite difficult conditions stemming from fall downpours, the 10 teams made up of 50 anglers landed more than 420 trout on the Little Juniata River, Penns Creek, Spring Creek and Fishing Creek.

Local pro George Daniel took home the individual gold medal, followed by Utah's Lance Egan and New Mexico's Norman Maktima. They will be joined on Team USA by Devin Olsen, Mike Sexton, Anthony Naranja, Pete Erickson and Josh Stephens.

For complete results from all 50 competitors, along with reaction from the anglers, read our in-depth article on the 2009 U.S. National Fly Fishing Championships.

Want to know what it's like to compete in the World Championships? Check out our Q&As with Egan following the 2008 and 2009 World Fly Fishing Championships.