Let’s face it – we’ve all been out fished by someone who keeps catching fish while we struggle to get our first take. Frustrating as this can be, it can also be a valuable learning experience. What separates the consistently successful angler from the average is an attention to detail and keen observation of the river conditions. Some say it is better to be lucky than good, but this is not a view shared by professional poker players or tournament anglers. A few elite fly fishermen will pass through local competition to regional finals and into the US International team. Some might win medals in this extremely competitive worldwide arena, where the USA is still fighting to keep up with teams from Poland, France and Bosnia. Our May presenter, USA team member and medal winner Devin Olsen, will show how competitive angling techniques can help the every day angler. His program “Tactical Fly Fishing: Lessons Learned From Competition For All Anglers” will discuss analysis of the water, fly selection and strategy that will help us on our local waters and prepare us for new destinations.
Devin Olsen started fly fishing in Yellowstone at age 9. Within a couple of years, it became an addiction he could not shake and he begged for rides to local streams until he could drive. He started competing at age 19 and made Fly Fishing Team USA in 2006 when he was 21 years old. He has competed in 10 consecutive World Fly Fishing Championships and in 2019 will compete in his 11th in Tasmania. He has earned a bronze individual medal and silver and bronze team medals from these championships and numerous medals from competitions in the United States.