That's a Wrap!

The 2012 Ditch Pickle Classic has come to an end.  We had a stellar year this year with 51 entrants and not a skunked team in the bunch.  We fished two hot, sunny days on Lake Champlain and managed to pull smallies from the depths and largemouth from the shallows.  It's hard to believe that a tournament hatched in our minds three years ago has gone from drawing 10 fishermen to 51 anglers dead set on sampling what Lake Champlain has to offer.

Past victories have come with largemouth bass pulled out of the Missisquoi bay area.  This year the Grey Buggers (Steve Dobrin and Roland Tremble) used their years of experience on the lake to take the team win lifting smallies off a North Hero reef.  Sounds like deep water fishing but Roland claims he threw a deer hair popper all day long.  These guys spread the love taking home the small bass prize as well with a 4.5" smallie.  Enjoy that new 3wt line Steve! 

The Buggers weren't the only anglers catching fish.  Tim Davis of the Swedish Pimples took the big pickle award with a 20" pig of a largemouth, and Kevin Favreau took home a new rod and box of flies for his 30" bowfin. 

Here's the run-through of winners and prizes.  Stay tuned for photo-dumps in the future.

Team Prizes:
1st:  The Grey Buggers (Roland Tremble and Steve Dobrin) - A pair of Fishpond packs and $150 in Mountain Khaki cash

2nd:  The Nymph Pimps (Ryan Beaulieu and Blake Hackerson) - Bugger Barns with flies and a $60 in Mountain Khaki cash

3rd: Tappin'dat Bass (Mike Kontos and Syd Marsh) - Pair of Buffs and $30 in Mountain Khaki cash

Individual Prizes:
1st: Roland Tremble - Lug Pro-model Rock River fly rod and reel combo.

2nd: Ryan Beaulieu - Solitude 5 fly reel

3rd: Syd Marsh - Orvis Clearwater fly reel

Exotic Category:
Kevin Favreau - 30" Bowfin - Fly Logic 8/9 Fly Rod and Vermont Fly guys box of goodies

Smallest Bass:
Steve Dobrin - 4.5" Smallmouth bass - 3wt Rio Fly Line

Big Pickle:
Tim Davis - 20" Largemouth bass - 4 Benjamins (someone jump this guy in the parking lot!)

A big thanks goes out to all the sponsors for this years Ditch Pickle Classic.  Everyone that fished left with something thanks to donations from Green Mountain Troutfitters, Rock River Rods, Stream and Brook Fly Fishing, Vermont Fly Guys, Matt Crawford at Pale Morning Media, Damon Bungard at Jackson Kayaks, Vedavoo, Solitude fly reels, Mountain View, Applegate Farms, Mountain Creek Anglers, and Eric Larsen.
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51 anglers became Friends of the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge this weekend.  Can't thank you all for enough for that kind of support.  Looking forward to next year already!