Locals flock to test their skills at the Lake Irwin Fishing Derby last Sunday

“It was a hard day of fishing”

Two-time participant, last year’s runner up and captain of the Sea Maid, Elliot Stern, said this about the Lake Irwin Fishing Derby: “It was a sporting event unlike any this town has ever seen.”

Thirty anglers headed to Lake Irwin for the derby on Sunday, July 17 for a shot at the prestigious title.
Lake Irwin sits 10,510 feet high in the Elk Mountains and offers up some fine high-altitude lake fishing. The setting may be one of the best, if not the most scenic, of all the fishing derbies in the nation.
An anonymous official judge gave an opening speech harking back to the original days of the derby, mixing in some local Ute lore to set a transcendental tone for the afternoon.
At approximately 1 p.m., the competitors set off for the four-hour event in a variety of crafts. While some opted for a canoe, others chose an oar boat or a paddleboard to find the sweet spot on the lake, while a handful chose a shore-fishing style.
There was a mix of techniques on display as well. On one end of the spectrum there were those who stood up working their fly lines a la Brad Pitt in A River Runs Through It.
On the other end there were the trolling types.
“There were bobbers, worms, flies, rubber snakes,” said the anonymous official judge.
While the energy was high at the start of the event, competitors struggled to get their mojo working. Stern estimates an hour and a half went by before the first fish was landed, a 7.5-inch Rainbow Trout.
More time passed and the mocking stepped up in intensity as almost everyone was noticeably frustrated by the challenging conditions and took it out on each other.
“This year’s unusual run-off has affected all the fisheries, including Lake Irwin,” commented Stern. “A lot of people were fishing well, using the right technique. It was a hard day of fishing.”
Local Andrew Keal, who spent his formative fishing years in Louisville, Kentucky, concurred.
“It was real tough fishing,” said Keal. “You had to work for all of your catches. You didn’t hear too many calls for ‘fish on.’”
Another angler took the lead landing a 12.5-inch Rainbow. Soon after a new lead was set with a 12.75-inch fish.
Camaro Stu then took over with a 13-inch rainbow and with a late afternoon hatch in effect, things were looking good.
“Around 5-ish bugs were hatching—it was feverish,” said Stern.
With 45 minutes left in the competition, Keal landed a fish that measured in at 13 inches to tie Stu in the lead.
“I was getting a little nervous,” admitted Keal. “We switched it up and went out to the middle of the lake where we saw some risers earlier. That was the only fish I caught all day.”
Then, just as the final horn was about to sound, Justin “DJ Just How” Howard from Savannah, Georgia joined Stu and Keal in a three-way tie as he pulled in a 13-inch Rainbow as well.
Talk of dividing the prize was broached but soon abandoned. Being true sportsmen, the participants and judges felt one lone winner should stand above the rest. The question was how to determine the champion.
“It was kind of mayhem on the shore,” explains Stern. “There was talk of a fistfight, a tug of war.”
Derby competitor Johnny Mex then came up with an idea that everyone seemed to agree with. Send the three out in one boat with the first one to land a fish taking the title.
“It was so good,” said Stern of the idea. “They were going to figure it out or it would just be a nightmare.”
The three were sent out in an oar boat with the first one to catch a fish winning. With two casting flies and one using spinner bait, Keal found it hard to focus in the sudden-death fish-off.
“The boat was so small it was tough to get in your own zone,” said Keal. “Trying not to hook people was my biggest thing. I was trying not to land a human.”
Ultimately, all three fishermen were skunked and when they returned to shore another plan was hatched.
 “It came down to feats of strength,” said Stern.
A hatchet was sharpened, a target fashioned and the winner would be determined in a hatchet-throwing contest.
“The judges were not in favor of the hatchet throwing but we had to succumb to some sort of democracy,” said the anonymous official judge. “The only thing we were in favor of was winner take all. It’s like the Super Bowl—you can’t have a tie.”
After nearly six hours of fishing, hatchet throwing proved more challenging than expected as several rounds went by without a winner.
“It started in the daylight and ended at night,” said Keal.
“The hatchet throwing took almost as long as the fishing,” quipped the anonymous official judge.
 The playoff continued and at approximately 9:30 p.m. Keal stuck his toss to take the Irwin Fishing Derby title.
“After a couple rounds I found a hatchet throwing coach in Big Kev,” said Keal. “It feels great. I feel honored. I’ll definitely be defending my title in 2012.”