STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Think of big belt buckles and you think of rodeo cowboys.

Now, Sun Valley fly fisherman have a big belt buckle to aspire to, as well.

The belt buckle came out at Saturday’s third annual Sun Valley Single Fly competition. And, when the casting was done, it ended up in the hands of Tim Auger, who was crowned Master of the Big Wood for the second straight year.

The handsome belt buckle, sponsored by Native Evergreen, features a fly amidst rushes. Look hard and there’s even a representation of Bald Mountain.

“You can’t buy these awards,” said Mat Gershater, who co-founded the tourney as a fundraiser for Idaho Basecamp, a nonprofit outdoor environmental camp for youngsters. “You have to earn them.”

This year’s competitors were warned of high water, logs and other river debris. But it didn’t bother Auger, who caught 17 fish in the allotted two-hour period.  

“It wasn’t my biggest haul—I caught a 22-inch fish last year. But it’s shaping up to be a great summer as the river level drops, and everyone’s happy,” said Auger.

Shawna Wallace, school resource officer at Wood River Middle School, won the Women’s Division. She took up fly fishing after moving here from Fruitland where she fished for bass in Brownlee Reservoir and the Snake River.

“I think I have as much fun pre-fishing, thinking about where to go and preparing for it,” she said. “The water was cold—46 degrees--when I started at 8 north of Ketchum. But I like being in the water, fishing by myself. When the water’s lower, I can walk six miles up and down the Big Wood near the Broadford Bridge.”

Joe Kalla moved to Jerome in January from Orlando, Fla., where he worked for Disney.

“There, I flyfished saltwater and freshwater bass on my stand-up paddleboard—every puddle in Florida has a bass,” he said. “It’s a lot cooler fishing here, and I get to fish for trout, which they don’t have in Florida. What’s interesting here is how the landscape changes so rapidly--you can be fishing high desert one minute and be in pine-covered mountains the next.”

Kalla started his day at 7 at the south end of the Big Wood River off Highway 20. He caught his first fish at 7:11 a.m., which would have been enough to win the First Catch-First Lite prize featuring a vest, T-shirt, hat and water bottle, had Angus Wilson not posted a picture of her first catch 26 seconds earlier.

Still, he got a prize for nearly landing the first catch and he ended up as Top Senior, as well.

“I’m not here for the prizes, although they’re nice,” he said, gesturing towards a table full of prizes that included a River Qiver, Ketchum Release flies, reels, a Patagonia water-resistant bag and an array of wooden fly boxes featuring the Sun Valley Single Fly logo on one side and a map of the Big Wood River and its tributaries on the back.

“I’m here for the cause—it’s a great thing to get kids away from their phones into the outdoors. We were always outdoors when I was a kid but that’s not the case with kids, anymore.”

Dylan Freytag and his 10-year-old son Clive were just happy they kept their fly for an hour and 57 minutes—until it broke off as they snagged what Dylan estimated to be a 14-inch trout. According to the rules of the contest, you’re done if you lose a fly.

“It was a beautiful fish—bright red on side. I think the water is a little colder north of Ketchum, as it was plump and healthy,” he said.

The Freytags, who were covered with scratches from scrambling through bushes to access their secret fishing spot, moved here from Texas three years ago. There they fished for saltwater fish; Clive said he went for the sharks.

“Living here has been great for the boys,” said Freytag. “I have three boys—Clive, who’s on the snowboard team; another, who’s on the downhill ski team and another who did moguls this year. And, of course, the fishing is fun.”

Fly fishing guide Dave Kurtz came up with the idea for the Single Fly tourney three years ago as a way to raise money for Idaho Basecamp during the COVID pandemic. He spent the mornings leading up to the competition, testing what time the fishing were biting and the flies hatching at his favorite fishing spot.

“It’s the only morning I don’t have to beg my son Theo to go fishing. He’s out of bed, fishing with Dad, and vying for that silver buckle. Fishing is generally done individually so this is a chance for fly fishermen to get together and celebrate their sport and turn fishing into a competition to see who’s the best angler on the Big Wood. And, of course, we always give a One Frog prize to that person who catches a frog and a prize to the person who loses their fly first,” he said.

Both of Kurtz’s sons--Caleb and Theo--have taken part in Idaho Basecamp’s free campout for Idaho fifth-graders.

“They get to enjoy the woods—it’s such a unique experience,” he said.

Idaho Basecamp, located near the Copper Basin on Trail Creek Summit, is a magical oasis of mountain bike trails, swinging bridges and gathering spots along the Lost River created with the help of the campers who come from as far away as California and Colorado.

Schools from as far away as Twin Falls and Boise are wanting to send fifth-graders to the free three-day outdoor education campout.

As a result, Idaho Basecamp is trying to raise $5 million to build a new 5,500-square foot building that would include a commercial kitchen and lodging for leaders, staff and students. It will enable Idaho Basecamp to offer programming nine months instead of six and serve 80 percent more students.

This year Idaho Basecamp provided outdoor adventure education to 500 kids from 15 schools free of charge. In addition, it provided afternoon outdoor education to 80 first- through fourth-graders with I Have a Dream, teaching them how to fish, how to walk in the woods and how to ski.

Additionally, it offers an adventure camp for kids 5-13, a Waldorf-inspired kinderschool, and an Outdoor Hispanic leaders program that helps high school students learn outdoor and leadership skills.

Gershater described how a 9-year-old third-grader who took part in Idaho Basecamp’s afterschool program for children with I Have a Dream Foundation, won a scholarship to overnight camp this year. Her grandmother and father were adamant that she not attend but her mother insisted that she go and soon the little girl was boarding the bus with her Disney princess sleeping bag.

“Hopefully, that third-grader will be the conduit for getting her whole family outdoors,” said Gershater.

WANT TO LEARN MORE? Visit https://idahobasecamp.org.

OVERALL WINNER: Tim Auger

ADULT AND CHILD: ason and Henry Georgiades

DUO: Brian Roberts and Greg Loomis

FAMILY: Bob Weston

FIRST CATCH: Angus Wilson

SENIOR: Joe Kalla

WOMEN’S: Shawna Wallace

YOUTH: Reid Black

BEST PHOTO: Jeremy Black