Troutmasters is the name of an annual fishing tournament taking place in the Wilson's Creek district of Pisgah National Forest in Western North Carolina. The invitation only tournament takes place on the opening day of trout fishing season, normally the first Saturday in April. Entrants may begin fishing at exactly 6am on Saturday morning. Wilson's creek is stocked by the North Carolina Fish Hatcheries division of N.C Game and Wildlife Commission. The river is stocked with Rainbow, Brook, and Brown trout.
Unlike most fishing tournaments which judge by weight of catch, Troutmasters fish are judged by length from tip to tail. By catching the longest fish, the Troutmasters winning fisherman is awarded ownership of the coveted Troutmasters trophy until the next tournament. The trophy is engraved with the names of previous winners.
Other traditions unique to the tournament include the Mezcal opening ceremony, taking place on the Thursday evening prior to the Saturday fishing tournament. The ceremony begins with a reading of "The Mystique of Mezcal", followed by a sampling of the liquor. Tournament participants may also elect to read a short passage of their own.
In more recent years, A horseshoe tournament has been added to the weekend's festivities. "The Golden Horseshoe" tournament is composed of two-man teams, competing in "best of three" matches. The tournament uses a double elimination format, with the championship match normally taking place on Saturday afternoon.
2011 Trout Master - Gibby Bates
2010 Jason "Winston" Osborne
2009 Rob Horton
2008 Jason "Winston" Osborne
2007 Jason "Bru" Smith
2006 Rob Horton
2005 Gibby Bates
2004 Jason "Bru" Smith
2003 Teddy P
2002 Teddy P
2001 Foo Foo
2000 Jason "Bru" Smith
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