INTERVIEW WITH BRET BISHOP

AN INTERVIEW WITH BRET BISHOP

by Colorado Trout Unlimited Staff

Double Gold Medalist at World Masters Fly Fishing Championships

Bret Bishop is the captain of Team USA Fly Fishing, helping lead top anglers nationwide in the world of competitive fly fishing. Recently, Bret participated as a competitor in the World Masters Fly Fishing Championships, featuring anglers aged 50 and older, which was held this year in Italy. He brought home the gold—winning both the individual gold medal, and helping lead Team USA to the team gold as well. High Country Angler had the chance to speak with Bret in the days following the championships.

Congratulations on your double-gold-medal performance at the World Masters Fly Fishing Championships in Italy! Can you share some of the story of your fishing experience at the Masters, and how it felt to reach the top of the podium both individually and with Team USA?

It was such a great experience, it is hard not to go on and on. Italy is an incredible country! The mountains, the food, the people, the rivers, and the fish are really fantastic. However, the most cherished part of the experience for me was sharing it with a great group of guys: Jerry Arnold, Jeff Currier, Loren Williams, Mike Sexton, Pete Erickson, and our guide Stefano Sabbatelli are the best. Of course, when competing in this type of event, the team is the most important thing! You really need to rely on each other through the highs and lows of the competition. This is a great group of guys who worked really well together. The chemistry comes from the fact that we have a lot of history together. Much of this group have been competing together since 2006 at national events and Worlds. Stephano was the guide for the Senior team in Italy in 2018 and is very kind, patient, and knowledgeable. We owe a lot of our success to him. And, of course, Jerry has been the backbone of the team since 2008; we could never have done this without him.

Along with being a member of the Masters team, you are the captain of Team USA and will be guiding the team at their World Championships coming up in Spain. What goes into preparing as a team for an event like this?

We have a great team for the Senior Championship. It is composed of veteran anglers including Devin Olsen, Lance Egan, Michael Bradley, and Pat Weiss. And we have some young anglers who have come out of the Youth program and are really strong: Cody Burgdorff and Jack Arnot. I am excited to see what this team can do. Of course, with Covid, we have not been to a Championship since 2019, so this group has had to be patient. But we have been getting together to continue to build relationships and work on techniques. We know Spain is not going to be easy; the fario brown trout are very spooky and the water is going to be extremely low and crystal clear. This team has the skills and mental toughness to compete at the highest level.

How did you get started in fly fishing, and then

I have been fly fishing since I was 9. My parents loved it and passed that passion on to me. They were crazy about spring creeks and the Swisher Richards approach to catching selective trout. We spent a lot of time on the creeks of Montana and Idaho camping and fishing when I was young. I got involved in competitive fly fishing in 2003 when my friend Pete Erickson invited me to be his rod caddy at the ESPN Great Outdoor Games in Reno. After that, Fly Fishing Team USA had just started the regional and National competitions to select team members. I was fortunate enough to win the first ever Nationals in Boulder in 2006 and I have been involved as a competitor or in leadership ever since.

Some fly anglers are uncertain about just what competitive fly fishing entails. What are the biggest differences in how you approach fishing for a competition compared to how an every-day angler approaches the water, or how you work with a guiding client on their angling?

Certainly, competitive fly fishing is not for everyone. No one fishes for 3 hours straight like it is an athletic event. It is much more normal to stop and enjoy the scenery or the beautiful trout you just fooled. For me, what draws me to competition is the constant learning. Competitive angling intensifies every aspect of the game, and you can get hyper-focused on efficiency and effectiveness from knot tying to strike detection to which specific tippet or hook is best. And with clients, I love sharing the techniques that I have learned. I think they really enjoy learning and adding more arrows to their quiver. In the end, we are all better anglers and have a good time outdoors.

Tell us a little bit about your role, and the Team’s, as not only representatives of the US in competition but as ambassadors of the sport at home and abroad.

Our goal as ambassadors to the sport is to represent the US with integrity while abroad. And then, when we return, pass on what we learn to all those who are interested.

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Beyond your medals, what has been the biggest thing you’ve gained from your experiences as an international fly fishing competitor?

I cherish the relationships that I have been able to make. I am thankful that I have been able to make connections with the fly fishing community around the world. To Learn More.

To learn more about this story and Colorado Trout Unlimited, visit coloradotu.org.

What do you see as one or two of the biggest challenges facing the future of fly fishing, and how do you think Team USA and your counterparts around the world can help in addressing those?

Protecting public access and protecting the wild places where trout live. Hopefully, in whatever way we can, the team and all the anglers we influence will fight to ensure the future of angling around the world.

In addition to being one of the top anglers in the world, you are also teaching literature to high school students as your ‘day job’ – what do your students think about having the captain of Team USA as a teacher? And are they going to want to see your medals?

They will see my medals whether they want to or not! I am known as the English teacher who talks way too much about fly fishing. Joking aside, my students and the Boise School District are very supportive of what I do.