2025 Recap
The 4th Annual Tennessee Tri-Fly was a challenging year with heavy rains before the tournament and unscheduled releases on both rivers the first day. A surprise 3,500 cfs generation put wood in the river and caused the two boats on the Watauga to scramble and move over to the S Holston. The generation continued on the Watauga on Day 2 so everyone fished the S Holston. While it felt like the trout were unsettled and the bite was off, several people who found a way.
Two newcomers, Dalt Ruffin (743 pts) and Louis Stephens (421 pts) won top honors for the anglers. Dalt took the crown with only 14 fish during the 2 days. Amazingly, he caught the largest (22”), second largest (21”), tied for the third largest (19”) of the tournament, AND he lost a 27” fish after a 10 minute fight.
Bo Thomas edged out Gordon Smith by one for the most fish at 38, a commendable showing.
Rhett Shroyer took guide honors (1,145 pts) for the second time with strong postings both days. The chubby and baetis or split back (size 18 & 20) proved to be an effective combination, particularly in the lawyer’s hole. Forest Marshall came in second (611 pts).
Chatter in the clubhouse became elevated when it was discovered that one boat went above the weir dam, out of the permissible scoring area. We learned last year the importance of defining the boundaries. In addition to Dalt and Louis, Billy Nutt and Gordon Smith joined the group for the first time and added to the fellowship and good times.
2025 Prizes
Prizes will be awarded as follows with Anglers getting Orvis Gift Certificates and Guides getting cash.
Points Prizes
Overall Winner
Angler $250
Dalt Ruffin - 743
Guide $250
Rhett Shroyer – 1,145
Runner Up
Angler $150
Louis Stephens - 421
Guide $150
Forrest Marshall - 611
Most Fish
Angler $100
Bo Thomas - 38
Biggest Fish over 2 days
Each angler contributes $20 to the pool, which will be $240. The Big Fish prize is split between the angler and the guide.
Entry $20
Angler $120
Dalt Ruffin 22"
Guide $120
Rhett Shroyer 22"
Note: Guide awards will be determined by the total angler points for both anglers for 2 days.
There will be a separate scoring for anglers and for guides for each day and for the total of the two days.
Anglers
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Total Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belk | 126 | 110 | 236 |
| Brantley | 336* | 108 | 444* |
| Dunn | 56 | 108 | 164 |
| Gibson | 187 | 86 | 273 |
| Kittrell | 98 | 60 | 158 |
| Nutt | 52 | 118 | 170 |
| Ratigan | 38 | 88 | 126 |
| Ruffin | 532 | 211 | 743 |
| Smith | 220 | 74 | 294 |
| Stephens | 52 | 369 | 421 |
| Thomas | 94 | 222 | 316 |
| Tomlinson | 690* | 90 | 780* |
*Out of bounds first day
Biggest Fish
Day 1
Ruffin 22”
Day 2
Ruffin 21”
Guides
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Total Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champion | 90 | 282 | 372 |
| Dennis | 1,026* | 218 | 1,244* |
| Honeycutt | 154 | 196 | 350 |
| Maness | 239 | 164 | 403 |
| Marshall | 314 | 297 | 611 |
| Shroyer | 658 | 487 | 1,145 |
*Out of bounds first day
Biggest Fish
Shroyer 22"
Anglers - Total Fish
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Total Fish | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belk | 13 | 15 | 28 |
| Brantley | 28* | 14 | 42* |
| Dunn | 8 | 14 | 22 |
| Gibson | 6 | 8 | 14 |
| Kittrell | 14 | 10 | 24 |
| Nutt | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Ratigan | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Ruffin | 11 | 3 | 14 |
| Smith | 30 | 7 | 37 |
| Stephens | 6 | 12 | 18 |
| Thomas | 17 | 21 | 38 |
| Tomlinson | 40* | 5 | 45* |
*Out of bounds first day
Most Fish Caught
Thomas 38
Smith 37
Pairings
| Guides | Day 1 | Day 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | Nutt Ratigan | Kittrell Thomas |
| Dennis | Tomlinson Brantley | Dunn Belk |
| Honeycutt | Kittrell Dunn | Brantley Ratigan |
| Maness | Gibson Stephens | Tomlinson Smith |
| Marshall | Smith Thomas | Ruffin Gibson |
| Shroyer | Belk Ruffin | Stephens Nutt |
2025 Biggest Fish
Dalt Ruffin 22", 21" and 19"
Dalt caught the biggest fish, the second biggest fish and tied for the third biggest fish.
Clay Gibson 19"