Anglers from across the planet will cast lines into River City area water while aiming to reel in global supremacy at the Masters and Ladies World Fly Fishing Championships later this month.
“We’re taking on the task of trying to provide a lifetime experience all of our guests will never forget,” said Heffley Creek resident Todd Oishi, who is president of Fly Fishing Canada and heading the event organizing committee, along with wife, Robyn.
“It’s been an enormous amount of work, but it’s been very gratifying to know there will be so many people coming and getting a chance to see the wonder of what we have in our own backyard.”
The opening ceremony — free and open to the public, with a 4 p.m. start — is slated for Sunday, Sept. 24, at the Tk’emlups Powwow Arbour, where fishers from 17 countries will participate in a parade of nations, along with an RCMP escort. Sage Hills dancers and drummers will contribute to the atmosphere.
Kamloops last hosted a world fly fishing championship in 1993.
“Ever since then, people keep asking me, when they know you’re Canadian, ‘When is it going back to Kamloops?’ because they’ve heard so many great stories about the fish, the people, the whole environment and the scenery here,” Oishi said.
The fishing will take place from Monday, Sept. 25, to Friday, Sept. 29, in the Clearwater River in Clearwater, the Similkameen River in Princeton and Tunkwa Lake, Leighton Lake, Corbett Lake, Edith Lake and Sullivan (Knouff) Lake, all in the Kamloops area.
Spectators are invited to check out world-class skill and technique.
Anglers will tally points, with the number of fish caught and accumulative length of the catches contributing to team scores.
Teams from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and the U.S. will be in action, with 150 anglers registered to participate.
The masters division is for men and women ages 50 and older. The ladies category will feature women ages 18 and older.
Oishi said the catch-and-release event will follow strict ethics on how fish are caught. Anglers will use single barbless hooks and are not allowed to touch the fish, which will be measured while in nets.
In the lakes, competitors will be aiming to catch rainbow trout and brook trout. Rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and mountain whitefish will be sought in rivers.
Many volunteers who helped make the event run in 1993 have hopped on board for this year’s competition, a 30th anniversary celebration of sorts.
“A lot of competitors around the world that came to that championship [in 1993] went home and told people about how great it was,” Oishi said, noting there is still room for more volunteers.
“We put a bid in five years ago. To host an event of this size in our own backyard … it’s great to see the community spirit and the support.”
Organizers have reserved 100 rooms at the Coast Kamloops Hotel for participants, friends and family, said Oishi.
Read more about the event online at 2023wffc.ca.
