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Cunningham's Marine
Archived Tournament Results

2002 Victorian State
Fly-Fishing Championships
(15-16/3/2002)

97 fish caught in the 2002 State Fly-Fishing Championships

Fly-fishing enthusiasts who participated in the 2002 Victorian State Fly-Fishing Championships caught (and released) a total of 97 fish.

The state titles, hosted by Fly-Fish Australia and Melbourne-based Cherry Lakes Fly Fishing Club, at Falls Creek and Mt Beauty, produced some very good catches. Royce Baxter, who was second overall after two days of intense competition, hooked a 56cm brown on the first morning of the competition on Rocky Valley Dam - the highest lake in Australia.

Ray Barszuskyj, a member of Cherry Lakes Fly Fishing Club (and third overall), hooked what he thought was a platypus during one of his two boat sessions on Rocky Valley Dam. And Jyri Aringo, from Ballarat, was shaking like a leaf when he landed a 48cm fighting brown (which was in beautiful condition) he'd hooked in the Mt Beauty Pondage.

Barszuskyj, one of the team organising the event, said:"I honestly thought I'd hooked into a platypus - it was so big it was turning our boat around on the lake. When I saw silver streaks coming out of the water I realised it was a big fish which wasn't just a good result for me - it was excellent for Victorian waters. To catch very large fish in Rocky Valley Dam, near Falls Creek, which is renowned as a small fish fishery, suggests there is some very good fishing up here. Two guys caught [and released] 16 fish from one boat, and the competitors fishing the Kiewa River beats all had plenty of room and there was fish in every beat."

Rob Flower, chairman of Fly-Fish Australia, says: "We changed the format from the one we used at the national fly-fishing titles at Falls Creek last year. This year's Victorian titles included some beats on the Pondage at Mt Beauty and the Kiewa River to ensure the team, which is eventually selected to compete in the 2002 World titles [hosted by the French at La Bresse, at the base of The Vosges Mountains] has very good river fishing skills."

Ray Barszuskyj, and his fellow members of Cherry Lakes Fly Fishing Club, Tony Anear, Mick Hopkins and Robin Unger, won the teams' gold medal. Each member of the winning team finished in the top ten individual results, thus qualifying for the Australian Fly-Fishing Championships in Tassie. Another notable achievement from the two days of intense competition was the fly-fishing skills of Max Verashaka, the outright winner of the 2002 Victorian titles. Max created history by winning all four sessions - a feat which Fly Fishing Australia's Craig Coltman said hadn't been achieved ever before, here or overseas.

Coltman said: "It is a real feather in Max's cap. I am not aware since we've run competitions starting in 1994, that anyone has won all four sessions. We've had 3 firsts and something another place. But never four wins in a competition."

For more information on this annual event call Ian Talbot on 0418 413 718.

PHOTO: Tony Anear with one of the trout that led his team to victory.

Tournament results to be posted Monday 25/3
VIC FLY COMPETITION
Name
Team
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
Overall
Ranking
Max Verashaka Northern 1 1 1 1 4 1
Royce Baxter Ballarat A 1 4 4 1 10 2
Ray Barszuskyj Cherry Lake 1 2 1 8 12 3
Tony Anear Cherry Lake 2 3 4 4 13 4
Rick Sutherland 8 1 2 2 13 5
Stuart Rees 3 2 8 2 15 6
Vern Barby Ballarat A 2 4 8 1 15 7
Charlie Vella 8 4 1 4 17 8
Mike Hopkins Cherry Lake 1 8 8 2 19 9
Robin Unger Cherry Lake 8 1 3 8 20 10
Blair Scott Northern 2 2 6 8 20 11
Craig Coltman Ballarat A 8 8 4 1 21 12
Jyri Ayringo Ballarat B 8 2 8 3 21 13
Chris Myszka Sunshine 8 8 3 2 21 14
Harold Hodge Sunshine 8 2 3 8 21 15
Barry Whelan Ballarat B 3 3 8 8 22
Peter Panozo 8 5 1 8 22
Andrew Scott Bendigo 2 8 8 23
Jim Williams 8 1 8 8 25
Geoff Lay Ballarat B 8 8 2 8 26
Alex Georgopoulos 4 8 8 8 28
Brian Hughes Ballarat A 8 8 5 8 29
Mark Cuthbert Ballarat B 8 8 8 8 32
Alan Chisolm Bendigo 8 8 8 8 32
Daryl Wallis Northern 8 8 8 8 32
Chris Duxson Bendigo 8 8 8 8 32
Terry Yates Sunshine 8 8 8 8 32
Geoff Wiley Bendigo 8 8 8 8 32
Ray Cresp Northern 8 8 8 8 32
Russel Lund Sunshine 8 8 8 8 32