Teenage angler sets the pace for the field in
Day 1 of the IGFA Inshore World Championship

Scores 800 points in prestigious tournament of champions

By Pete Johnson, Johnson Communications, Inc. – IGFA PR counsel

Impressing as well as leading the 28 angler field of world class anglers, is 17-year old Richard Black, Tavernier, Fla., who has 800 points on three species of fish after Day One in the seventh annual IGFA Inshore World Championship in Islamorada, Fla. (Photo courtesy of Adrian Gray, IGFA)

ISLAMORADA, In-the-Florida-Keys, U.S.A. – A 17-year old local Florida Keys angler turned quite a few heads among the world class fly and light tackle champions he’s competing with by taking the first day lead in the IGFA Inshore World Championship.

Richard Black, Tavernier, shot out in front of the 28 angler field with 800 points on the release of eight fish in three of the five species. He was guided by Capt. Mark Gilman, Islamorada.

In his first world championship, Black, the youngest competitor among the 22 men and six women field, caught two bonefish on bait and followed that up with three snook and three reds on artificial bait in the afternoon. When asked his success the reticent teenager simply said, “I fish a lot.”

Black who qualified for the championship by winning the IGFA sanctioned Islamorada Fishing Club "RedGhost Stalk" Tournament, said the bonefish were caught in Florida Bay west of Islamorada, and the snook and reds in the back country waters near Flamingo.

“He impressed quite a few Keys’ anglers if not the entire field,” said IGFA IWC tournament director Mike Myatt.

The three-day seventh annual IGFA IWC runs through Wednesday, July 11.

Robert Collins, Naples, Fla., who won the tournament in 2005 is currently in second place after day one with 625 points. (Photo courtesy of Adrian Gray, IGFA)

In second place with 625 points in the overall scoring is a past champion Robert Collins, Naples, Fla. catching and releasing two pairs of the five species. Guided by Capt. Chris Asaro of Key Largo, Fla., Collins released two permit and two tarpon, all on crabs. Collins, who won the title in 2005 and was the first angler to score two slams of fish in the championship, said they didn’t see a lot of fish but went two for four on sightings of permit as well as two for four on the tarpon, as two of those fish were undersized.

In third is Bruce Melnick of Inglis, Fla., who scored 575 points on three species. Guided by Islamorada Capt. Chris Jones, Melnick, a two-time-NASA space shuttle astronaut, caught three redfish and one snook on artificial lure and a single permit on bait. “I saw the fish tailing just 15 minutes before lines were out and fought it through the deadline for the day.”

Also catching the same three species as Melnick and at 550 points is Tony Horsley, Glen Allen, Va., in fourth place followed by Troy Pruitt, Naples, Fla., with 450 points in fifth.

Holding a 30" redfish before releasing it is Bruce Melnick, Inglis, Fla. as part of his 575 point scoring in Day One of the seventh annual IGFA Inshore World Championship in Islamorada, Fla.. Melnick, a former two-time NASA space shuttle astronaut and world class angler is currently in third place. (Photo courtesy of the IGFA, taken by Capt. Chris Jones)

Dubbed the “super bowl of inshore fishing,” the celebrated world-class inshore catch-and-release format features the anglers stalking the surrounding waters for bonefish, tarpon, permit, snook and redfish. They gained entry winning one of over 55 fly and light tackle IGFA sanctioned tournaments during 2006 held in eight countries around the world representing nearly 3,000 anglers on four continents, vying to be in the “tournament of champions.” Of the champions, 14 are first time invitees including anglers from Uganda, Africa and Darwin, Australia.

The anglers participated in a captain’s draw matching a different guide and angler for each of the three days. Myatt said, “To a degree the rotating guide and angler format relieves the ‘home field’ advantage and lends itself to maximizing not only the angler’s strengths, but also the guide’s.”

The contestants are vying for engraved timepieces in the prestige tournament. T he four major award categories include: Grand Champion (the angler who accumulates the most points for all five targeted species); and first places in the fly, artificial lure and bait casting divisions. There are also trophies and merchandise for second and third place divisional winners in the three categories as well as to the top three guides. The point value of the fish is determined by species and the angler’s preference choice of fly fishing, artificial lure or bait.

The Islander Resort is the tournament headquarters, while fishing and daily scorekeeping takes place from the World Wide Sportsman marina. Both are located near mile marker 82.

Pasta Pantaleo is the official artist of the IWC.

Day break and the start of the IGFA IWC as angler and guides race to their fishing spots on Florida Bay. (Photo courtesy of Adrian Gray, IGFA)

Sponsors include Mercury Outboards,  Bacardi, Costa Del Mar, G. Loomis, Hook and Tackle, Islamorada Fish Co., Islander Resort, King Sailfish Mounts, Rapala, Shimano, Stiffy Push Poles, 3M Scientific Anglers, Reel Life Art, World Wide Sportsman, Zane Grey Lounge, KD & G Sea Life Masterpieces, Redbone Gallery, Image Graphics 2000, Momoi and Daiichi.

The daily results of the IGFA IWC along with photos of the previous day’s round is being posted each morning on the IGFA’s home page at igfa.org.

The IWC is the second in a series of world wide competitive fishing events that includes the eighth annual IGFA Offshore World Championship held in May in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Joe “Pepe” Lopez, left, Coral Gables, Fla., last year’s title holder talks with an IGFA tournament official before the start of Day One at the IGFA IWC. (Photo courtesy of Adrian Gray, IGFA)

The International Game Fish Association is a not-for-profit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping. It was founded in 1939 and has members in over 125 countries. The association welcomes visitors to their 60,000 square foot IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum in Dania Beach, Florida. The IGFA web site is igfa.org.

For further information, contact Ms. Hartman at the IGFA, 300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, Florida 33004 ; (954) 927-2628; Fax (954) 924-4299; Email: DHartman@igfa.org.

Day 2 results  Day 3 results

Scoreboard

Angler Summary

Guides

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