ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys — Chris Maroney of Stuart, Fla., caught a tournament record of 118 inches of redfish and snook to win the Backcountry Fly Championship that ended Feb. 26.
Tournament anglers competed to catch the most inches of snook and redfish on fly. Rules mandated that only two catches of each species over the two days of fishing could be counted toward an angler?s total inches.
Maroney earned the title of grand champion angler fishing with veteran Captain Mike Hutchinson of Homestead, Fla. He also caught and released the tournament?s largest redfish, measuring 29.75 inches.
Maroney’s second redfish was 28.4 inches and his snook were 29.6 and 30.25 inches.
Steve Stanley of St. Petersburg, Fla., was named runner-up angler for scoring 100.75 inches of fish. He fished with Captain Steve Thomas of Tavernier, Fla.
Islamorada?s Rick Moeller secured the largest snook at 30.4 inches while fishing with Captain Mark Gilman, also of Islamorada.
Twenty-one anglers caught 15 snook and 44 redfish during the tournament?s two fishing days.
The 2013 event is scheduled Feb. 22-23.
