ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys - John Dobson of Manhattan, Mont., caught 92.25 inches of redfish and snook while fly-fishing in the Florida Keys 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 one catch of each species over the two days of fishing could be counted toward an angler's total inches.
Dobson earned the title of grand champion angler fishing with Captain Drew Kleine of Islamorada, and also caught and released the tournament's largest snook, measuring 29.5 inches. Dobson's second snook was 26.75 inches, and his redfish were 17.5 and 18.5 inches.
Chris Maroney of Stuart, Fla., was awarded runner-up angler for scoring 70 inches of fish. He fished with Miami Captain Mick Hutchinsson.
Mark Cockerham secured the largest redfish at 30 inches with Captain Mark Gilman. Both are Islamorada residents.
Twenty-three anglers caught 10 snook and 22 redfish over two days.
