Recently I had the pleasure of watching Peyton and his step father Roger Wilson at the Championship event. These 2 anglers are in the top 5 of the 2019 leaderboard and it is well earned. They both have a good skill set and drive to do compete. Although this interview is with Peyton, our top youth angler this year, I commend Roger for all he has done to bring Peyton to the sport.
Ben- How long have you been competing and what brought you to the competition scene?
Peyton- I have been fly fishing for 5 years. I started in 3rd grade. I have been competitively fly fishing for about 2 years. My step dad Roger Wilson introduced me to fly fishing and the competitive world.
Ben- What were your goals for last season and did you accomplish them? If so what were the keys to your success.
Peyton- My goals for last season were to compete as much as possible to learn how it works, learn to fish under pressure and being timed, to participate in a Team USA youth clinic, and compete in youth nationals.
I did accomplish these goals. Last season I competed in about 8 or 9 competitions. I placed second in the Battle of Gatlinburg one fly tournament. I attended a youth clinic and also competed in youth nationals. I also learned that fishing while being timed means you have to figure the fish out fast.
The keys to my success were going out and practicing fishing, participating in competitions, and the strong support of my family.
Ben- What are your goals for this season and how do you plan to achieve them?
Peyton- My goals for this season are to help my team, Team Nymphmaster to bring home the gold cup, to earn a spot on the youth world team, and to win nationals.
To achieve my goals, I plan to compete in several more tournaments in order to gain more experience. I also plan to practice what I know and figure out what I need to work on.
Ben- Do you have a favorite fly Pattern?
Peyton- I don’t have a favorite fly. I have confidence flies for different types of waters.
Ben- What is your go to technique when competing?
Peyton- I don’t have a go to technique. My technique and style of fishing depends on fish activity and the environment around me.
Ben- For someone interested in competing or starting out, what would be your advice to them?
Peyton- Join a team and compete in as many comps as possible.
Ben- Why did you choose to compete in the SEFFL and after its first year what do you think about the league in general?]
Peyton- The reason I fish in the SEFFL is because I live in the area. I think it is very organized and it is great for the sport.
Ben- You were the top angler on your team, do you believe the team aspect of competitive angling is a unique outlier that makes the sport more fun than just individual angling?
Peyton- Being part of a team helps build relationships and you can learn from people better than you.Ben- Open forum, anything you want to add, you can add below.
Peyton- In fly fishing you can be creative. You can create your own flies and techniques. You can also create your own style. That is one reason why I love the sport. It gives me an opportunity to create flies and see if they work when fishing. Also in competitive fly fishing I have made friends from all over USA. I also would really like to thank my stepdad Roger Wilson for introducing me into the competitive fly fishing world and for my family being very supportive of what I do and love.
SEFFL 