Troutmasters

This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Troutmasters" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Trout Masters is the name of an outfitting group and annual fishing tournament in the Wilson's Creek district of Pisgah National Forest in Western North Carolina. The invitation only tournament takes place in June. Entrants begin fishing Thursday morning through Saturday evening. Wilson's creek is stocked by the North Carolina Fish Hatcheries division of N.C Game and Wildlife Commission. The river is stocked with Rainbow, Brook, and Brown trout.

Unlike most fishing tournaments which judge by weight of catch, Troutmasters fish are judged by length from tip to tail. By catching the longest fish, the Troutmasters winning fisherman is awarded ownership of the coveted Troutmasters trophy until the next tournament. The trophy is engraved with the names of previous winners.

Other traditions unique to the tournament include the Mezcal opening ceremony, taking place on the Thursday evening prior to the fishing tournament. The ceremony begins with a reading of "The Mystique of Mezcal", followed by a sampling of the liquor. Tournament participants may also elect to read a short passage of their own.

A horseshoe tournament was added to the weekend's festivities in 2002. The Golden Horseshoe tournament is composed of two-man teams, competing in "best of three" matches. The rules include a beer can a top the post that count for additional points (5) if knocked off or pierced through. The tournament uses a double elimination format, with the championship match normally taking place on Saturday afternoon.