Willoughby — Fishing catching tourists, or tourists catching fish?

Colorado fishing has been a major tourist draw for many years in several towns for far longer than skiing. Communities created contests to lure advocates to add to the fun, and Aspen was one of them.

In the 1920s, Steamboat and Gunnison stood out. Steamboat had a fly-casting contest in 1926. In 1927, the Colorado Sportsmen Federation held the state fly casting championship in Gunnison, with Crested Butte being part of it. The event drew 1,500.

Their events carried on into the 1930s. In 1935 in Gunnison, William Phillipson of the Denver Casting Club broke the state distance record with a cast of 140 feet. There were variations of casting events and different ways of determining the winner; in that event, anglers were competing for the longest cast but also the longest average of several casts.

Entering into the 1940s, the events were more popular, and they were promoted more extensively as they drew large crowds from other locations, tourist dollars. The Rocky Mountain News held casting contests in Denver, with the Denver Casting Club as hosts. Oak Creek/Yampa featured fly casting contests each Labor Day. Creede promoted their event to draw more than locals to their annual “championship fly casting contest” as part of their 4th of July events.

Aspen’s fishing contests were initiated by Mike Magnifico beginning in 1940. His store, known then simply as Mike’s, advertised “everything for fishing” as his major summer draw. Magnifico offered prizes to entice contestants, products from his shelves displayed in the front window, usually a top-of-the-line rod.

The first year the contest was for the biggest fish caught each month. Anglers brought their catch to be weighed and measured. The biggest was submitted by Louis Baltizer, a 21 inch, 2 and a half pound one from Weller Lake. Second place went to Henry Sievers, with a 14-inch rainbow from the Roaring Fork. In later years, instead of monthly prizes, Magnifico had only an annual prize.

A major event was organized for 1947, this at a time when Aspen was doubling down on attracting summer tourists. Billed as the Rocky Mountain Fishing Festival, the one week long summer event pulled in not only Colorado enthusiasts, but also nationally, as well. To attract a larger crowd, organizers invited key guests and participants.

Jim Haywood, a famous “trick” fly caster, was featured. There was a casting exhibition with dry fly casting and other forms, with an annual trophy presented to the winners by the then-governor of Colorado Lee Knous. The major winner was the one who caught “the (most) extraordinary fish” during the week. Sports writers, including Raymond R. Camp of The New York Times, covered the event. NBC (radio) broadcast reports of the events each day.

There were banquets held at the Jerome, and one night, there was square dancing. Simultaneous with fishing week the Wheeler, that had been closed for years, re-opened at the Fish Festival with Burl Ives, one of the better known “folk” artists of that decade. The Wheeler renovation was just beginning, so the seating was not the soft/plush rows of seats of today, but the house was still packed. 

The Fishing Festival was a success, but while planning for the following year progressed though discussion stages, it was not repeated. That was nearly 80 years ago, but it is never too late for Aspen to host fly casting contests.

Tim Willoughby’s family story parallels Aspen’s. He began sharing folklore while teaching at Aspen Country Day School and Colorado Mountain College. Now a tourist in his native town, he views it with historical perspective. Reach him at redmtn2@comcast.net.