Monday
Feb112013
2012 Slab of the Year Winners
Monday, February 11, 2013 at 2:00AM The Chum Nation has spoken. We tallied. And here's how it shook out:
First Place Winner:
John "Montana" Bartlett's carping dedication reaches the highest honor.
Second Place Winner:
Derek Olthuis' Bull Trout impresses many a kypeoisseur.
Third Place Winner:
Dave Hamel's Lahontan is a prime example of what this revered contest is all about.
Another banner year - with hundreds of entries evaluated, three chummists stood. 2012 was Cheeky powered, and includes goodness from other friends and sponsors.
FIRST PLACE
Cheeky Reel of Choice
Patagonia Rock Grip Wading Boots - Aluminum Bar
SECOND PLACE
Patagonia Rock Grip Wading Boots - Aluminum Bar
THIRD PLACE
Reader Comments (72)
How the hell is a Carp winning this thing? WTF?
If a carp wins this I will never vote again....
Is it possible people think they're voting for the Redfish? If you don't pay attention from the top of the list you could choose the wrong circle to click on.
Just a thought.
September was a Farce !!! Worst fishing photo I've ever seen. Slab of the year should be open to all the slabs of each month of the year. Boo September.... The Rainbow or the Taimen should have won that hands down.
Why shouldn't a carp win? You catch them with flies and they are more difficult to catch then most trout.
Golden bone for the win!
No carp. Ever. There ugly gross and easy and no one cares . If this wins worst contest ever
mt.... Tried to get one and couldn't, huh?
I think Kirk Deeter said it best when addressing the question, "Why do all the best anglers out there have an obsession with flyfishing for Carp?". His response, "It all boils down to two reasons. Good anglers understand these reasons, and the rest are seemingly relegated to excuses and rationalizations that usually involve the words, "trash fish".
I guess you can decide which kind of angler you would rather be.
Catching a Sucker on the fly is much more difficult... but you don't see people out there chasing them because they are a challenge.
Carp take talent ! And landing one of that size major accomplishment. There are some awesome fish in this competition all with their own merits. Each one should be complimented none should be put down. Shows how petty some people are!
Go Golden Bone! I heard Hell's Bay is coming out with a carp skiff this spring!
It is only right that the most difficult to catch North American freshwater fish be in the lead. Go Carpy!
I guess I have been sitting here on a gold mine of opportunity. All these trophy carp all around me. All these swamps, sludge ponds, and polluted cesspools over here in eastern Washington are filled with trophy carp. I could start guiding guys and charging them big bucks to have a crack at these radio active carp!
Hmmm... Lots of hate towards the Golden Bone from the prissy trout bums ;) Its about time we got some respect! Carp FTW!
I voted for the carp. :)
Haters be hatin'. As for you, Justin T, yeah, you've been missing out. Oughta consider adding that to the lineup. If you can hack it, that is. The carp game isn't for just errybody. I challenge anyone, and everyone, to go out and catch a carp that big on fly. Then, once you have, you can come back and talk trash allllll you like. Til then, be a good cricket and keep it down in the background.
It is obvious that the fisherman who caught the carp is really embarrassed as it appears he photoshopped in a scarf around his face. Looks like he trying to hide his identity. Secondly, I have caught huge suckers on the fly as well as squawfish. All Sucker, squawfish, and carp, in my opinion are tougher to catch than a hungry trout. This doesn't mean I will go out and try to catch one on a fly. To me, they are all trash fish. There is not destination fishery that fills the desire of countless flyfishermen to go and catch a large trophy.
I would rather a 10 inch trout grace my fly with its beauty and charm in a spectacular mountainous location than catch a world record carp on the fly. I would assume many others would agree
Trout are gay
"I would rather a 10 inch trout grace my fly with its beauty and charm in a spectacular mountainous location than catch a world record carp on the fly. I would assume many others would agree"
you would assume wrong.
Seems to me that you're the only one making noise about it here. Something I learned a long time ago, usually the ones who talk the most have the least to actually say...
Hurtin' much eh, Justin? Now carp anglers are photoshopping scarfs on their faces to protect their identities?? It's called a buff, and if you'd have taken your head out of your ass long enough to look around you'd have noticed that plenty of fly anglers are wearing them to keep them cool in summer, protect against UV year round and prevent skin cancer, and to stop them getting badly sun-burned and stepping out of their toxic sludgepool--while carrying with their hard-fighting 30-pound carp--and looking as angry in the face as no doubt you are at the prospect of a fish you can't catch winning slab of the year!
i'm just glad to see something other than a steelhead in the lead. i love steelhead but holy christ, i wish people would stop being all self righteous about trying to catch them
I'm down with the River Donkey. That thing is a BEAST!! And John Boesnberg said it best "landing one that size is a major accomplishment". Congrats to that faceless man!!
justin T,
Disagree, so go be a cricket.
Damn...
This white collar, trout only fisherman's hatred towards the carp Is really "harshin my mello"... Have you even tried carp? Much less tried for a big, spooky, clear water carp? They'll put any trophy trout to shame with their selectiveness about presentation, and need I even mention the fight? and the fact that they grow in excess of 30lbs. commonly?, and that carp are one of the most readily available species in america to fish for?
You are seriously narrow minded and entrenched in in your country club angler beliefs man...
At the very least you don't need to continually rip on the idea of fishing for carp, please go spread your hate around elsewhere.
Carp deserve some respect, they'll put your prissy 12" trout to shame.
Nuff said!
I call for May to be removed from the poll due to foul play.
Would you let citizens of France vote for the U.S. president? theflyfishingforum.com would.... There is a forum full of douchebags that are voting daily for the carp just to piss you guys off. If you don't belive me, google "moldychum slab" it shows up in the first page of results. For fucks sake it's an 8 page campaign against loyal chummers.
Quotes from said forum:
"will be voting every day, for you and to irritate the arrogant snobs"
"I've been voting once a day for him. He has to win now if nothing to irritate the commenters even more."
This contest is supposed to be about the fish. Members of theflyfishingforum.com want to blow this guy so bad that they have turned Slab of the Year into a homosexual fantasy poll. Yes the carp is big, but the fact that they are EVERYWHERE, and not as hard to catch as the die hard carp kids want you to think, makes it nowhere near as glorious as the other contestants, epecially those big steelies and that massive fuckin lahontan. GET REAL