In a frenzied barrage of last-minute lobbying, attempted influence peddling and baldfaced pleading which would make an SEC football booster blush and an Oscar-nominee recoil, we are pleased to announce this month’s SMOTM winner. With the judging process and personnel being somewhere between a papal process involving bursts of white smoke and the confused deliberations of a Senior Center bridge club, it was not easy to select among the many solid entrants. Our most popular SMOTM to date, the competition was thick indeed with spiny rays, salmonids, bottomfish and rough fish represented by micro specimens. But for pure enthusiasim, originality and well, bling factor — we are proud to name John Magnuson and his “goldie” (brownliner parlance for a freaking goldfish) taken out of a Minnesota drainage pond on a #14 green and white pupae pattern as TFFJ’s August 2010 winner as Smolt of the Month. SMOTM committee member Horatio Nailknot comments: “No idea how a goldfish survives a MN winter. That pond will freeze solid to the bottom for three months. Unless it’s some sort of warm-water industrial runoff pond.” Brownlining is a radiant sport, Horatio.

Along with the immeasurable street cred, John wins a subscription to TFFJ including T-shirt, sticker and a pair of top-shelf Smith fishing shades, the Backdrop from their Techlite series.

Thanks to all and another entrant we wanted to include:

Photo by Steve Rosenburg of his wife Yuka with her first American-caught trout; Deer Cr., CA

Get a start on SMOTM Sept immediately: Send all entries to questions@theflyfishjournal.com by midnight September 31 and we will pick a winner the following week. Notable entries will be posted over the month.