The 2024 Heritage Award Honoring Jackson Hole One Fly Foundation

The Jackson Hole One Fly Foundation spearheads extraordinary efforts in supporting conservation projects and educational stewardship programs that benefit the upper Snake River drainage and its native cutthroat trout population.

“I am absolutely thrilled to honor such an incredible organization,” remarks AMFF Board President Fred Polhemus. “The One Fly has dedicated itself to the conservation of our waters in a way that inspires each of us to be better stewards. We look forward to highlighting the rich history of the tournament, their conservation pioneers, and the camaraderie and community it continues to feed year after year.”

Founded in 1986, the foundation hosts the legendary One Fly tournament every September in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Every year, forty select teams put their angling skills to the test over the course of two days, with each angler allowed just a single fly. The tournament captures the spirit of friendly competition while celebrating the generosity of its participants and partners. The JHOFF uses monies raised from the event along with partner matching funds to fund stream conservation and habitat rehabilitation projects along the upper Snake River and its headwaters in Yellowstone National Park. To date, the JHOFF has raised more than $3M while joining matching funds from others to fund more than $22M, yielding total funding of more than $25M for selected native cutthroat trout conservation projects.

The Model Room of the New York Yacht Club provided a stunning backdrop for the celebration of the 2024 Heritage Award honoring the extraordinary Jackson Hole One Fly Foundation (JHOFF). On April 18, we were thrilled to welcome guests both from out West and closer to home for an inspiring evening filled with warmth, humor, and generosity. After a wonderful reception during which One Fly Founder Jack Dennis tied flies and chatted with guests, the evening continued with a showing of the recently released Tension by filmmaker Hilton Graham. The film captures the spirit of the iconic One Fly Tournament told from a unique point of view. The event culminated in a fascinating panel discussion moderated by JHOFF President John Holland and featuring JHOFF Chair Greg Case, emeritus JHOFF board member Jack Dennis, filmmaker/director Hilton Graham, and Trout Unlimited President Chris Wood.

We would like to thank our donors who helped make this April evening such a success. Thanks to live auction donors Antrim Streamside, Catskill Outfitters, Shawn Combs, Jack Dennis, Chico Fernandez, the Inn at Manchester, Jackson Hole One Fly Foundation, Orvis, Scott Smith/Grand Teton Fly Fishing, South Holston River Lodge, Andrew Tucker/The Delphi Club, Joan Wulff, and Nancy Zakon. Thanks also to silent auction donors Battenkill Preserve, Jim Beattie, Berkshire Rivers Fly Fishing, Scott Biron, Alan Bourgault, Bromley Mountain, Catskill Outfitters, Frank Conroy, Costa, Capt. John Curry, DeYoung Studio, Capt. Paul Dixon, Emerald Water Anglers, Rachel Finn, Capt. Sarah Gardner in memory of Cathy Beck, Julie Goetz, Grundéns, James Heckman, Peter Kaminsky, Jon Larrabee, Liberty Skis, AD Maddox, Walter Matia, Chris and Amanda Miller, John Mundt, Rob Oden, Orvis, Fred Polhemus, Al Quattrocchi, Mike Rice, Allen Rupp, Scientific Anglers, John Swan, Richard Tisch, Jess Westbrook, and Nancy and Alan Zakon.