SPRUCE CREEK, Pa. — Spring snowmelt left Spruce Creek flooded on the final day of the ESPN Eastern Fly Fishing Challenge here, but that didn't prevent Foster Hetherington from catching and measuring a 22¼-inch trout, neatly capturing the competition and a ticket to the ESPN Great Outdoor Games presented by Dodge.

Although many of Hetherington's competitors caught fish, none of them chose to record an official catch Friday, which allowed Hetherington to leap from sixth place into first, ahead of Stockbridge, Vt., angler Matt Stedina, who led Day 1 with a 25¼-inch catch.

According to the rules of the Fly Fishing Challenge, anglers may catch and release as many fish as they like during a designated time limit on the river. However, once they record an official length for their catch, they must stop fishing.

It was a bad judgment call by another angler that let Hetherington into Friday's final round.

"One mistake by one angler let me into the finals," he said. "A gentlemen with four minutes left (on Thursday) released a 19-inch fish (without recording it as his official catch). If he had kept it, I'd have been bumped."

Their first- and second-place finishes qualify Hetherington and Stedina for this summer's ESPN Great Outdoor Games, slated for July 10-13 in Reno, Nev.

Mike McFarland of Tyrone, Pa., picked up the third-place trophy and will be joining them. They are the first anglers to qualify for the games, in addition to last year's medalists — Pete Erickson of Boise, Idaho, Andy Fisher of Cody, Wyo., and Chuck Farneth of Little Rock, Ark.

Three more anglers will qualify during the Western event in the ESPN Fly Fishing Challenge, set to take place April 8-10 near Idaho Falls, on the Henry's Fork of the Snake River.

Top outdoor athletes from around the world compete for entry into the ESPN Great Outdoor Games, set for July 10-13 in Reno-Tahoe.

The ultimate championships for outdoor sports features one-of-a-kind, head-to-head competition in timber and target events, sporting dogs, and fishing. In addition to entertaining large crowds on site, the ESPN Great Outdoor Games also draws a worldwide television audience airing on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC Sports.

Final standings

1. Foster Hetherington, Brandon, Vt. — 22.25 inches

The following anglers did not catch fish on Day Two and are ranked according to their catches from Day One.

2. Matt Stedina, Stockbridge, Vt. — 25.25"
3. Mike McFarland, Tyrone, Pa. — 20.25"
4. Tom Ference, Lower Burrell, Pa. — 18"
5. Gordon Hewey, Jay, N.Y. — 17.5"
6. Michael Hatfield, Midlothian, Va. — 17.5"
7. Rick Forge, Center Harbor, N.H. — 16.75"
8. Ed Weber, Rochester, N.Y. — 14.5"
9. Rachel Finn, Wilmington, N.Y. — 13"
10. Leonard Sauers, Saranac Lake, N.Y. — 0
10. Robert Parkins, Shelton, Conn. — 0
10. Dave McMullen, Spruce Creek, Pa. — 0
10. Jason Christman, Emmaus, Pa. — 0
10. Chris Rowland, Goodview, Va. — 0
10. Josh Stephens, Cullowhee, N.C. — 0
10. Tom Dutcher, Rome, N.Y. — 0
10. Chuck Kenney, Meredith, N.H. — 0