West Virginia
West Virginia angler turns lifelong fishing passion into 24-season TV show
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) – Curtis Fleming hosts Fly Rod Chronicles, promoting state tourism through fishing adventures.
“My father and mother took me down to Cherokee, North Carolina. And we went down there and stayed on the reservation. And I’ve got an actual picture of me catching my first fish. And I was two years and a month old. And then we started going somewhere in West Virginia every weekend. That it was nice. And that’s where I really got the deep, deep love,” Fleming said.
His love for fishing started at a young age and continued through adolescence.
Early mentors shaped outdoor passion
“In middle school, and they had the outdoor club. And we had some of the greatest mentors in the world. I mean, you know, Joe Leonetti, his name is up on the wall at the gymnasium in the new middle school that he wasn’t even at, you know. And like Al Lanzi and these guys would give up their time and take us all up to Spruce Knob,” Fleming said.
Originally a teacher, fishing was never far from Fleming’s mind.
“I always wanted to figure out how I could make a living at fishing and hunting. And I was a teacher, and I was working with inner city kids, and I started teaching them how to fly fish. And then I would take them to a 101 class for like a four-day weekend. And I watched these kids, these inner city kids, rough, tough kids that were getting kicked out of school and getting kicked out of their communities, thriving in the outdoors. And we would start as little as just building a fire. Here’s how you do it. I fell in love with just watching these kids get into this,” Fleming said.
From the classroom to television, he figured out how to turn it into a career. Fleming is the host of Fly Rod Chronicles, a weekly fishing show seen locally on WDTV, nationally on ESPN2 and the Pursuit Channel, and internationally on Wild TV.
“I come up with the show, the concept. I didn’t want the show to be about Curtis Fleming. I wanted it to be about my travels, the people we met, the food we eat, you know, the tourism, all the attractions. I didn’t want it just to be another fishing show. So, you know, my next sale was to go back to my wife and say, Shelly, I’m going to quit my job and start a fishing show. And I always tell people that I’m the bravest guy in the world because if any guys that I’m talking to want to go home and tell their wife they’re going to quit a good job and start a fishing show, good luck with that. But she was like, do you know anything about it? And I’m like, I’m learning. And we went out and shot a pilot, sent it in the Outdoor Channel. And they’re like, can you send us 12 more like that?” Fleming said.
The show is now in its 24th season and has over 300 episodes to its credit.
“It’s been a dream come true to be able to do this and to see where it’s grown. And hard to believe that we’ve been to so many cool destinations,” Fleming said.
Promoting West Virginia tourism
Despite his travels, Fleming’s heart is in West Virginia.
“We all have that memory of what it was like growing up here in West Virginia and how great it was. And so I really wanted to bring that into the show. And I wanted to show off our state, you know, show how great it is. I tell everyone I’ve been in 49 states and we in West Virginia, we have the biggest, largest outdoor playground in the world. I mean, it’s just what we can do here in West Virginia is amazing. That’s been one of my biggest achievements is the partnership with the state of West Virginia. Because, you know, we need to figure out different ways to bring in people. And the state saw that it wasn’t just a fishing show, that it was showing off our attractions, showing off the best food, the cool places to go. We have people coming from England, we have people coming from France, from all over the United States, just from our little TV show, coming to West Virginia,” Fleming said.
Fleming says he has no plans of slowing down.
“We just, in December, had our first granddaughter, and then we’re going to have a grandson here in a couple weeks. So I want to get four generations on the show, and I think that would be cool. So it kind of sounds like the kids don’t have a choice whether they’re going to fish or not, right?” Fleming said.
The grandkids will help Fleming continue to promote his love of fishing.
“You know, it was about getting kids into the outdoors, and it circles us back to, you know, I want to be like Joe Leonetti and Al Lanzi and the guys that were there for us. So it’s about getting everyone involved in the sport,” Fleming said.
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Win or go home. That’s what is on the line tonight for West Virginia and Kentucky as they fight to secure a spot in the super regional round against Cal Poly, which is waiting to meet the winner after winning the Los Angeles regional on Sunday.
As usual, we will have you covered with live updates and analysis of tonight’s battle in our game thread below, along with the starting lineups for both teams. Let’s play ball and crown a regional winner!
GAME THREAD
TOP 1 (UK)
Yehl with a much better first inning than he had against the Cats two nights ago. He gave up a leadoff hit to left and issued a 2-out walk, but throws up a very important zero to start things off, punching out two batters.
BOT 1 (WVU)
Gavin Kelly gets a double, scoots to second on a grounder by Schoenfeld, and then scores on a strike three passed by against Sean Smith, who reached first safely. Mountaineers leave Smith stranded at second but strike first, 1-0.
TOP 2 (UK)
1-2-3 inning for Maxx Yehl as he takes care of a good chunk of the bottom of Kentucky’s order.
BOT 2 (WVU)
Aside from a two-out walk to Ben Lumsden, a clean inning for Soucie. Top of the order due up next for the Mountaineers. Headed to the third with West Virginia leading 1-0.
TOP 3 (UK)
Another zero for Maxx Yehl. He finally retires Tharnish, who has been a thorn in WVU’s side all weekend, and after hitting Bell with two outs, he picks him off at first. Guzman had a bad throw to get him at second, but was able to nail him at the bag.
BOT 3 (WVU)
West Virginia’s starting lineup
1. 1B Armani Guzman — .302
2. C Gavin Kelly —.379
3. CF Paul Schoenfeld — .345
4. DH Sean Smith — .316
5. LF Matthew Graveline — .284
6. SS Matt Ineich — .300
7. 2B Brodie Kresser — .289
8. RF Ben Lumsden — .254
9. 3B Tyrus Hall – .276
SP Maxx Yehl
Kentucky’s starting lineup
1. CF Jayce Tharnish — .355
2. SS Tyler Bell — .343
3. DH Luke Lawrence — .343
4. 1B Hudson Brown —.327
5. 2B Ethan Hindle — .307
6. RF Braxton Van Cleave — .278
7. 3b Tyler Cerny — .176
8. LF Carson Hansen — 225
9. C Owen Jenkins — .247
SP Jackson Soucie
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Leading 9-6 entering the top of the ninth, the Bat Cats were three outs away from advancing to the Super Regional. Then, just as what happened last year against West Virginia, disaster struck at the worst possible time.
Nile Adcock, entering his fourth inning of work, walked the bases loaded. The Cats’ bullpen, which had been excellent to that point, brought in the tying runs on a walk, a sacrifice fly, and a balk.
Yes, you read that correctly. It didn’t even take a hit to tie the game. The hit came after West Virginia tied the game, when Paul Schoenfeld homered deep to right field to give the Mountaineers an 11-9 lead.
Kentucky fell behind 3-0 in the first inning, took a 7-6 lead in the fourth, and it looked like they were on their way to a third straight win and regional championship.
What stings the most is that Kentucky was in a worse spot against West Virginia last year in the Regional round of the NCAA Tournament. Leading 12-7, Kentucky completely collapsed and lost 13-12 as their season came to an end.
That didn’t happen Sunday night this year. Kentucky will play West Virginia again on Monday. The winner of that game will advance to the Super Regionals.
Morgantown, WV – The West Virginia Mountaineers (42-15) rallied and scored five runs to force a Morganton regional game seven with a 9-5 win over the Kentucky Wildcats (33-22) Sunday night.
Kentucky starting pitcher Ben Cleaver never found his rhythm in his 14th start of the season. He beaned leadoff hitter, junior Armani Guzman, walked consecutive Mountaineer hitters to load the bases, and hit senior Sean Smith to bring in the game’s first run. Senior Matthew Graveline followed with an RBI sacrifice fly, then reloaded the with his third walk of the inning and it would end the junior’s afternoon.
Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione handed the ball to Ira Austin, and on the 1-1 pitch, senior Brodie Kresser hit an RBI single to centerfield for a 3-0 WVU lead.
In the bottom of the frame, two errant throws put two aboard for the Wildcats before loading the bases after West Virginia starting pitcher David Hagan issued consecutive walks for Kentucky’s first run of the contest. Then, freshman Braxton Van Cleave worked the opposite field with an RBI single to left field to pull the Wildcats within one, 3-2.
Kentucky tied the game in the second after Jayce Tharnish hit the gap in left centerfield for a one out double and moved to third on a ground ball from sophomore Tyler Bell before senior Luke Lawrence hit an RBI single back up the middle.
West Virginia reclaimed the lead in the third. Gaveline hit a leadoff to centerfield and moments later, Kresser smacked a one-out single to left field and senior Ben Lumsden hit the top of the left field wall for an RBI single. Junior Tyrus Hall grounded to third to bring a run across and Guzman capped a three-run third with an RBI single to right field for a 6-3 Mountaineer lead.
Kentucky responded in the bottom of the frame after junior Ethan Hindle received a four-pitch leadoff walk, Van Cleave lined a single to left field, placing runners at the corners, and senior Carson Hansen brought in a run with a fielder’s choice to short to close within two, 6-4. WVU sophomore reliever Joshua Suriagao pitched a third of the inning before Sabins turned to senior Carson Estridge, who recorded the final two outs of the inning.
Kentucky took the lead in the fourth when Bell sparked the Wildcats with a leadoff home run. Then, Lawrence doubled to left field, and Hindle lined an RBI single to left field before Van Cleave delivered another RBI for the 7-6 advantage.
West Virginia loaded the bases in the sixth with one out, but the bottom of the order did not bring a run across, ending the inning with consecutive strikeouts.
In seventh, Kentucky added some cushion to its lead and did the damage with two outs on the board. Tharnish lifted the 2-2 pitched just over the right field wall for a two-out solo home run, then Bell blasted his second solo shot of the afternoon for a 9-6 Wildcats’ lead.
In the ninth, West Virginia loaded the bases on an Kentucky error, a walk, and a single from junior Tyrus Hall. Then, Guzman received a four-pitch walk to bring in a run, Kelly got the Mountaineers within one with a sacrifice fly and a balk tied the game before senior Paul Schoenfeld blasted a two run home run to give the Mountaineers an 11-9 lead.
West Virginia reliever Ben McDougal entered the game in the fifth and closed the game out for the Mountaineers for the 11-9 decision.
West Virginia and Kentucky will meet for a trip to the Super Regionals on Monday. Time and TV is to be determined.
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