WHEREAS, Blake Hall, a student at Marion Senior High School in Smyth County, represented the Commonwealth as a member of the USA Youth Fly Fishing Team and won a gold medal at the 2023 World Youth Fly Fishing Championship; and

WHEREAS, Blake Hall took up fishing after he inherited his grandmother's collection of fly fishing rods when he was 10 years old; he studied fishing videos, books, and magazines and honed his skills in the waters around his home in rural Smyth County, becoming a local legend for his patience, persistence, and expertise; and

WHEREAS, Blake Hall placed third in the USA Youth Fly Fishing National Championship in 2021 and won the first place award in 2022, which earned him an invite to the national team; and

WHEREAS, Blake Hall partially funded his trip to the world championship by taking clients on guided fishing trips, and he received support and encouragement from his parents, Kellie Vernon and Brent Hall; and

WHEREAS, Blake Hall joined other young fly fishers from across the country and traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina to compete against talented teams from around the world in the five-day tournament held along the Neretva River; and

WHEREAS, after a week-long orientation and practice session, Blake Hall and the USA Youth Fly Fishing Team fished randomly selected areas of the river in four-hour sessions across five days; and

WHEREAS, despite being one of the youngest competitors, Blake Hall demonstrated exceptional concentration and skill and adapted to the environment by using a new fishing fly that more closely imitated local insect life; and

WHEREAS, Blake Hall caught 29 fish during the competition and helped the USA Youth Fly Fishing Team claim the gold medal, outpacing the runner-up team from France by 28 points and the third-place team from Slovakia by 67 points; and

WHEREAS, after his success at the world championship, Blake Hall plans to continue competing in fly fishing tournaments as well as bass fishing tournaments; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Blake Hall on winning a gold medal at the World Youth Fly Fishing Championship in 2023; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Blake Hall as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his accomplishments and best wishes for the future.