used to buy the tournament hats. The club agreed that printing on hats would note that the tournament was a memorial to McRyan, Alan's college-age son who died in a car accident in Raleigh. He was an avid fisherman, and the Shelors said sponsoring the tournament was a way to preserve his memory. They indicated that they again would donate money for the hats.
Though they appreciate the Shelor's generosity and hope they will continue their sponsorship, board members didn't want the tournament to become a permanent memorial to McRyan, who wasn't a club member. Jim and Allen Shelor joined DIFF last year.
The board discussed ways to pay for the tournament hats, including raising the entry fee $5, if the Shelors decide not to become sponsors this year. The board, instead, decided to discuss the hats and shirts with members at the annual meeting.
Enough of that. Back to the fishing. Here, without further diversions, are the winners of the 1999 Surf-Fishing Tournament:
Red Drum: Kevin Davis, $500, 52.75 inches; Herman Vick, $225, 52.25; Allen Rivenbark, $175, 51.50; Robbie Smith, $125, 50.58; Mark Matthews, $75, 50.38.
Bluefish: Tom Monaco, $400, 4.10 pounds; James Tyree, $225, 2.95; Les Gladden and Robbie Smith, $150, 2.85; Ron Masten, $75, 2.80.
Flounder: Robert Smith, $400, 5.60 pounds; Robbie Smith, $225, 4.75; Herman Vick, $175, 4.70; Walt Settlemeyer, $125, 4.30; Don Eury, $75, 4.15.
Whiting: Robbie Smith, $400, 0.85 pounds; Bill Binkley, $225, 0.80; Carolyn McLamb, $175, 0.75; Alvin Cheek and Bobby Bates, $100, 0.70.
Black Drum: Bubba Johnson, $400, 3.30 pounds; Allen Rivenbark, $225, 3.20; Carolyn McLamb, $175, 3.15; Bing Michael, $125, 2.95; Charlie Sutphin, $75, 2.85.
Spanish Mackerel: Mark Matthews, $400, 4.80 pounds; Jack Burcham, $225, 4.75; Tommy Rowland, $175, 4.05; Stan Russell, $125, 3.30; Ron Webb, $75, 3.10.

Robbie Smith of Forth Mill, S.C., won $900 at the DIFF Club's annual Surf Fishing Tournament Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 on Davis Island.
Robbie, the tournament's biggest money winner, caught prize-winning fish in four of the six categories. His 0.85-pound whiting won that category and the $400 first prize. He also had the tournament's second-biggest flounder, and he tied for third in bluefish category and was fourth in the red drum.
Mark Matthews of Yadkinville was a distant second in money winnings with $475. He had the biggest Spanish mackerel and was fifth in the red drum category.
Kevin Davis of East Bend hauled in the tournament's biggest drum. His fish measured 52.75 inches (length + girth), nosing out Herman Vick's second-place fish by a half inch.
The weather during the three days of fishing was just short of marvelous. For the first time in two years we ate our Saturday lunch in the sun and not huddled under the porch of Cabin 10A to stay out of the rain.
Some tournament officials and DIFF board members heard allegations after the tournament that some entrants cheated by claiming fish for prizes that were caught by someone else. Under the theory that someone would be less likely to cheat if he or she has to look a tournament official in the eye at the weigh-in, the DIFF board voted in December to require  participants entering a fish for a prize to personally bring the fish to the weigh-in. In the past, people were allowed to weigh in fish for others.
The board also voted unanimously not to allow the Shelor family of Atlantic Beach to be a tournament sponsor again if they insisted that the club again memorialize the late McRyan Shelor. Brothers Jim and Alan Shelor gave DIFF $2,000 last year that was