Dierks Bentley fans rat him out for unlicensed fishing after he brags onstage
The calls wouldn't have been enough to warrant a ticket -- but Bentley posted a photo online of him holding a decent-sized brown trout in Cottonwood Creek.
Onstage at a Colorado music festival, country music superstars Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan bragged about the fishing they did earlier in the weekend.
And what did the concertgoers do after hearing the two trade tall tales?
They called Colorado Parks and Wildlife to see if the singers had fishing licenses.
“It was very heartening that they cared that much,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman Bill Vogrin said.
The calls wouldn’t have been enough to warrant a ticket — but Bentley posted a photo online Sunday of him holding a decent-sized brown trout in Cottonwood Creek, near Buena Vista.
“We didn’t have any proof until Mr. Bentley posted a photo on his Instagram,” Vogrin said.
An officer caught up with Bentley on the streets of Buena Vista on Monday and confirmed that Bentley didn’t have a license, as required by state law. A small crowd started to gather to watch, and Bentley climbed into the officer’s truck so they could find a quieter place.
Bentley posted a video online of himself in the truck as the officer wrote him a ticket. He warned Luke Bryan that he may be next to receive a ticket.
Bentley paid the $139.50 fine in cash on the spot, Vogrin said.
“He was as nice as can be,” Vogrin said. “We welcome him back any time to fish, as long as he gets a license next time.”
Luke Bryan had not been ticketed as of Monday evening, in part because he did not post photos of himself with any fish, Vogrin said.
“That case is under investigation,” he said.
Vogrin wasn’t surprised that the singer’s fans raised the issue.
“In Colorado, people love country music — but they also love their trout,” Vogrin said.
Day 3 off to a good start @SevenPeaksFest! (btw… @LukeBryanOnline only caught one and this is my third in 30 mins…not that it’s a competition…fishing and Seven Peaks is all about community and good vibes…but if it was a competition…I would be crushing him. Just saying) pic.twitter.com/ce3uKyokD0
— Dierks Bentley (@DierksBentley) September 1, 2019