When you work at a fly shop, you hear it all. We all know that fly-fishing attracts some real characters, and as the stories roll through the door, you know 90% of it is mythical, if not a straight up lie.
“I once hooked a 40’’ laker and when I took my phone out, it flopped into the lake!†“When I was fishing by myself, I landed a carp the size of school bus, but I didn’t have my GoPro running.†“I know a spot with 50″ Tiger Muskies that only eat Whiting Saddles….†You get the idea.
One day around the counter at Anglers All fly shop a chat about angling opportunities during spring runoff season popped off over a few cold ones during happy hour. As the conversation evolved, the staff started eyeing up the potential for a multi-species fly fishing only tournament. They dreamed of an event that would bring much needed shine to the unsung heroes of Colorado like Bass, Carp, Walleye, and Pike. It’s hard to get tired of the predatory attitude brown trout, but in a country where conventional Bass fishing is king, we wanted to highlight how effective a fly rod can be for fooling America’s gamefish, and other warm-water species. That is how the Mile High 25 On the Fly was born.
In the Spring of 2016, Anglers All hosted the first multi-species focused fly-fishing tournament. Now in its 8th consecutive year, the event has grown in popularity and branched out into a series of events under the alias “25 On the Fly.†These events are one part tournament, and one part scavenger hunt and are aimed at introducing anglers to the many legit fish species that a fly rod can wrangle into a landing net.
The concept is simple: two person teams chase a list of fish species over two days with a smartphone in one hand and a fly rod in the other. As fish are brought to hand, anglers document the CATCH – VIDEO – REALSE (Keep ’em wet) process, then log into the tournament app, and move on to the next species. For the most part, size is irrelevant if the fish is mature enough to be identified by the judges.
Do you have a reliable fishing buddy with sharp skills with the net? If so, smash THIS LINK and get signed up for the 8th annual @25onthefly! With each registration, $100 will go directly to @denvertroutunlimited for continued water quality improvements on Denver’s South Platte River! Even better, sign up and win the event and you have earned yourself a free 1-way ticket to fishing in the famous “Carp Slam†happening on the Denver South Platte September 16th!
If you and your fishing buddy don’t have plans for June 17-18 the Mile High 25 On the Fly is your answer. Be sure to check out all of the details for the @25onthefly by clicking HERE!
