Submission: You will be required to submit a picture of you catching a fish (using “Keep Fish Wet” principals) or of your filled out Citizen Science data sheet (recording sheets are provided after registration) in the headwater location for proof of completion for each challenge. Ideally GPS coordinates will be submitted as well. All submissions must be sent to info@friendsoftheyampa.com. It is your choice to submit them all at once towards the end of the event or as you complete them.

Cost: Registration is donation based. Although the event is free, please consider donating to help us as an organization and and the Yampa River. We are a small organization that depends on your donations to keep us going. Proceeds raised from this fundraiser will go toward scholarships for youth in the Yampa Valley to learn how to fly fish, and to help further FOTY’s projects and programs, our mission and goals. Please see our projects page to see all we are up to, our mission continues despite a lot of recent changes.

Considerations when participating

• Limit how many watersheds you tackle in one day as you should clean your wading boots and waders before jumping into a new watershed so as to not transport any contaminants from basin to basin.
• Clean waders and boots: Rinse waders and boots, then clean all exterior surfaces and felt boot bottoms with either “Scrubbing Bubbles” or “409.” This will kill diseases, fungus, and also help to remove clinging seeds, snails, etc. You can also leave waders and boots out for 3 days in the sun’s UV rays will kill diseases and/or fungi.
• Practice catch and release, obviously!
• Use barbless hooks
• Land fish quickly and use a net if at all possible
• Keep fish in the water (see Keep Fish Wet principles)
  Wet your hands before handling fish and limit handling fish as much as possible. Keep fish wet! Try to not squeeze the fish.
• Remove the hook as quickly as possible and use hemostats if at all possible
• Photo the fish in the water or on the air/water interface. Keep fish wet!
• Don’t fish when water temperatures are over 70 degrees.
• Practice Leave No Trace ethics, always.
• Protect the fish and the stream by accessing water at logical places where you won’t create or increase erosion.
• Don’t walk on any spawning bed or what you deem as sensitive habitat. Tread lightly.

All ages can join. Make it a family event. Everyone can participate.