The Annual Yampa Headwaters Fishing Fundraiser and Poker Run is back for the fourth year!
The Friends of the Yampa, along with our sponsors, are hosting a Yampa Headwaters Fishing Fundraiser & Poker Run through the month of August 2023. 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, mission and goals.
Details
When: August 2023. Start on time to increase the number of challenges you can complete.
Poker Run Challenge: To keep things interesting, the event will be treated like a Poker Run, where each challenge you fulfill earns you one random “playing card.” You will need to complete at least 5 challenges to play your hand of 5-card Stud. The more challenges you complete, the more cards you will have to pick your 5 card hand. More detailed information will be shared to all registrants.
How: You will be challenged with fishing the Yampa River headwaters and/or collecting Citizen Science Data, (by filling out a data sheet with collected measurements – i.e. water temperature, air temperature, latitude, longitude, fish size, etc.), in a variety of waters across the headwaters of the Yampa River. Once you satisfy a challenge, simply take an image with the fish you caught in that location (take photo using “Keep Fish Wet” principals), or take a picture of your filled out Citizen Science data sheet (recording sheets are provided after registration) and send the images to us to verify that you explored one the Yampa’s tributaries and participated in a challenge there.
Ways to earn poker cards:
- 1 poker card for each completed fishing challenge.
- 1 poker card for every 3 data points collected. *Limit 3 Cards
- 1 poker card for being a Friends of the Yampa Member.
Become a Member Today! - 1 poker card for submitting a photo of you picking up trash. *Limit 1 poker card.
- 1 poker card for those who submit all fish photos using “Keep Fish Wet” principals.
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.
Details this year:
- We are continuing to put a larger emphasis on collecting Citizen Science data, to help us see how water temperature fluctuates year over year.
- Due to issues with the supply chain we were unable to get thermometers this year. There are still some available but we ask that if you are fishing you bring your own thermometer to ensure safe fishing conditions and good citizen science data.
- We are asking that no waters are fished if the temperature reading is more than 68 degrees F.
- If you participated last year, we ask that you use the same thermometer from last year, we are limited this year on how many we can hand out.
- If you are out fishing and the fish look stressed, please collect some citizen science data and move on. This event is all about the experience and having fun. “the anti-tournament”
Tips:
- Participate as a family. You can combine your cards to make one hand.
- Do not have a lot of time to get to 5 head water areas? Take a friend, become a member, pick up trash, plan your day in the area that will be the most effective.
- Purchase a National Forest Map to get the best info on Public Land areas.
- Visit the local fly shop. Go to our sponsor’s shop get the right flies and ask about the best areas. Buy stuff to prepare.
Why the Yampa Headwaters?
This fundraiser is designed as a self-guided tour of the Yampa Basin headwaters. It is set up to encourage people to get outside and enjoy fishing high up in the Yampa’s “out of the way places”, to the headwaters where rivers are born. To us, it’s not always about the biggest fish, the most fish, or the deepest waters. We want participants to get out and enjoy the tributaries, to be somewhere you may have never been, and to enjoy the beauty of the places where the Yampa River begins.
What headwaters?
Below are some possible challenge locations. A final list will be sent out a before the event starts which will be based on flow, temperature, and conditions.
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Sarvis Creek
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Bear River
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Krosho
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Dunckley Area
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Sheriffs Reservoir
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Fish Creek
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North Fork Elk
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South Fork Elk
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Zirkel Alpine Lakes
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Buff Pass Lakes
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Little Snake by King Solomon
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Elkhead Creek
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East Fork Little Snake
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North Fork Little Snake
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Slater Creek
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Soda Creek
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Mad Creek
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Plus More…
Prizes
Thanks to our event sponsors Patagonia, Fishpond including our other sponsors Steamboat Fly Fisher and Yampa River Fund. We have some amazing prizes to hand out, such as:
- Grand Prize Best Poker Hand:Patagonia Swiftcurrent Packable Waders
- Most Citizen Science Engagement: Fishpond Wind River Roll-Top Dry Backpack
- Event MVP (Most challenges and data collected): Prizes from Steamboat Flyfisher and Friends of the Yampa Shirt, stickers, Yampa River book, and Klean Kanteen I “heart” the Yampa cup
- Friends of the Yampa will give various prizes based on picture quality, unique submissions, engagement, and fish type.
Event Sponsors
2022 Winners
Grand Prize: AIDEN MCCORMICK
Event MVP and Most Citizen Science Data points: CHELSEA JOHNSON
Congratulations to the winners and we hope to see all of the participants return including new players!
2021 Winners
Thanks so much to all of you who came out to participate in our event. We know things were a little different and rushed this year and we appreciate you bearing with us! We had some great submissions this time around. Congratulations to our winners!
Best Poker Hand:
Ace McCann – Straight Flush (8, 9, 10, J, Q of hearts)
Most Citizen Science Engagement:
Tie between Lynn McCann and Ace McCann
2020 Yampa Headwaters Fishing Fundraiser and Poker Run results:
The First Annual Yampa Headwaters Fishing event was a great success. Thank you to all that participated last year, we hope you enjoyed the experience! There were over 55 headwater locations visited, over 130 Community Science data points collected, and hundreds of Yampa Basin headwater miles explored. Let’s try to top that this year!
2020 Winners….
- Grand Prize! (Patagonia Packable Waders and Wading Boots) goes to:
- Dan Chovan, Dan won the best hand with a Straight Flush, 7-J spades
- Most Citizen Science Data Collection (Fishpond Thunderhead Submersible Pack)
- Chelsea Johnson
- Event MVP (Fishpond Riverbank Backpack)
- Charlie Pharris
- FOTY MVP (FOTY NRS Sunshirt and Choice of Hat or Shirt and Stickers)
- Elena Reynolds
- Honorable Mentions (This is determined by engagement, pictures, data science, etc. )
- Tom Whiddon: $50 Gift Card to Steamboat Flyfisher
- Ace McCann: $50 Gift Card to Bucking Rainbow Outfitters