High School Fall Fishing Tournament Rules
Welcome to the High School Fall Fishing Tournament! This event is all about having fun, learning new skills, and enjoying the outdoors while practicing good sportsmanship. We're excited to have you participate and hope you make some great memories on the water. These rules are designed to keep things fair, safe, and enjoyable for everyone. If you have any questions, feel free to ask an organizer—we're here to help!
Team Rules
Teams can include high school students (grades 9-12), and we encourage including a mentor or chaperone (like a teacher, parent, or coach) for guidance and support.
Each team is required to have an adult in the water supervising if there's a participant in the water—safety is our top priority!
Adults can offer suggestions, give guidance, cheer on their team, and help unsnag lines if needed. However, they may not cast, tie knots, untangle knots, retie damaged lines, or otherwise aid in the physical act of fishing—the students themselves must do this. Your beat judge can provide additional information if you have questions about this.
Any safe and standard method of fly fishing is welcome (such as Euro nymphing, dry dropper, streamer, or tenkara)—let's focus on having a great time while respecting the environment!
Fly rods should not be longer than 12 feet to keep things fair and manageable.
You can use any factory-made floating, sinking, Euro, or sink-tip line with a single leader.
Feel free to bring spare rods and reels—just remember, you're responsible for your gear, so pack wisely!
Use floating, weighted, or sinking artificial flies tied on a single hook.
Up to three flies are allowed on one rod/line.
Fly floatant or sinkant is okay, but please avoid any scents, smells, or attractants to keep it natural.
Landing nets should not exceed 60 inches when fully extended for easy handling.
Team members are encouraged to stay together and support each other during the competition. If you'd like to scout your area, just let your controller know first—safety and teamwork come first!
FISHING THE BEATS
Each team will fish two different beats in the lower and upper sections, chosen randomly to keep it exciting.
Only one team member can fish at a time (one line in the water) to give everyone a fair turn—teammates can take turns and cheer each other on!
Teammates are welcome to help net each other's fish.
Cast your flies only within the marked boundaries of your beat, and try to stay inside those boundaries during the session, except...
If the anglers in the next beat are okay with it, you have up to 10 minutes to play and land a fish that was hooked in your beat but swam upstream or downstream.
Participants...
...should avoid using phones or other communication devices during the fishing session to stay focused on the fun.
...can use polarized sunglasses, but please skip binoculars or other visual aids beyond that.
...are encouraged to fish independently, but if you need help with something non-fishing related (like safety), ask a controller.
PUBLIC INTERFERENCE
If someone outside the tournament accidentally gets in the way of your fishing spot, the sector judge can kindly move your team to an alternate beat.
You'll get up to 15 minutes to relocate, and we'll add that time to your session so you still get a full 90 minutes of fishing—fair play all around!
FISH
All species of trout that are at least 7 inches long can be measured (from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail).
Only fish hooked fairly in the mouth area (in front of the rear edge of the gill cover) count—no snags, please!
If you'd like a fish scored, land it gently in a net, remove the hook carefully, and hand it to the controller for measurement—they'll handle it with care.
A fish hooked during the session can be landed up to 10 minutes after the end if needed.
If a fish slips away before measurement, the team and controller can agree on an estimated length, rounded up to the nearest inch—let's keep it positive!
CONSERVATION
Please wade carefully and be mindful of the riverbed to protect fish habitats. Avoid fishing directly at spawning fish if you spot them—let's all do our part to keep our waters healthy for future adventures!
To help keep our river clean for future events, please pick up trash, old fishing line, or other debris you find in and around your beat. There may be a prize for teams chipping in to leave the river in better condition than we started.
CONTEST SUPERVISION
SECTOR JUDGES
There will be at least three sector judges for both the upper (beats 1-10) and lower (beats 11-20) sections.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Guide and support controllers to ensure accurate records and adherence to rules in a friendly manner.
Help clarify rules if there's any confusion— we're all learning together!
Keep observers at a safe distance so they don't distract or chat with participants during the session.
BEAT CONTROLLERS
Each beat will have a helpful controller.
Duties & Responsibilities – we're here to team up with you!
Record each eligible fish accurately, including length to the nearest ¼ inch and landing time, using the provided form.
Share results after each session by calling or texting, and turn in scoring sheets to the results team.
Gently remind participants of the rules if needed and note any minor issues.
Assist in coordinating with nearby non-participants to ensure everyone has a positive experience.
GUIDANCE FOR RULE FOLLOWING
We'll offer friendly reminders for any rule slips—our goal is to help everyone enjoy the event!
Any fish caught during a rule reminder won't count, but let's use it as a learning moment.
If the same issue happens again, the participant might sit out the rest of that session to refocus.
Always show kindness and respect to fellow anglers, officials, and the environment—unsportsmanlike behavior could lead to missing out on the fun.
Rule reminders will be shared through sector judges for consistency and fairness.
Any actions that might unfairly affect results will be addressed thoughtfully to keep things honest and enjoyable for all.
Thanks for joining us—let's make this tournament a fantastic experience! Stay safe, have fun, and tight lines! If you need anything, reach out to the organizers.