# Tournament Update - Open Fly Division Included



## Scott (May 24, 2004)

We are adding an open fly division to the Project Tarpon Tournaments in Port O'Connor - Open meaning guides and amateurs compete against each other in this division. The conventional angler division will remain amateur only.

*Click on Banner Below for More Information!!*


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## jcpinter (Jan 11, 2006)

MAN, what's up with letting guides in on the action, just because they can throw a fly rod. Open it up across the board. Some of us still want to fish your little shin dig.


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## Huachele (Apr 19, 2009)

jcpinter said:


> MAN, what's up with letting guides in on the action, just because they can throw a fly rod. Open it up across the board. Some of us still want to fish your little shin dig.


If you really want to fish the tournament and not get paid I am sure I could find some space for you on my boat.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

I PM'd Pinter - here is the deal. The guides stopped participating in any real numbers so I dropped them. If a division doesn't cover the costs of trophies by too few entries, they can't sustain themselves. 

A few years ago, we made it a money tournament at the request of certain guides, who indicated that the reason they weren't participating is because there wasn't any money involved. So, I changed that and they still didn't participate enough to support the division. 

Entry fees are lower now to get more amateur participants involved. As such, without at least three boats in a division, with costs of trophies etc., the division can't sustain itself. 

In an effort to get fly participants, the few boats that wanted the division agreed to allow guides in the competition to try and get themselves to at least the magic three boat requirement to have a division.

As I have always said, this tournament is for the participants. If three boats got together and wanted a hand-line division, I'd give it to them (just kidding of course, but you get the point).

As such, get three guide boats to register, and we'll have another guide division; however, I need firm commitments to do it and no last minute cop-outs if the weather sucks.

In years past, I have sunk thousands of dollars into this tournament that were never reimbursed by entry fees. I did it to help satellite tag Texas tarpon. We've had big giveaways, raffles, t-shirts and food etc. I've trimmed all that back to drop entry fees, not keep sinking my own money into this and drive up amateur participation. So far, it seems to be working - this year, we have at least four or five boats registered early or committed early that have never participated. We also have at least one past participant coming back to the tournament. So, hopefully, we're heading in the right direction.


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## TM Christopher (Feb 8, 2013)

is it to late to enter as an amateur?


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## Animal Chris (May 21, 2004)

For those of you that are interested in finding out more about the Tournament, next Tuesday, July 30th, Scott Alford will be the guest speaker at the montly meeting of the Texas FlyFishers. Scott will be bringing us up to speed on teh latest information on the ongoing tarpon satellite tagging study.

For more information, check out the Texas FlyFishers website at

http://www.texasflyfishers.org/meetings.htm .

We meet at the Bayland Community Center in Bayland Park, located at 6400 Bissonnet Street, Houston, Texas 77074. The phone number at the center is (713) 541-9951. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for social hour and the formal meeting runs from 7:00 - 9:00 pm.

I hope you can make it, it should be fun and educational. Tight lines, Chris


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## TM Christopher (Feb 8, 2013)

Chris,

Is the meeting open since I'm not a member. Is there fee?


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## Backcast (Jul 22, 2005)

It is an open meeting. Guests are welcome. 

Joe


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