Rules

1. Registration: All anglers must be registered with the tournament committee and entry fee paid to qualify for prizes and trophies. The tournament reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to deny entry to anyone for any reason. No entries will be accepted after 8:00 am on the day of fishing.

The entry fee per angler shall be $125. No cash prizes will be awarded. Entry fees will be used for the Awards Dinner and all excess revenue will be donated to a local program(s) in the North Carolina Region of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc.

2. Rules Brief: Each angler may ask questions regarding clarification of the rules to tournament personnel prior to the event at the registration table or via the email address listed on the website. There will not be a meeting prior to launch the day of the tournament. All participants in the tournament are responsible for knowing all tournament rules. Anglers may either print their own scorecard or pick one up at the registration table before launching.

3. Fishing Time: This is a one day Catch and Release tournament format. Fishing day is Saturday, October 21st, 2023. Fishing time is 8:00am until 3:00pm. No lines, teasers, chum, etc. are permitted in the water before fishing begins.

4. Rod and Reel Rules: This is a fly rod, conventional rod and reel, hook and line tournament. No trolling of any kind will be permitted. For Fly Rod Anglers, the maximum tippet allowed is 20lbs. For Conventional Rod and Reel Anglers, the maximum main line is not to exceed 30 lbs. and leader is not to exceed 20 lbs. Only artificial lures and/or flies may be used, NO use of frozen, fresh, thawed or dead bait.

5. Regulations: All vessels and anglers shall comply with North Carolina and federal fisheries laws and regulations regarding fishing licenses, vessel permits, and fishing gear.

6. Prizes: Prizes and/or trophies will be awarded to the angler that scores the most number of release points. To be considered an official release, a fish must break the plane of the boat (gunnel, transom, or bow). Nets are permitted but are not to exceed six (6) feet in length.

This is primarily a False Albacore event, and secondarily a Redfish event. In order to win a category in the tournament an angler must catch and land a False Albacore or Redfish. Only in the event no False Albacore or Redfish are caught within a category will points garnered without catching one be valid for placing.

Release points are awarded as follows:

• False Albacore On The Fly: 150 points

• False Albacore - 100 points

• Redfish - 25 points

• Spanish Mackerel- 10 points

• Bluefish - 5 points

• Speckled Trout- 5 points

In the event of a tie, the first tiebreaker will be the number of False Albacore caught by the anglers, the second tiebreaker will be the number of Redfish caught by the anglers, the third tiebreaker will be the number of Spanish Mackerel Redfish caught by the anglers, the fourth tiebreaker will be the number of Bluefish caught by the anglers, and the fifth tiebreaker will be the number of Speckled Trout caught by the angers. If at this point there is still a tie, the tie will be broken by the time of the first fish landed during the tournament.

7. Reporting: This is an honor system tournament. Released fish must be attested to by the angler on the official release form provided by the tournament committee. All release forms must be turned in no later than 5:00 pm at tournament headquarters to qualify for prizes.

8. Prize Schedule: The tournament will offer First prizes in the following categories:

• Fly Rod Angler, Conventional Rod and Reel Angler, and Youth Angler.

• No single angler can qualify for more than one primary prize category per division.

• Fly Anglers must fish exclusively with fly rods and flies. Conventional Anglers and Youth Anglers may use either.

• A youth is defined as an angler being under the age of 16 on or by the date of the tournament.

9. Refunds: Due to the nature of this event being a benefit tournament for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. no refunds will be given.

10. Protest: Any protest by any angler against the catch of another angler must be submitted in writing to the tournament rules committee no later than 6:00 pm on the day of fishing

11. Violation of Rules: Any angler violating any of these tournament rules is subject to disqualification from the tournament. By participating in the tournament all anglers acknowledge that all tournament rules are material and that disqualification is a permitted and appropriate sanction for any violation of any tournament rules. Decisions regarding the interpretation of rules, violation of rules, penalties, and the suspension of any rules or penalties will be made by the tournament rules committee and/or tournament committee in their sole and absolute discretion. All decisions by the tournament rules committee and/or tournament committee are final and are not subject to further challenge by participants.