If you are a returning customer or long time reader of our blog series, you have no doubt caught the snippets, coverage, and excitement of the Mile High 25 On The Fly Tournament over the years. As we approach our 8th annual fly fishing tournament meets scavenger hunt event we along with the team at 25 On The Fly are thankful for all the support and excited to make this year the best yet. It is hard to believe we are approaching a decade of hosting this fun event!
What is the Mile High 25?
In case you’re not already familiar with the Mile High 25, let us bring you up to speed. This event is a fly fishing tournament, meets scavenger hunt. The goal is for each team to earn points by catch-video-releasing as many fish on the species list as possible, and complete as many team challenges as possible in just two days on the water! Anglers will use a custom phone video app called Cinebody to record and send in their catches. Success in this event depends on a mix of teamwork, strategy and species/location knowledge. The winning team will have a solid plan and a bit of luck to boot!
It’s perhaps the most fun you can have in two days of fishing! Mile High 25 teams may travel anywhere in the state of Colorado and fly fish any public water in search of the 25 species. Of course all Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulations apply. It can be a wild two days, traveling from bass ponds, to beaver ponds, rivers, lakes and reservoirs, all in search of Colorado’s varied fish species on the fly.
This year the event will be held the weekend of June 17th and 18th 2023. A Saturday and Sunday fly fishing blitz that will for sure be one of the highlights of your summer. Be sure to call up your favorite fishing partner, or at least the one who knows where to catch a catfish on a fly and lock in the weekend on your calendar!
John, a tournament veteran, chimes in on his experiences, "I think the Mile High 25 is more than just a two day tournament. It's more of a multi-week tactical endeavor scoping water, chasing species and strategizing a plan of attack which inevitably is thrown out the window. The planning culminates in a two day adventure that is easily the highlight of the summer and something we look forward to every year. Some of the best memories are meeting up with buddies afterwards and swapping tales of triumphs, failures and everything in between!"
The top 3 teams overall, as well as the team challenge winners will be up for some killer prizes this year from our presenting sponsor, Orvis, as well as supporting sponsors; Bajio, Scientific Anglers, Fulling Mill, Riversmith, NRS, GoPro, onWater and Flylords. And a big thank you to Odell Brewery for hosting our awards ceremony.
What is different for the 2023 Event?
For those of you who have competed before, or have been following along, there are a few changes to this year's event. The first change will be registration. You will find registration HERE on the 25 On The Fly website. All team sign ups must be done through this link. You can sign up for both you and your teammate, or pay separately.
Check out the species list! We have made some changes to it this year. A new arrival to the 25, is Koi. They won’t be hard to spot, but catching them will be a different story! Splake has been removed due to the fact that juvenile Splake are very hard to distinguish from a Brook Trout and Lake Trout.
This year the scoring has changed as well. For 2023 it will be points over species. This means that researching, planning and catching fish of higher point values will help you climb the leaderboard! There will be team challenges also worth points, but make no mistake, the winning team this year will still have to catch a serious amount of species to take the win! Read up on the rules HERE.
Giving Back
The Mile High 25 has always been about putting alternative species on the radar of fly anglers and getting those anglers out of their comfort zone! An amazing byproduct of this is that the trout in our waters get a rest at the same time, as anglers are out chasing other species. Looking for many of these warm water fish also spreads out anglers and introduces them to new waters. But, many of these river systems have not been taken care of the way Colorado’s Gold Medal Waters have.
This year Blake & Davis from 25 On The Fly with the help of all Mile High 25 teams have named Denver Trout Unlimited the benefactor of a conservation donation to continue their work on cleaning up the Denver South Platte. 25 On The Fly has a goal to raise $5000 using team registrations to make this contribution. A portion of every sign up will go directly to DTU!
Tournament Weekend Itinerary
Thursday June 15th - We are bringing back the opening party! Join us at Anglers All from 3pm to 6pm to pick up team swag bags and control items. We will also discuss final questions about the event, the rules and dial in the Cinebody App. Oh, and enjoy wings, beers, and 15% off gear at the shop.
Friday June 16th - For those who couldn’t make the kick off party, swing by anytime on Friday to pick up your swag bag and control item. Registration will close at 6pm.
Saturday June 17th - Time to FISH! Start fishing and scoring species at 6am. Lines out of the water at 8pm.
Sunday June 18th - Day Two! Get a 6am start and make sure lines are out by 3pm. By 4pm ALL video submissions must be in to allow the judges to set the final scores. The closing party and award ceremony will be held at Odell Brewing. Time TBD.
We know, it’s a lot of information, but we hope you are excited and a game plan is already forming in your mind. Please reach out to us with any questions you have, blake@anglersall.com or 303-794-1104. And review the RULES HERE, as well as click here to REGISTER.
