Iowa Driftless Classic an Area First

DECORAH — The Iowa Driftless Chapter of Trout Unlimited has announced the Iowa Driftless Classic. This event is the first ever fly fishing tournament on public land in northeast Iowa. The event has been set for September 14, 2024, and will begin at the Chuck Gipp Decorah Fish Hatchery, located at 2321 Siewers Spring Rd, Decorah, Iowa. 52101. The Fish Hatchery is located along Trout Run in the Driftless, minutes from many of the best coldwater trout streams in Northeast Iowa. The entry fee is $200 per team ($100 per person). An entry fee includes an anglers tournament registration, dinner, drink tickets and more. For the Classic, two-person team tournaments will participate in a semi-virtual competition described as "Catch, Picture, Release," and will use the online platform Fish Donkey App. A shotgun start will kick off the tournament and give anglers eight hours (8 a.m.- 4 p.m.) to strategically explore any of Northeast Iowa's publicly-accessible fishable streams and rivers. This format will provide anglers with the flexibility to fish from a variety of waterways, or catch all of their trout from a single body of water. County trout fishing guides with detailed stream maps and descriptions are available upon request. The target fish for this event will be rainbow, brown and brook trout. This tournament rewards winnings in the form of gifts. The winnings will be distributed after the event during the awards ceremony portion of dinner, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. Rewards include over $3,500 worth of non-cash prizes. For more information, a full list of rules and to register, visit the Iowa Driftless Classic website. Join the community of savvy subscribers (for free)! Get the latest updates, tips, and insider information by subscribing to the free newsletter today.