Ryan’s 2026 Driftless Flyathlon Fundraiser

The Driftless has become one of those places that keeps pulling us back.

Over the past few years, the beauty of northeast Iowa has drawn us in more and more — enough that we eventually purchased property there and now get to spend even more time enjoying everything the area has to offer. The bluffs, winding streams, trout water, quiet roads and small towns all make it a pretty special place. And in my opinion, there may not be a better time to experience it than fall.

That is a big part of why I’m excited to participate in the 2026 Driftless Flyathlon this October at Yellow River State Forest.

The Flyathlon is a unique event that combines trail running, fly fishing and conservation. On race day, I’ll be running along Paint Creek, stopping along the way to try to catch a trout, and then continuing on to the finish. It should be equal parts challenging and fun, and I honestly can’t think of a much better setting for it than the Driftless in October.

But what really sets this event apart is what happens beyond race day.

The Driftless Flyathlon is also a fundraiser supporting coldwater conservation and trout habitat projects right here in Iowa. Over the past eight years, participants have raised more than $121,000 to help protect and improve streams throughout northeast Iowa.

Those funds have already made a real impact. The Flyathlon has contributed $21,000 toward restoration work on Paint Creek at Yellow River State Forest, with another $21,000 pledged toward a second phase of that project. Funds have also supported work on Little Paint Creek and other coldwater resources throughout the area.

Most recently, the Driftless Flyathlon donated $25,000 toward the Spring Branch Creek Project in Delaware County near the Manchester Fish Hatchery. More than 4,000 feet of Spring Branch Creek runs through that property, providing habitat for wild and stocked trout while also supplying fresh water to the hatchery where trout are raised for stocking throughout Iowa. Protecting places like this means better water quality, healthier trout populations and continued public fishing access for years to come.

That connection is what makes this fundraiser especially meaningful to me. These aren’t distant conservation projects in places I’ll never see. They’re streams, trails and landscapes that we enjoy ourselves and hope our kids and future generations will continue to enjoy.

There is something pretty magical about the Driftless — especially when the leaves start changing, the mornings get cooler and the trout streams wind through those valleys beneath the fall colors. I’m really looking forward to getting out there on October 3, running a few miles, hopefully convincing a trout to cooperate somewhere along Paint Creek, and being part of an event that gives something back to the place hosting us.

If you’d like to support my 2026 Driftless Flyathlon fundraiser, I’d truly appreciate it. Whether it’s $10, $25, $50 or more, it all contributes to protecting and improving Iowa’s coldwater streams and the incredible natural resources that make the Driftless such a special place.

Thank you for supporting me — and more importantly, for helping support the waters and wild places that make northeast Iowa what it is.