Flyathlons are more fun than triathlons!

Hey friends!

I've never been to Iowa, not even for a flight layover. So, when the opportunity came up to go and combine two of my favorite activities, running and fly fishing, while helping conserve the local watershed, I jumped at it. 

The Flyathlon brings the epic combo of fly fishing and trail running to Northeastern Iowa with the goal of raising money to protect, conserve, and restore native fish ecosystems through recreation. This event consists of a 5-mile trail run, with opportunities to catch rainbow trout, brown trout, and the Iowa native brook trout. The idea is to catch, measure (with the provided ruler), photograph, and release a fish before finishing the race. Every inch of fish reduces your total time by two minutes. 

This year’s flyathon fund raising project is going to protect the Spring Branch Creek.

    - Spring Branch Creek runs through Paint Creek Park and provides premier fishing opportunities for wild and stocked trout. This project area buffers the "middle" and "lower" spring sources that supply about 1000 gallons per minute of fresh water to the hatchery where trout are produced for stocking across Iowa. 

    - Iowa DNR Fisheries Biologists have found that Spring Branch has one of the best populations of wild brown trout in Iowa with exceptional large trout. The stream also has native brook trout and slimy sculpin; a species of greater conservation needs. 

    - Protection of this upland and floodplain will help improve the quality of water flowing through the hatchery and maintain existing fishing access on the 3/4-mile stretch that flows through the property. 

Please join me in helping to fundraise and protect these waterways.

Thanks for your support!