Vermejo Park Flyathlon

Because of our strong dedication to the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, we have been granted access to hold this inaugural race in the Costilla drainage of Ted Turner’s iconic Vermejo Park Ranch. This “race” is actually a celebration of the Rio Grande cutthroat trout and the incredible efforts that have been undertaken to ensure that it remains on this planet, including the decade long efforts in the Rio Costilla watershed.

Participants must finish the picturesque course, catch and release a Rio Grande cutthroat trout along the way, and then their final score is finish time adjusted by a “fish bonus” calculated using the size of a single fish.

A delicious BBQ and plenty of craft beer and spirits will be served on Saturday night after the race, and space for camping will be available all weekend. Prizes from our awesome sponsors will be awarded in multiple categories (e.g. top fundraisers, race winners, and biggest / smallest fish). The course at the Lake Fork is approximately 10 miles (more if you wander around fishing a lot) with about 240 feet of vertical gain.

From the starting line at the field in which participants camp, the course runs down a dirt road which parallels the incredible Lake Fork of the Gunnison River, which is loaded with rainbow trout, brown trout, and the occasional migrating Kokanee salmon and/or resident sucker.