Congratulations to Ben Roussel of Baton Rouge, LA and Chris Williams of Sorrento, LA as the first two FFI members to qualify for the FFI Gulf Coast Council’s Suncatch Challenge Award. Each will recieve a personalized mug recognizing their achievement, and both will also qualify for an additional award. Quite an accomplishment for both considering the project kicked off April 1st of this past year.
The Suncatch Challenge is an initiative by the GCC to highlight the value of species diversity among sunfish, and the importance of conserving their individual habitats. It mimics the Fly Fishers International Cutcatch and Basscatch Projects in that it encourages FFI members to document the different species they catch and release. And in return, receive recognition for those fish.
It’s not a contest – you are competing only against the fish. There are no time limits. There is no entry fee, only that you be an active FFI member. All fish must be caught on fly rod, on single hook flies and in public waters. Photograph the fish, and register the catch on our website form.
Sixteen (16) species found in the waters of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and northwest Florida were selected for focus. To qualify for the Suncatch Award, an FFI member must catch at least nine (9) of the species. Catch all 16 and that member qualifies for the “Suncatch Master” Award and an additional award.
With Spring approaching, now is the best time to prepare for the Challenge. Catching many species of sunfish requires identifying the home waters for each species, and a bit of luck. For more info, including complete rules, click on our Suncatch page. And for our members on Facebook, follow along by joining our Suncatch Challenge group.
