A while back I sent an email to Jack Vitek, the World Records Coordinator for the International Game Fish Association. I was inquiring about the "Trout Royal Slam" that I had read about in an issue of International Angler. Apparently, the IGFA recognizes several "slams" or "clubs" including the "10 lb Bass Club", several Grand Slams, and a few Royal Slams. The Trout Royal Slam consists of catching and documenting a brook, brown, bull, cutthroat, golden, lake and rainbow trout in one's lifetime and currently the IGFA recognizes 28 members of this club. The first thing that came to my mind was the fact that all of these species can be found in this great State of Montana. I inquired whether or not anyone had done it in one calendar year, wanting to be the first. Alas, four people already had, and Jack presumed that at least one of those four did it exclusively on the fly.
So, after getting my hopes up for being the first to accomplish this feat in one year, and in true Rube Goldberg fashion, I decided to make things a little harder than they really had to be. Now, don't get me wrong, catching all seven of these species in one year is a daunting task, but not nearly as difficult as it would be if I lived in Amarillo.
For 2013:
- Obtain the IGFA Trout Royal Slam;
- Fully document each catch by video or photo;
- Catch each fish on the fly;
- Catch each fish in the State of Montana;
- Catch all fish within one calendar year; and
- Catch all the fish for the Slam on flies that I tied myself.
I started this little blog to document my journey to catch a fish for each calendar day of the year, and I've done a horrible job of keeping up with things. While my journal is still getting some use, I have yet to put any of the entries into a form that would be interesting to you the reader. I have decided that the lofty, long term goal of a fish for each day of the year, while I'm still pursuing it, is a little broad for consistent content. So, I'm breaking things up a bit. Let's say the 366 idea is a "10 Year Goal". I should also think of a 5 year goal, 3 year, and so on and so forth. I'll start with a one year goal for 2013, and that is the IGFA Trout Royal Slam. While I don't have to catch all of the fish within one year, I'm sure going to try to overcome the hardest obstacle for somebody like me...remembering to document the fish properly as per IGFA specifications....with a few "rules" of my own. If anyone would care to join me, feel free. The race starts in January. Until then, tight lines, sharp hooks, tough flies and tougher fish.
To learn more visit www.IGFA.org.
