Rules
Tournament Day: Saturday, August 9th, 2024
Captains Meeting: Friday, August 8th Private Hangar inside Pearland Municipal Airport – 6:00pm
Hangar Address - 17808 Airfield Lane Pearland, Texas 77581
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Weigh-Ins: Private Pearland Municipal Airport Hangar - 17808 Airfield Lane Pearland, Texas 77581
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Pre-Tournament "Captain’s" Meeting: Tournament registration for The Black Fly Affair will be Friday, August 8th, at 6:00pm. A pre-tournament meeting will be held following registration. At least one member of each team shall attend the pre-tournament Captain's meeting. Both anglers must sign waivers before launching.
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Fishing Times: Tournament day will be on August 9th. Start time will be announced at the Captain’s meeting, approximately safe light. Lines out is 2pm. Drive or fly to the weigh-in as long as your team is in line by 6pm.
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All decisions made by the tournament director and/or tournament officials will be final in all matters. The tournament director and/or the tournament officials can make a change when the safety of a contestant is in question or by a unanimous decision by the tournament committee. Any changes to the rules will be posted on the website
-RULES-
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Each participant ("contestant") must read and acknowledge the following rules and indicate so by signing an entry form by signing each team members name during check-out. A "team" shall consist of two contestants.
1) Applicable Laws: Federal, State and Local laws shall be obeyed by contestants at all times. Contestants fishing in Texas waters shall adhere to the local and state laws (Same goes for Louisiana waters). Violation of any federal, state and/or local laws shall result in the disqualification of the individual and their team from the Black Fly Affair and may disqualify (at the discretion of the Black Fly Affair officials) the individual and their team from the entire series.
2) Tournament Eligibility: Contestants under 18 years old must fish with their legal guardian as their teammate, or another adult approved by the minor’s legal guardian. The Black Fly Affair reserves the right to refuse membership and participation in any event to any individual and/or team at the discretion of the tournament committee.
3) Sportsmanship: The Black Fly Affair participants are expected to follow the highest standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and ethics. Unsportsmanlike and unethical conduct will result in disqualification (at the tournament committee’s discretion). Please refer to the Texas Boating Safety Rules.
4) Permitted Tournament Fishing Waters: Open to all public water anywhere. Contestants may fish in any public water accessible by boat. Contestants shall not fish in any area which has been "closed" by a governmental agency. Wade fishing is not allowed.Participants are not allowed to fish within 150 feet (50 yards) of another anchored boat unless they are invited in by the team. An anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by an anchor, a weight, push pole, Power-Pole, or other "anchoring" mechanism. If a team invites another team into their 50-yard area, any tournament participant is also allowed within the waived area. Range finder and picture of boat behind range finder is the best way to bring this sort of protest to light. The boat anchored in an area first has the right to 150-feet radius of the area.
5) Permitted Fishing Methods: All tournament fish shall be taken by flyrod, flyreel, and one of the (3) black flies provided by The Black Fly Affair, only. The only flies eligible to be fished are the (3) black flies provided to teams by The Black Fly Affair at the Captain's meeting. Contestants shall not "harass" fish, to include such antics as "burning" or corralling of schools with a boat. Prior to and during the tournament, contestants shall not "cork" or otherwise mark fish or schools of fish for identification for the purposes of locating fish during tournament hours.
6) Polygraphs: By signature on the official tournament entry form, each contestant agrees to a polygraph test and be bound by its interpreted results and conclusions. A polygraph test will be administered to the top team before all winners are announced.
7) Insurance and Liability: Each boat entered into The Black Fly Affair shall have liability insurance coverage to be maintained throughout the entirety of the event fished. It is the responsibility of the boat owner to carry liability insurance covering the vessel. All tournament participants are required to sign a waiver absolving all tournament officials, officers, participants, sponsors and co-sponsors from any responsibility for damage or personal injury sustained as a result of the contestant’s participation in the tournament or its related activities, and the contestant’s signature on this form shall constitute an alternate release in the instance the member fails to sign the official DECLARATION, WAIVER, RELEASE, AND HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT.
9) Communication: Is not allowed with tournament contestants during tournament hours.
10) Entry Fees, Tournament Registration and Identification: The entry fee for each event is $350.00 per, two person team.
11) Boat, Motor and Horsepower Regulations: All water crafts are accepted during The Black Fly Affair including a kayak, canoe or any size motor boat as long as both team members are in the vessel at all times. Each motor boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment. If your vessel has a motor, it must be equipped with an operatable ignition kill switch. The kill switch device must be attached to the driver's body anytime the combustion engine is operating. Anytime the combustion engine is operating and in gear, there must be a driver in the driver's seat in full control of the boat.
12) Safety: Safe boating will be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to properly wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved, personal floatation device anytime the combustion engine is engaged. Tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions. The decision to shorten or to cancel will be left totally to the discretion of the tournament director/committee. It is the competitor’s responsibility to communicate with the Tournament Director if cancellation of the event is suspected. Cancellations will be communicated via The Black Fly Affair’s Instagram page or text message. If conditions are not safe on the tournament day, The Black Fly Affair reserves the right to reschedule the tournament on the following day (Sunday). If conditions are not favorable the following day (Sunday), an alternate date will be reset.
13) Tackle and Equipment: Only the (3) black flies provided by The Black Fly Affair may be used. No live bait, dead bait or prepared bait will be permitted. Chumming or scrapping of barnacles is not permitted. No special attractants, juices or flavorings may be applied to the fly. Only one rod and reel may be used at any one time per angler.
14) Fish: A team’s tournament length will consist of TWO (2) red drum ("redfish"), One (1) Black Drum and One (1) Sheephead measuring anywhere between 0 inch and no more than 30 inches, in length, each. the official measuring device will be available at the Captain's meeting.
15) Scoring: Tournament standings, auxiliary awards and final winners shall be determined by the total length of each team’s catch during the tournament consisting of TWO (2) redfish, One (1) black drum and One (1) sheephead measured in inches. This is a catch/photo/release tournament and each team will need to download the “TimeStamp” app on their phone to record pictures that will be turned into the tournament officials during the weigh-in. Each photo must have the Black Fly in the photo as a marker to qualify and have the “TimeStamp”.
16) Ties: If two or more teams have identical length in the tournament, the team who caught their fish first indicated on the “TimeStamp” app photos first will break the tie.
18) Permission to be filmed for television: All participants agree to be filmed, photographed, taped, interviewed, quoted or otherwise revealed, without compensation, by The Black Fly Affair. This includes but is not limited to the official photographers, writers, hosts, or sponsors of this event under the conditions authorized by The Black Fly Affair organizers. Each contestant, by his/her signature affixed below, hereby gives The Black Fly Affair, and its assignees, the right to use (without compensation) the contestant’s name, picture, likeness, quotes, and biographical information, whether audio or visual, before, during and after the period of an individual or team participation in an event.
19) Drones: No Drones can be flown during the tournament day.
20) Refunds: No refunds will be given. You may transfer your spot to another team with approval from The Black Fly Affair.