RMA Home

Discussed and passed by the Rocky Mountain Anglers membership at the April 14, 2009 meeting:

Statement of RMA position opposing money tournaments that skirt the letter of DWR fishing contest rules

Organizations that conduct fishing tournaments for monetary gain have a responsibility to our fisheries, anglers and the public. This does not change just because the details of these contests, such as maximum number of contestants and prize money, lie slightly outside the letter of the DWR fishing contest rules. RMA emphatically opposes tournaments and angling organizations that subvert the spirit of the DWR fishing contest rules by conducting tournaments, for money or other value consideration such as prizes, which are designed to narrowly avoid inclusion in the letter of the law. By operating narrowly outside the rules, these tournament organizations avoid the paperwork, fees and scrutiny that legitimate tournament organizations are bound by, which also creates an unfair advantage over legitimate tournament organizers who play by the rules. In RMA’s opinion, this type of situation demonstrates a lack of responsibility, and we discourage our members and our friends from supporting fishing contests that conduct themselves in this way. In addition, we encourage the DWR to explore ways to modify the fishing contest rules to eliminate this abuse and still maintain the original intent of the rules.

Statement of RMA policy in support of retailers