The annual Five Rivers Challenge is always a fun time for the competitors and for us to put together. This year’s competition wrapped up with a win by Chad Alderson and Josh Udesen (who is now a two time 5RC champion!) guided by Andrew Rossow. All teams crushed it on the third day of the 5 Rivers Challenge, netting a collective 2,449 fish inches across the five rivers. It was a tight race with only 124.5 total fish inches separating the top three teams.
???? First place went to returning champ Josh Udesen and partner Chad Alderson who reeled in 513″ on day three where they fished the Pit and Hat Creek. Josh netted 29 fish on the Pit alone. Their three-day total came in at 123 fish and 1,356 fish inches.
???? Second place went to David Moser and Steve Johnson, who had an epic day on the Upper Sac and McCloud. They netted 117 fish over the three days for a total of 1,246.5 fish inches
???? Third place went to Brent Ryhlick and David Merisko with 1,231.5 total fish inches and 109 fish caught.
(See below for all final scores.)
A few other competition highlights:
This is the 4th year of the event’s resurrection which originated back in 1998 by CalTrout Board Member Dick Galland. Today the 5RC has continued to serve as a fun competition and also a great way to support CalTrout and learn about our work while fishing the great wild trout waters of Northern California. All contest proceeds go to benefitting CalTrout’s work to ensure resilient wild fish thriving in healthy waters for a better California.
We look forward to making this a staple event and continue to raise awareness of these pristine ecological areas. Each of the five rivers (Fall, Pit, McCloud, Upper Sac rivers and Hat Creek) is one of the original waters in the California Wild Trout Program and has anglers testing the versatility of their skills on the varied rivers.
Thank you to our participants who came out for a fun time and to support CalTrout’s work restoring California’s native fisheries. As always, incredible thanks to Michelle, owner of Clearwater Lodge, for the amazing accommodations and meals.
Cheers to another great 5RC! We’re already planning the next one for 2020… Challenge dates will be in late September. Look out for an announcement in August 2020.
Big thanks to our photographers Mike Wier and Val Atkinson for capturing the fun. (More photos of theirs below.)
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Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.