Club tourney is Thursday, Sept. 18: We'll crown the club's top angler!

NEWCOMERS NOTE:  Be there!  This is one of our biggest social events of the year, the only official competition between club members.

Okay, last year's annual club tournament was a washout, a victim of the September floods.  So Norm Engelbrecht has kept the revolving Grand Champion Trophy for two years, after catching the biggest stringer of four trout at the 2012 competition at Flatiron Reservoir.  You can rip it right out of his hands, by catching the four biggest trout at the annual competition, that runs from noon to 8 a.m. Thursday.  Norm will do the cooking this year, at the free picnic that follows the competition.

Here are directions and other information about the lake, a part of Larimer County Parks and Open Space.  The county charges a daily entrance fee, so if you don't have excess cash or a sticker, get with someone who does.  I'll be at the southeast corner of the K-Mart parking lot myself, departing for Flatiron no later than 7:15 a.m.

Prizes for this fourth-annual event will be awarded for biggest fish, biggest stringer, and second-and third-biggest stringer.  The limit on trout is four.  Prizes for first, second and third are $50, $30 and $20.

The rules are pretty simple:  There's no wading and no boating at Flatiron, and we can only fish with one pole at a time.  And you can only use one lure or hook at a time - so if you must try worms, corn and Gulp! simultaneously, bring a big hook.

2012 winners:  Norm Engelbrecht, with trophy; with
 2012 President Dave Boyle, left, Mike Scheber and Bob Rummel.