CarpSlam

Since 2007, Denver Trout Unlimited has hosted the CarpSlam, Carp on the fly tournament. CarpSlam is our annual fundraiser for river restoration. It is an internationally recognized tournament to catch and release carp in the Denver South Platte River, which has resulted in over $225,000 going to South Platte River pollution protections and restorations.

Learn more at Carpslam.org

What it is

The South Platte Pro-Am Carp Slam randomly pairs professional and amateur anglers to compete with artificial flies (no scents) to catch and release this elusive, skittish, and highly intelligent fish. Landing one of these fish, that can go to 30 inches and weigh 20 pounds, can take a skilled angler 45 minutes. For each session pro and amateur anglers will alternate fishing for 30 minutes segments or until a carp has been caught, similar to drift boat customs.

Why we do it

We have been working with the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District for several years studying how the Carson
Nature Center’s reach of the South Platte can be enhanced to support a better native fish population, recreational fishery and riparian habitat. Funds gathered from Carp Slam
are used to benefit our home river and surrounding fisheries.

Why you should care

The Denver South Platte River is right in
the backyard of Denverites. It is considered
a gold medal western trout river on the
eastern slope of Colorado and there are trails alongside it for recreational activities including biking, walking and running. Denver is one of the only major cities with this luxury and it needs to be protected.