One million dollar trout competition

On Labor Day Weekend, (Sept. 3-4-5), the Mammoth Lakes Visitors Bureau and the Hot Creek Hatchery Foundation in partnership with the Mammoth Art Guild will feature a Fine Art Festival, various games, live entertainment, trout cooking demonstrations and a Million Dollar Trout Competition.

During that weekend, 100 tagged Alpers Trout will be planted proportionately in Lake George, Lake Mamie, Lake Mary and Upper and Lower Twin Lakes, all in the Mammoth Lakes Basin.

Any registered angler who catches one of those tagged trout will be entered in the Grand Prize Drawing.

In the event that no tagged trout is caught, the anglers who caught the 10 largest trout (by weight) will be entered in the drawing.

One name will be selected from that group for a shot at a Million Dollars.

40 envelopes will be presented to the lucky winner, who then has to open them, one at a time, until he/she receives five (5) with the same messages.

Those messages could be $1 million, $100,000, $10,000 or a "Smiley Face."

The Smiley Face represents a three-day fishing vacation in Mammoth Lakes, including lodging, meals, fly fishing lessons, PLUS an inflatable boat and 8-horsepower motor, with a total value of over $8,000.

All other anglers in the drawing will win prize packages including weekend lodging packages in Mammoth Lakes, Albackore Backcountry tackle boxes/backpacks, Penn Rods and Reels, free luxury fishing vacations and lots more.

The registration fee is $20 per person ($10 of that will be earmarked as a donation to the Hot Creek Hatchery Foundation).

The fee includes one raffle ticket for a drawing for a boat/motor/trailer package valued at $10,000, mini tackle box, coupons for discounts at Mammoth Lakes stores, coupons for special fishing adventures in and around California, "tons" of samples from bait and tackle manufacturers, a waterproof fishing license holder and a tax deductible receipt for your $10 donation to the Hot Creek Hatchery Foundation.

You can register by going to website www.visitmammoth.com or by calling the Mammoth Lakes Visitors Bureau at (888) GO MAMMOTH.