The Don Hawley Invitational Tarpon Fly Tournament (the “Tournament”) shall be governed by the following rules (the “Hawley Rules”):

GENERAL

Only fly casting will be permitted. Only artificial lures may be used. Tippet will be 12-pound manufacturer’s stated test, furnished at no charge. All teams must use the current year tippet material supplied by the Tournament.

The angler, unaided, must cast, set the hook, fight and bring the fish to where the leader can be taken. Any other person touching the reel, rod or line will disqualify entry. At no time during the Tournament can a guide cast or retrieve. An accidental touch of the fly line in an attempt to touch the leader will not disqualify a release.

Shooting, harpooning, lancing or handling a fish will disqualify the entry.

TROLLING IS NOT PERMITTED. No fly can be stripped out or fed out into a current, i.e., fly must be stripped in only.

ELECTRONIC FISH FINDERS ARE NOT ALLOWED. If a boat has one, it must be turned off. Depth finders are not considered fish finders in the Tournament.

No angler or guide may scout for fish using aircraft, including, without limitation, drones.

All anglers and guides must be approved by the Anglers Tournament Committee (the “Tournament Committee”).

The Tournament Committee reserves the right to inspect tackle and test line at any time. The Tournament Committee’s decision shall be final.

Each angler must be accompanied by a skiff or backcountry fishing guide, known as a guide for hire, licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Each boat owner and/or guide must have all applicable permits and appropriate insurance.

The Hawley Rules hereby incorporate the Fly Fishing Rules of the International Game Fish Association (the “IGFA Rules”), as they may be amended from time to time. In the event any of the IGFA Rules conflicts with any specific rule provided for herein, the Hawley Rules shall supersede the IGFA Rules. It is the responsibility of each angler and guide to know the Hawley Rules and the IGFA Rules.

Anglers Meeting attendance is mandatory. Both angler and guide may vote but must be present to vote. Anglers and/or guides competing in the Hawley that year and attending the Anglers Meeting (“Attending Participants”) may propose changes to the Hawley Rules; provided, however, that this annual meeting is the only time that proposed amendments or changes to the Hawley Rules may be made by the Attending Participants. Any proposed changes to any Hawley Rules will only be considered after an affirmative vote of a majority or more of the Attending Participants, provided that at least half of the anglers and guides competing that year must be in attendance at the Anglers Meeting. If a majority vote of the Attending Participants is achieved, a committee established to consider and approve rules changes (the “Rules Committee”) will review the proposed change(s) and, only after an affirmative two-thirds (2/3) or more vote of all of the members of the Rules Committee, will the change(s) be adopted. Consideration and vote by the Rules Committee shall occur prior to the following year’s invitations being issued.

The members of the Tournament Committee and the Rules Committee shall be appointed by and serve at the discretion of the Chairman of the Hawley and may be replaced at any time, in his or her sole discretion.

The Chairman of the Tournament shall be elected annually by the Attending Participants.

An angler and a guide may be members of the same family provided that the Tournament Committee has approved such pairing in advance.

Traditional courtesy on the water and gentlemanly conduct should be observed at all times.

Sportsmanship will be the key to making any decision not clearly covered by the Hawley Rules.

Any angler or guide found to have knowingly or willfully violated any of the Hawley Rules, including, without limitation, the IGFA Rules, or failed to behave in a sportsmanlike manner may be disqualified from the Tournament and/or not invited to return in the future.

Any team may fish Craig Key provided that the obligations of traditional courtesy on the water, gentlemanly conduct and sportsmanship shall apply to such spot as they do to any other spot.

TERRITORY, START AND TIME LIMIT

1. OFFICIAL HEADQUARTERS: Lorelei, Islamorada
   b. Anglers must sign the starting ledger at headquarters each morning.
   c. Failure to sign in before departure shall result in a 150 point penalty. Departure will be staggered by teams with one team leaving at 5:45 A.M. The remaining teams shall depart in two-minute intervals thereafter, beginning at 6:00 A.M. All boats must depart from and return to Tournament Headquarters. No trailering to different launch sites is permitted.
   d. Anglers cannot leave Tournament Headquarters earlier than 5:45 A.M.
   e. The clock at headquarters will be used as the official time piece for departure times and the score sheet return time each day.
   f. Any boat without properly functioning running lights will be prohibited from leaving the dock until 6:30 A.M.

Fishing may begin immediately.

Fishing will end at 3:00 P.M., i.e., lines out at 3:00 P.M. EXCEPTIONS: A fish hooked before 3:00 P.M. will be accepted regardless of time required to release the fish.

All anglers must report back to headquarters by 5:00 P.M. Signed score sheets must be turned in by

5:00 P.M. daily. If an angler fails to submit a signed score sheet by 5:00 P.M. on the day of fishing, the angler will not receive points for fish caught that day. If a form without points is submitted after 5:00 P.M. or not at all, a 150-point penalty will be assessed. The Tournament Committee may, in its sole discretion, waive this rule in case of breakdown or unusual circumstance.

TACKLE SPECIFICATIONS

Only one-handed rods and single-action reels designed specifically for fly casting will be eligible. The butt length (including any extensions) may not exceed 15.24 centimeters (6 inches) when measured from the center of the reel foot to the end of the butt. The rod may not be altered after a fish is hooked.

Leaders shall not exceed 15 feet. It shall contain not less than 15 inches, between the knots, of Tournament Committee-approved tippet material. The shock tippet, consisting of nonmetallic or metallic material and an overall length not exceeding 12 inches, including the knots, must be tied directly to approved tippet.

Lures must be single hook construction only and the hook must not exceed 2.75 inches overall.

RELEASE FORMAT

To count as a release, any tarpon caught must be at least four feet (48 inches) long. If necessary, its length should be verified with the four-foot stick provided in the scoring packet, measured along the side of the fish (lateral line) from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail.

Motors must be disengaged at time of release.

At the discretion of the guide, motors may be used to fight a fish.

At the discretion of the guide, motors may be used to return to position after fighting a fish.

Motors cannot be used to intercept fish before casting.

Electric motors may not be used at any time for any purpose.

Traditional courtesy on the water and gentlemanly conduct should be observed at all times.

A release occurs only when the guide grabs the line below the knot connecting the fly line to the butt section of the leader.

SCORING

12-pound tippet – 1,000 points per release.

GREIVANCES, COMPLAINTS, DISPUTES AND DISAGREEMENTS

In the event of any grievances, complaints, disputes or disagreements (“Complaints”), the Tournament Committee’s decision shall be final. All Complaints must be submitted in writing by 5:00 P.M. to the Tournament Committee on the day of the event causing, resulting in or leading or giving rise to the Complaint. Oral or anonymous Complaints or those filed after 5:00 pm will not be considered. Any public gossip, e.g., at the bar, a restaurant or otherwise, regarding any Complaint shall be deemed unsportsmanlike conduct.