For Immediate Release
March 5, 2005
BC’s Largest Salmon Tournament Qualifies for Prestigious IGFA/Rolex Championship Series
British Columbia, Canada - The 3rd Annual Salmon Masters Tournament, hosted at three of West Coast Resorts lodges, June 1-5, 2005, has been named by the IGFA (International Game Fish Association) as a qualifying event for the 2005 IGFA/Rolex Championship Series. The Championship series attracts 108 tournaments from 37 countries representing over 20,000 anglers. The Salmon Masters Tournament is the first Canadian salmon tournament to qualify for an IGFA tournament series.
This year’s Salmon Masters Tournament will raise its stakes from last years’ $225,000 cash jackpot to $330,000 Canadian, including a grand prize of $110,000 for the biggest Chinook salmon caught. This fully-guided tournament will attract 118 contestants who will compete simultaneously at West Coast Resorts’ premier lodges; Englefield Bay and Tasu Sound in the Queen Charlotte Islands and Whale Channel located on the central coast of British Columbia. The winner of the tournament, along with a fishing partner, will be invited to participate in the 2006 IGFA/Rolex Offshore Championship Tournament in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, held in May.
Ten percent of the Salmon Masters Tournament proceeds will be donated to the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) and Make a Wish Foundation - Vancouver Chapter. Since 1997, WCR and its guests have donated over $200,000 to PSF in support of salmon conservation programs.
West Coast Resorts owns and operates four premier saltwater, and one freshwater, remote fishing lodges in British Columbia. The IGFA is a 65-year-old non-profit, membership-supported conservation organization best know for maintaining world game fish records in freshwater, saltwater, fly fusing and junior angler categories. IGFA members are located in more than 125 countries.
For more information on the 3rd Annual Salmon Masters Tournament contact West Coast Resorts at 1-800-810-8933, e-mail: [email protected], or visit www.westcoastresorts.com.