While we’ve been biding our time waiting for prime smolt season as well as delivery of a very special prize, the time is nigh: Smoltiers of the world unite — our popular Smolt of The Month contest is back! We are going to go ahead and kick start SMOTM, brought to you by Kleen Kanteen, for July right now.

Send us your small, your tiny, and your barely perceptible. The rules are simple: The fish must be small and it must be fly caught. Past winner’s include bass, flats snappers and goldfish. Yes, goldfish.

Our first entry is conscripted from Chris Schalz, who originally entered his bass in our friends from Moldy Chum‘s Slab of The Month contest — which is a clear and blatant rip-off of Smolt of The Month, but it’s cool.

Chris notes: “This gigantic Ohio hog fell for a size 8 cranefly nymph, and after an epic battle that lasted almost 2 seconds, we finally got this beast to hand. Still, that has to be some kind of record for Bass, right?”

Right.

The prize for July is a limited edition FFJ engraved Kleen Kanteen, appropriate for either whiskey and water, or water and water. Winner will also receive a subscription to FFJ, including a fine T shirt, and a super fine boat sticker

Send your entries in jpeg format, 350K or less in size, to SMOTM@theflyfishjournal.com

There have been some questions preceding this latest contest; things like: So, can I submit a beta caught out of my tank? Yes. A koi from the Reiki spa? Definitely. A fingerling poached from a hatchery containment pond? Not officially. Does laundry lint count as fly material? Obviously. See, it’s all quite clear.

And while we like the contest’s title, anyone suspected of wild smolt molestation, rather than incidental or non-sensitive species, will be lableled as a Smolt Molester and will be subject to all due attendant shame and humiliation.

Good luck smolt nation.

SMOTM July 2011 prize — limited edition FFJ-Kleen Kanteen colab (in brushed or polished finishes), plus FFJ subscription, T shirt and boat sticker.