HANCOCK, NY — The kickoff party for the seventh annual One Bug fly-fishing contest on the Upper Delaware River will be held on Friday, April 25. The trout-fishing tournament is the biggest fundraising event of the year for Friends of the Upper Delaware River (FUDR), a nonprofit group that advocates on behalf of the river, its residents and the businesses that depend on it.

The One Bug catch-and-release fishing contest is modeled after the One Fly tournament held each year in Jackson Hole. Each fly-fisher is allowed just one fly (bug) per day. Contestants who lose their fly can continue fishing, but any fish they catch doesn’t score in the tournament. Nineteen teams are entered in the contest, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 26 and 27.

“The kickoff party Friday night is a chance for the teams and their guides to share a drink, a meal and a lot of laughs,” said Dan Plummer, board chairman of FUDR. “And it’s always a great mixer for all of us who love the river. It’s open to the public, and everyone is invited.”

The event begins at 7 p.m. under a tent decorated by Plummer and friends with an outdoor theme at Fireman’s Park on the river in Hancock. Tickets ($100 each) can be purchased at www.fudr.org/blog/one-bug. The price includes hors d’oeuvres, dinner and an open bar.

The Friday night party also features raffles, door prizes, and silent and live auctions on dozens of items, including guided fishing and hunting trips, wine, outdoor gear and original artwork.

All funds raised by FUDR go back into the community for projects such as local stream restoration, river cleanups, and the fight for a more sustainable water release plan.

“All of FUDR’s priority projects hold the welfare of both the river and our communities as equally important,” said Jeff Skelding, FUDR executive director. “We are developing increasingly productive relationships with elected officials in the upper Delaware watershed and are working collaboratively to improve the local economy by protecting the river.”