NEWS & STORIES
All You Need to Know: The PHWFF Rod Building Competition
Now in its 14th year, the National Fly Rod Building Competition is focused on expanding the therapeutic experience for disabled veterans participating in PHWFF programs by giving them the experience of building their own fly rods to further their physical and mental rehabilitation through the sport of fly fishing. The program also has a fun competition component which gives participants the chance to win prizes for their rod building abilities.
Are you looking for more answers about the 14th Annual PHWFF Fly Rod Building Competition? Look no further! We’ve outlined all you need to know below.
The 14th Annual PHWFF Fly Rod Building Competition is underway! The submission round opens on August 1 and runs until October 17, 2022. During this time period PHWFF participants can submit their fly rod builds as entries in the competition. We are excited to see all of their beautiful and innovative fly rods.
The first of four (4) Public Voting Rounds in the 14th Annual PHWFF Fly Rod Building Competition begins on October 21, 2021 and the final round will conclude on December 5, 2021. During this time period three (3) separate public judging rounds will take place for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Categories (full schedule is below) and you can cast your vote and celebrate the tremendous fly rod building talents of our PHWFF veteran participants.
Category 1: Beginner
- Public Judging Round: October 21 – 27, 2022
- Finals Round: October 28 – November 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: November 2, 2022
Category 2: Intermediate
- Public Judging Round: November 2 – 8, 2022
- Finals Round: November 9 – 13, 2022
- Winner Announced: November 14, 2022
Category 3: Advanced
- Public Judging Round: November 14 – 20, 2022
- Finals Round: November 21 – 25, 2022
- Winner Announced: November 26, 2022
Category 4: Veteran Ambassador
- Public Judging Round: November 26 – December 2, 2022
- Finals Round: December 3 – 7, 2022
- Winner Announced: December 8, 2022
What is the PHWFF Fly Rod Building Competition? The Project Healing Waters Fly Rod Building Competition is an annual program focused on expanding the therapeutic experience for PHWFF disabled veterans participants by giving them the opportunity to showcase their fly rod building skills and creativity in a fun contest. The competition features two rounds of judging: a public round and a finals round.
Who can submit fly rods? Only individuals who meet the definitions of a registered PHWFF participant were eligible to enter fly rods in the competition.
When can fly rods be entered? The submission period runs from August 1 – October 18, 2021. Entries must be submitted by 11:59pm eastern standard time on October 16, 2021. Professional or sponsored fly rod builders are not eligible to participate.
What are the National Rod Building Competition Categories?
- Category 1: Beginner The focus of this category is to create an understanding of what it takes to build a functional fly rod and is for participants who have never built a fly rod. Participants in this category will build a fly rod of the choice with blank, thread and components purchased from any of the fly rod building vendors listed in the PHWFF Equipment Ordering Guide. The total cost at discounted price for all fly rod builds must be under $150 per participant. Participants are permitted to use thread colors of their choice. Wrapping, inlay techniques and custom grips are permitted.
- Category 2 (Intermediate): This category is for participants who are building their 2nd or 3rd fly rod. Participants in this category will build a fly rod of their choice with blank, thread and components purchased from any of the fly rod building vendors listed in the PHWFF Equipment Ordering Guide. The total cost at discounted price for all fly rod builds must be under $200 per participant. Participants are permitted to use thread colors of their choice. Wrapping, inlay techniques and custom grips are permitted.
- Category 3 (Advanced): The focus of this category is to design, order, and build a functional fly rod while displaying advanced techniques. This category is for participants who are building their 4th fly rod or more. Participants in this category will build a fly rod of their choice with blank, thread and components purchased from any of the fly rod building vendors listed in the PHWFF Equipment Ordering Guide. The total cost at discounted price for all fly rod builds must be under $250 per participant. There are no technique restrictions in this category.
- Category 4 (Veteran Ambassador): This category is for individuals registered as both active participants and active volunteer with an active PHWFF program.
When can I vote? The first of 4 Public Voting Rounds of the 13th Annual PHWFF Fly Rod Building Competition opens on October 21 and runs until December 5, 2021, During this time period three separate public judging rounds will take place for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Categories
- Category 1: Beginner Public Judging Round: October 21 – 27, 2022
- Category 2: Intermediate Public Judging Round: November 2 – 8, 2022
- Category 3: Advanced Public Judging Round: November 14 – 20, 2022
- Category 4: Veteran Ambassador Public Judging Round November 26 – December 2, 2022
Where do I vote? Voting will be open to the public at www.projecthealingwaters.org beginning on October 21, 2022
You can access voting at www.projecthealingwaters.org and Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram from October 21 – December 2, 2022. (Just click the icons below to get connected)
Who can vote? Anyone! Voting will be open to the public at www.projecthealingwaters.org
We encourage you to share your favorite flies with your friends and family online. Sharing the competition and rallying others to vote is a great way to celebrate the tremendous talents of PHWFF veteran participants and to raise awareness of PHWFF programs.
How do I vote? It’s easy! Just visit www.projecthealingwaters.org, register with the Judging platform, and click “Vote” beneath your favorite fly rod in each category.
How many times can I vote? You have one (1) vote per category but you can rally your friends, family and colleagues to vote by sharing your selections on social media or by email.
What criteria is used in judging? Each entry has an abundance of information for you to enjoy. Just click on an entry to view photos, participant information, and details about the fly rod. You can use the following criteria to help guide your votes:
| Criteria # | Criteria Title | Criteria Description |
| 1 | Rod | Style, Creativity, Functionality and Appearance |
| 2 | Story | How well do they describe their rod, the experience building it, and why rod building is beneficial to them |
What happens after the public voting round? The top fly rods from each judging category will advance to the finals with an expert panel of judges who will determine 1st, 2nd & 3rd place in each category.
Below are the six judging criteria categories that they will use.
Neatness
- Evenness of thread wraps.
- Proper application of glues used for assembly with attention to excess glues in gaps and residue on reel seat and grip.
- Proper application of finish on wraps with attention to amount of proper overlap of finish onto the blank, evenness of finish over the wraps themselves and avoidance of excess application of finish on guides and tip top.
Functionality
- Proper guide spacing in which guides should have increased spacing from tip to butt.
- Guides should be configured with size increases from tip to butt.
- Guides should be configured in a straight line when the fly rod is fully assembled.
- Configuration of reel seat and grip should align properly with guides.
Creativity
- Well thought out execution of unique concept throughout entire rod.
- Execution of unique color schemes particularly with thread wraps.
- Execution of unique color schemes in custom cork grip configurations.
When are finalists announced? The finalists of Category 1 will be announced on October 28, 2022. Category 2 finalists will be announced November 9, 2022. Category 3 finalists will be announced November 21, 2022. Category 4 finalists will be announced December 3, 2022. All announcements will be posted at www.projecthealingwaters.org and on official Project Healing Waters social media accounts. (Click the icons below to get connected)
When are winners announced? The winners of Category 1 will be announced on November 2, 2022. The winners of Category 2 will be announced on November 14, 2022. The Category 3 winners will be announced on November 26, 2022. Category 4 winners will be announced on December 8, 2022. All announcements will be posted at www.projecthealingwaters.org and on official Project Healing Waters social media accounts. (Click the icons below to get connected)
What do the winners receive? Categories 1 – 3: The 1st place winner from each category will receive a $600 Orvis gift card. The 2nd place winner from each category will receive a $300 Orvis gift card. And the 3rd place winner from each category will receive a $150 Orvis gift card. All 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winners in each category will receive an award plaque.
Category 4 (Veteran Ambassador): All 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winners in this category will receive an award plaque.
*For more detailed information, steps on submitting, and/or rules of the competition please email competitions@projecthealingwaters.org