NEWS & STORIES
The 12th Annual Fly Rod Building Competition is Underway Online!
We’re pleased to announce that the National Fly Rod Building Program and Competition is underway online! Over 1,300 disabled veteran participants will experience building their own fly rods with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing programs this year alone! This year brings an exciting new addition: online submissions and two rounds of online judging!
Now in its 12th 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.
Meet the Winners from Last Year:
Announcing the winners of the 11th Annual Fly Rod Building Competition!
With in-person program activities temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our programs have been hosting virtual meetings online to stay connected and to continue growing as fly tiers, rod builders, and fly anglers. As the health and well-being of our participants is of paramount importance, we have implemented a platform – Judgify – to each of our competitions this year. It will ensure everyone’s safety, streamline the submission process, and enable more veterans to participate. Plus, with a fun public voting round everyone can participate, celebrate the great talents of our participants, and share with their friends, family and colleagues alike.
The Rod Building Program and Competition wouldn’t be possible without all those volunteers who contribute their time, talents, and expertise to provide a meaningful and therapeutic experience for our Nation’s disabled veterans. We’ll be sharing much more about this fun, restorative program in the coming weeks!
We are eager and excited to see all the innovative and beautiful rods submitted by our talented participants this year!
Read about the origins of the PHWFF Fly Rod Building Program and Competition:
Vietnam Veteran Andy Anderson and the Origins of the PHWFF Rod Building Program