NEWS & STORIES
The 8th Annual Fly Tying Competition is Underway Online!
We’re excited to announce that the 8th Annual PHWFF Fly Tying Competition is underway online!
Now in it’s eighth year, this great annual program has grown each year since its inception in 2012 and each year we’ve been delighted to see the remarkable flies submitted by our veteran participants. The 8th Annual Fly Tying Competition brings an exciting new addition: online submission and two rounds of online judging!
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, the fun public voting round will ensure that everyone can participate and celebrate the great talents of our participants.
Already, some incredible flies have been tied by our talented veteran participants since the competition began and with submissions open until October 23, we know that we’ll see many more outstanding flies entered. All skill levels are welcome and encouraged to enter by October 23, 2020! The public voting round will take place from October 26 – November 4, 2020 via www.projecthealingwaters.org.
We are eager and excited to see all the innovative, beautiful, and ‘fishy’ patterns submitted by our talented participants this year!
Click here to meet the winners of last years PHWFF Fly Tying Competition >>
The 8th Annual Fly Tying Competition
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible? Only individuals who meet the definitions of a registered PHWFF participant are eligible to enter the competition.
How you do get involved? Contact your PHWFF Program Lead to apply, register and to begin submitting your flies for judging! Your Program Lead will also share the complete rules, regulations, and opportunities for this great annual competition.
When does the competition begin and end? The 8th Annual Fly Tying Competition began on January 1, 2020. Participants can submit their flies for judging from October 1 – 23, 2020. All submissions from PHWFF participants must be made no later than October 23, 2020.
Submissions from PHWFF Program participants are welcome throughout this time period — with all skill levels welcome and encouraged to participate in this fun annual competition.
The competition will feature two rounds of judging: a public round and a finals round.
How does judging work? The competition will feature two rounds of judging: a public round and a finals round.
The first round will be the public judging round. This round will determine the top 10% from each judging category that will move onto the final judging round. The final round of judging will be done by an expert panel of judges who will determine 1st, 2nd & 3rd place in each category.
Public Round: October 26 – November 4, 2020
Finals Round: November 5 – November 8, 2020
How can I vote for a fly? The public round begins October 26 and concludes on November 4, 2020. During this time period you can visit www.projecthealingwaters.org to view submissions and cast your vote. The top 10% from the public round will advance to the finals round.
Who are the judges? The flies submitted will be judged by a fly-tying panel composed of PHWFF program volunteers, celebrity tiers, and professional tiers.
What are the judging categories? There are three judging categories: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. There will be a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner in each category.
National Virtual Fly Tying Competition Categories:
PHWFF HQ will recognize the top three winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd) in each category as outlined below:
a. Category 1 (Beginner): This category is for participants new to fly tying with less than one year of fly tying experience.
b. Category 2 (Intermediate): This category is for participants with two to three years of fly tying experience.
c. Category 3 (Advanced): This category is for participants with four or more years of fly tying experience.
How are the flies scored? The public judging round will consist of two judging categories. The Fly and the Story category. Find your favorite and cast your vote!
The finals round will be judged and scored based on 6 criteria which are: Color harmony, Scale and proportion, Use of materials, Technique, Proper thread use, and the Overall style of the fly. Each criteria will have a 10 point scale with ten being the highest. Like last year, there is only one judging category this year and veteran participants that need to use adaptive equipment can do so to assist with tying flies for submission. From the top 10% of the public round, the judges will determine 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each category based on the 6 criteria provided above.
When are the finalists announced? The top 10% of the Public Round will advance to the Finals Round on November 5, 2020.
When are the are the winners announced? The winners of each category will be announced on November 6, 2020.
Are there prizes for the winners? Yes! There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
1st place winner from each category will receive a $600 Orvis gift card. 2nd place winner from each category will receive a $300 Orvis gift card. 3rd place winner from each category will receive a $150 Orvis gift card
For more information on the 8th Annual Fly Tying Competition, PHWFF volunteers and participants should contact their local Program Lead or Regional Coordinator