Rules

1. THE NUTS AND BOLTS:

This is a fly fishing tournament only. All fish must be caught on artificial flies using fly tackle. NO SCENTED FLIES. Any teams caught cheating will immediately be expelled from competition and will forfeit their eligibility to compete in future 25 On The Fly events. Two person teams. Teams must stay together on the same body of water. 

2. TIMING AND EXECUTION:

Teams will attempt to catch-video-release the 25 eligible species and document as many team challenges as possible in the allotted timeframe across 2 hard days of fishing. Videos must be submitted for each fish caught, no exceptions. Pace yourself and create a strategic route!

3. NO EDITING OR MODIFYING FOOTAGE:

No blurred or modified backgrounds, no significant alterations to the videos. If you accidentally over-record you can only edit or cut those lengthy clips for faster uploads but no other modifications allowed.

4. REPECT OTHER ANGLERS:

Teams should respect other non-tournament anglers. If the honey hole is taken, find another one and come back later!

5. CLEAR FISH ID:

Teams must have a clear video clip of each fish with control item in frame in order to count. Video clips submitted without control item will not be counted. Videos of fish that cannot be identified by one of the judges as an approved species will not be counted as a "catch" on the team scorecard.

6. POINTS VS. SPECIES:

In all events on the 2024 calendar, points will outweigh number of species caught. Make no mistake, the winning teams will still have to catch-video-release a crazy number of species to win as fish points will be the most valuable. And those teams that choose to focus on species over team challenges will still be racking up serious points. Participation in team challenges is important however! Pay attention to point values and track other teams in the app so you can plan your attack accordingly! Point values associated with each species will be the main factor in determining the winner, and species count will only apply to the scoring system in the event of a tie in number of points scored between 2 or more teams. In the event that the total number of points scored and species caught between one or more teams is equal, the tiebreaker protocol is as follows:

• In each 25 OTF event, one of the tournament team challenges will be “Longest Fish,” presented by one of our sponsors.

• 10 points/inch of a teams single LONGEST fish over the 2 days will be added to the scorecard.

• During the event teams are encouraged to measure any and all fish over 12 inches on camera to win those points! Only the single LONGEST fish will be scored.

 7. PROPER FISH HANDLING:

Safe & sustainable handling of fish must be practiced at all times! This is a catch and release tournament so all fish must be released back to the water. Any videos of fish in the dirt, on land, hanging from tippet, or improperly handled will not be counted. When in doubt have your partner film the fish in the net before he or she captures the safe release of the fish. Visit Keep Fish Wet for best practices.

8. NO TRESPASSING & NO PRIVATE WATER:

Teams can fish anywhere in the host state in publicly accessed water only. NO TRESPASSING & NO PRIVATE WATER. NO EXCEPTIONS. Location services must remain on “while using the app” to ensure anglers adhere to this rule.  

​9. JUDGES HAVE FINAL RULING:

Judges have final ruling on all fish submissions. Fish should be large enough to be identified by the judges panel. If a fish cannot be properly identified it will not count as an approved catch. 

​10. THE ‘WEIGH IN:’

The post tournament "weigh-ins" will take place at or near the hosts shop, as they decide. OR virtually (The Mayfly Project 25 On The Fly).

​11. BOATING RULES:

Use of boats and other watercraft is allowed. Ensure that you are following all local Parks & Wildlife rules regarding life preservers, watercraft etiquette, angling and water access.  

​12. FOLLOW THE LOCAL RULES:
All teams must abide by all state and/or regional Parks and Wildlife fishing regulations. Be sure your fishing license is current and you are only using flies. If you are driving, wear your seatbelt and follow the rules of the road!

13. WHAT IS CONSIDERED A FLY?:

For the purposes of this event a “Fly” is considered an artificial “lure” created by a combination of tying and/or gluing a variety of natural and/or synthetic materials to a hook. Pre-molded “soft plastic” baits are not permitted. Rubber legs, synthetic terrestrial body part imitations and modest sized spinner blades are permitted components. NO SCENTS OR BAIT!