Rules

2026 UPDATES:

• 20’’ Minimum — Esox (Northern Pike & Tiger Musky) must be a minimum of 20’’ to count on the scorecard.

• 10’’ Minimum — Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Cutthroat Trout, and Golden Trout must be a minimum of 10’’ count on the scorecard.

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. Anglers caught cheating will immediately be expelled from competition and will forfeit their eligibility to compete in future 25 On The Fly events. Teams will compete with a maximum of two anglers, and one driver or boat operator. The driver or boat operator CANNOT fish in any capacity. Teams must stay together on the same body of water. 

2.TIMING AND EXECUTION:

• Teams will attempt to catch-video-release 25 eligible species and participate in team challenges in the allotted timeframe specified for the event. Videos must be submitted for each fish caught on your team or personal instagram account, no exceptions.

3.NO EDITING OR MODIFYING FOOTAGE:

• No blurred or modified backgrounds and no significant alterations to the videos will be permitted. You can trim the video before submitting to avoid landmarks or lengthy clips, but highly edited videos will not be judged.

4. REPECT OTHER ANGLERS:

• Teams should respect other non-tournament anglers. If the spot your intended to fish 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:

• Your team goal should be to accrue as many points as possible during the event. Points will outweigh number of species caught. Point values associated with each species will be the main factor in determining the winner, and the number of species caught 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:

• If points and number of species caught are equal, judges will default to the longest fish scored. Example: Two teams have 2000 points, and 15 fish after all species and team challenges are accounted for on the scorecared. Team 1 caught and scored a 26’’ Northern Pike, Team 2 caught and scored a 28’’ Carp…Team 2 wins.

 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 improperly handled fish will not be scored. 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.

​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-in" will take place at a specific location. Winners must be preset or contact the tournament organizers to notify of car trouble or extenuating circumstances.

​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.  A team captain (driver or boat operator) may be utilized when traveling by boat or vehicle.

12. 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!

13. 2026 UPDATES: (Same as above)

• 20’’ Species Minimum — Esox (Northern Pike & Tiger Musky) must be a minimum of 20’’ to count on the scorecard.

• 10’’ Species Minimum — Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass, Cutthroat & Golden Trout must be a minimum of 10’’ to count on the scorecard.