The Platte Rivers Veterans Fly Fishing organization invites you and your family to our Annual Fly and Fly Rod Competition and Recognition Event to be held in Fort Collins at the Peace with Christ Lutheran Church, 1412 W. Swallow Rd., on Saturday, April 26, 2025. The Fort Collins PRVFF Area will host the event from noon to 3:00 pm.
Entries are due to your Area Leads by Wednesday, April 23rd.
All PRVFF members and their families are invited. You do not need to have submitted a rod or fly to attend. Winners will be announced about 2:00, at which time prizes will be awarded. Registrants can pick up their rod and/or flies at the end of the event, about 3:00 pm. If a person can’t be there to get their rod or flies, their respective Area Lead will take it and return it to the vet.
Light lunch food and drink will be served to attendees.
Rules for the 2025 Rod Building
The Event is open to PRVFF veterans who submit fly rods they have made this year on their own or in PRVFF rod classes. There will be both a first year rod and an open level rod category.
First year rods are the first rod that they made in the 2024-25 Rod Making class.
Open level includes rods made in the 2024-25 time period on their own.
All submitted rods must have been made in the 2024 through 2025 time frame and not submitted in a prior year’s event.
Beginner or advanced flies may be submitted for this event. For the beginner’s level specific flies in designated sizes are to be submitted: #8 Wooly Bugger, #12 Golden Ribbed Hare’s Ear, and #14 Elk Hair Caddis. For the advanced or open level, the following flies are to be submitted: size #6 Barr’s Tungstone, #2 or 4 Lefty’s Deceiver, and a #8 Stimulator. Area Leads will collect entries and pass them to the Event Coordinator in time for judging before the event. Prizes will be awarded for the top flies and rods in each category.
Rods and Flies will be put on display for the day of the veterans’ event. The rods will be on racks and the flies on a display table for all to enjoy.
Rules for the 2025 Fly Tying Contest
Beginner’s Category
- This category is open to any PRVFF participant who has enrolled in Beginner Fly Tying classes in the last two years, regardless of fly-tying experience, or is considered a Beginner by their Area Lead.
- Each contestant will submit 3 flies, one to match each of the following patterns. Streamer: Wooly Bugger. Dry: Elk Hair Caddis. Nymph: Hare’s Ear.
- Patterns need not follow any strict color or material recipe, but the patterns must remain true to the proportions and shape of the original.
- Hook requirements: Wooly Bugger– size 8, 2xl or 3xl nymph hook. Elk Hair Caddis- size 14, 2xl dry fly or nymph hook. Hare’s Ear- Size 12, 2xl nymph hook.
Pictures of Flies for general reference (from Charlie Craven, Basic Fly Tying, 2008)
Open Category
- This category is open to any PRVFF participant, regardless of fly-tying experience.
- Each contestant will submit 3 flies, one to match each of the following patterns. Streamer: Lefty’s Deceiver. Dry: Stimulator. Nymph: Barr’s Tungstone.
- Patterns need not follow any strict color or material recipe, but the patterns must remain true to the proportions and shape of the original. For example, the shellback on the Tungstone need not be made of Thin Skin but can be constructed of other synthetics or natural materials. Similarly, the wings on the Deceiver and Stimulator may be constructed of synthetic materials.
- No foam will be allowed on any fly.
- Hook requirements: Stimulator – size 8, 200R or equivalent. Deceiver – size 2 or 4 standard saltwater fly hook or equivalent. Gamakatsu B10S is acceptable. Tungstone – size 6 or 8, 2xl or 3xl nymph hook.
References:
Charlie Craven, 2008, Basic Fly Tying (for Stimulator).
John Barr, 2007, Barr’s Flies (for Barr’s Tungstone)
Tom Rosenbauer, 2001, The Orvis Fly-tying Guide (for Lefty’s Deceiver)
Or check You Tube for many tutorials
