As our sport continues to grow – especially among younger anglers – there’s been a shft in attitudes about competitive fly fishing. A majority of fly anglers now readily embrace a fun contest. And what could be more fun than one based on variety rather than size?
Several clubs in the Gulf Coast Council currently have a contest where the objective is for members to catch as many different species on fly during the course of a year, or several months. These are modeled after the popular “Big Year” birdwatching contests. They demonstrate that fly fishing is not just suitable for a few species, but for “all species, all waters”.
Add Gulf Coast Fly Fishers to that list of clubs. The coastal Mississippi club recently announced an “All Species, All Waters” tournament which is currently in full swing. All members are encouraged to participate.
According to GCFF President Bill Hancock, the tourney is managed through the Fishing Chaos app. The download is free and the tournament is free to all GCFF members. Folks can join GCFF for $40 a year and the membership includes everyone in the immediate family.
The rules are simple: take a photo of your catch with some evidence of caught on a fly, and one entry per species will be counted. The tourney runs until November 30, 2026. There will be one overall winner randomly chosen at the GCFF Annual Banquet.
For more info on Gulf Coast Fly Fishers, go to the GCFF Facebook Page CLICK HERE.
For more info on the All Species, All Waters tournament CLICK HERE.
