Opening Day in Vermont is coming up quickly, so all the anglers who work at Orvis are tying frantically to make sure that their boxes are full of all the patterns they’ll need for our local waters. It’s also Spring Orvis Days, when we’ve got a ton of stuff going on at stores around the country, as well as online. Of course, there are always great Tim Flagler tying videos on the blog, and Top 10 lists of flies for waters local and exotic.
With all this focus on flies and tying, we figured that the time is ripe for an online tying contest. Starting today, April 2, and for the next two weeks, you can enter our Fly Tying Contest on Instagram. We’re looking for an original* creation, a fly straight from your fishy brain to the vise that you think is going to be a fish-catching sure-thing. (Above, see an original squirrel, rabbit, deer and CDC Caddis Emerger by Scott Blackhurst of Meridian, Idaho, which won this contest back in 2015.)
To enter the contest, all you have to do is post a clear photos of your original fly pattern on Instagram, using the hashtag #orvisflytyingcontest and tagging @orvisflyfishing and @regal_vise (You must use the hashtag and both tags!)
After the contest closes on April 16, our crack team of judges–including Jesse Haller and Tom Rosenbauer–will evaluate the entries on fish and angler appeal. They will choose three finalists, and then we’ll let voters on Facebook and Instagram decide which come in First, Second, and Third.
We’ve got some great prizes.
First Prize: A Regal Revolution Vise of Your Choice

Second Prize: An Orvis Premium Fly-Tying Kit

Third Prize: A Fly-Tying Work Center

Once again, the contest begins today and runs through April 16, 2016 at 11:59p.m. EDT. Good luck!
For official rules, click here.
*Editor’s note:We realize that there are very few “original” ideas in fly tying. This is a relative term that we use to weed out standard, established patterns, such as the Royal Wulff, Prince Nymph, and Black-Nose Dace.
wow
you never mention where to post the image
Argh, you’re right! It’s in the rules, but I’ve added it here. Post to INSTAGRAM.
Well the poll is obviously broken… you just announced on Instagram today that it was open for voting, but it says It’s closed and that votes were to be in by the 9th. It will not let me cast a vote.
Sorry. This is new software, and I bungled it. Fixed now.