Guest post by Steve Richards
Long-term Orvis friend and festival competitor, Steve Richards, is a seasoned angler on the salt. As a result of a great deal of determination and preparation for this year’s Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival, Steve led the pack to deservedly win the “Longest Bass” (55cm) and “Most Species” prize too. Here, Steve shares the recipe to his success…
The 30th of August to the 1st of September 2024: the date for the 5th Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival was a date I’d looked forward to since the previous festival. The festival has grown into the premiere saltwater event of the year; one that regularly attracts well over 100 anglers. This year’s event saw the inclusion of a junior event and a night session - both being very successful.
The Night Station on Ferry Point was a hub of activity especially with cold drinks and hot coffee supplied by two of the festival sponsors, YETI and Lakedown. The festival has always attracted very good sponsors and everyone that enters gets a bag of goodies when they register on Friday morning.
Most turn up on Thursday night or even Friday morning ready for the weekend’s events. I always make the long drive from my home in Kent on Tuesday evening stopping off at my father’s in Hampshire ready to fish first thing Wednesday morning. I spend a lot of time looking at Google Earth and drone footage on YouTube trying to get an idea of where to go.
Wednesday morning, I normally chose a mark on the western end of the festival limits and then go the other direction on Thursday. This, I hope, gives me the best idea of what to do come 12pm Friday when the festival starts. On the Wednesday this year I met up with my friend Paul for a fish at Hill Head. With a few mackerel seen busting bait and only a few small bass to show for our troubles, I’d decided I wouldn’t be fishing west. On Thursday I was on my own exploring marks in the east and I discovered the outside marks were only holding small bass.
I’ve never been a fan of fishing harbours, but I came to the conclusion that my best chance of a winning fish would mean me standing in the mud. This was confirmed in a phone conversation with my pal who suggested a festival mark inside the harbour. This turned out to be a good call as the mark had been showing a few good fish and it wasn’t too long before a decent 60cm had eaten my fly.
After some good runs I landed the fish, took measurements, a photo and released it. I could see other fish busting what I assumed were small bass and mullet but decided to leave straight away not wanting to push my luck. I now had a plan.
Friday proved one thing, and that was the fishing over the weekend was going to be tough. The weather, forecasting strong north easterly winds for Saturday with clear skies, would make things even harder. Still, I fished hard until I’d lost the last of the water and my reward for my efforts was one small bass of 48cm which at least put me on the score sheet.
With two hours left of Friday’s finishing time of 4pm, I needed a plan. I gave my friend Matt a call to chat about his mullet mark where he had a stunning mullet of 60cm last year to claim the mullet prize. He convinced me to give it a go, so out onto the mud I ventured. I had an hour of flood tide which I hoped was going to be enough. As I made my way across the mud I could see signs that mullet were indeed present. Now all I had to do was get one to take my offering. There weren’t great numbers of mullet but what was moving in the area looked like they were feeding - I’m not a mullet expert by any stretch of the imagination but it’s fairly easy to tell that fish, and especially mullet, are feeding. The signs they give away are frantic swirls or powerful charges into the shallows as they chase any small critters that have appeared as the tide starts to flood.
I managed to drop my bloodworm pattern in front of such a sight and for once a mullet took my fly as I watched the line slip under water.
One powerful run and the mullet swam straight into my waiting net. I know mullet can give several powerful runs especially big mullet and this one I believe would have if it had woken up properly. I consider myself quite lucky in that the mullet decided to swim into the net giving up any fighting chance to get away.
Friday, as I mentioned earlier saw two events taking place for the first time: the first a junior event which saw a bunch of keen youngsters learning tips from the festival guides. Then onto the beach for the afternoon competition which was won with a respectable 36cm for Harry Sharratt. This won him some really cool prizes and obviously bragging rights as the first Orvis Saltwater Youth winner. I believe Orvis are very keen on encouraging more youngsters for next year’s event which will be a great idea.
The other first time event was the chance to night fish. Although I ventured down to the destination of Ferry Point, I was far too tired to actually cast. Instead I found myself walking along the beach admiring the many anglers that were taking advantage of this new event.
As I mentioned, there was a night station; a tent that acted as a meeting and booking in point for the evening event. Here you could find hot coffee, a cold drink or could just sit around chatting about the day’s fishing. The festival guides were on hand for anyone seeking advice and could be seen walking along the beach chatting to competitors wetting a line.
Saturday, the weather changed with strong north easterly winds making fishing and choices of marks difficult. I was fairly lucky as I knew my first choice on the open coast at 5am would mean the wind would be behind me giving flat calm seas.
Unfortunately, all I could catch was small bass around 6 inches. It wasn’t long before I’d lost faith in the open coast and decided I’d be better off back in the harbour. The tide takes a little longer to start to move at my harbour mark and I knew I had time for a sneaky breakfast before the marathon fishing session I was about to start.
I had a feeling the fishing was going to be tough but not as tough as I’d expected. My plan was to get to my fishing spot well before I needed to in order to hold the best fishing area to myself.
This was a sensible plan as the area was visited by a few anglers who realised I’d nabbed the prime area to myself and decided to move on.
All the time my fly was in the water there was a chance of catching and it was this mentality I’d decided on employing. I knew fishing was going to be hard and also knew I wouldn’t have many chances. I couldn’t have imagined how correct I’d be with just one bite resulting in a 55 cm bass slipping into my net after a short fight.
It turns out fishing had been very difficult for everyone on Saturday, not that you would have guessed from all the smiling faces back at the Langstone Hotel.
Saturday evening sees the social event held out on the grass behind the hotel, warm pizza and cold beers to go alongside the days conversations of fish caught and lost. The social event is always a great success, one that everyone looks forward to even though the late night makes Sunday’s 5am start really hard.
Sunday I’d decided to stick to Saturday’s plan and arrive early and hold position in the area I felt gave me the best chance. Saturday’s strong winds had eased for Sunday making conditions easier. Unfortunately fishing again turned out to be as tough as before. I moved around a little more than the day before but stayed in roughly the same area as I tried to seek out any pockets of fish.
Casting in different directions but using the same synthetic bait fish pattern I’d used all weekend I finally hooked a fish. I knew instantly it wasn’t a winning fish but at 44 cm it was certainly welcome.
The light winds had made fishing more comfortable, but the bright skies and clear water had made fishing hard. All that was left was for me to make my way back to the Hotel and hope either my Bass or mullet hadn’t been bettered. Luckily for me I found out that fishing had indeed been very poor across the competition and my fish hadn’t been beaten.
Over the years Orvis have tweaked the rules to what we now have, meaning I had to make a choice of which prize I’d like to claim. The choice was easy for me being I’ve always been a bass man, so I chose the bass prize. My prize would be a Helios D 8 weight rod and a brilliant YETI LoadOut Box, really great prizes for something I’ve had so much pleasure being part of.
It’s been hard work and very tiring to come out on top again in such a well-attended festival, one that I’m very proud to be part of. Success takes planning, effort and most of all masses of luck - something I seem to have in abundance.
Tickets for the Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival 2025 are on sale now.
