“The Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival is the largest event of it's kind in the UK. With over 150 anglers coming together at Hayling Island to learn, fish, compete, and socialise in stunning surroundings. The event begins at The Langstone Hotel, where anglers register, can browse in the Orvis pop up shop, and soak in some knowledge from the Festival guides. In the afternoon the competition starts, as well as guided fishing workshops for newcomers to the salt. The Friday night sees the anglers descend on the South West point of Hayling Island, heading to the Yeti Night Station, base camp for the Friday night fishing session. But the fishing becomes secondary to some incredible BBQ from Weber UK and brews flowing from Lakedown Brewing Co. After a late night on the beach, the competition waits for no one, starting again at 5am for a full days fishing. During the day, casting clinics and guided workshops help anglers hone their skills to help them land their next catch. With the competition session closing at 4, everyone returns to the Langstone for a catch up over Pizza and more Lakedown beers, with tall tales of fish caught and lost being shared into the evening. The Sunday competition fishing begins again at 5am, with anglers having their last shot of making it onto the leaderboard. This year saw a really productive Mullet Masterclass with Colin Macleod, with a lot of mullet being caught. The weekend concludes with the Prize Giving, prizes are given for Longest Bass, Longest Mullet, Multi Species and Longest Other Species. It was an epic weekend, thanks to Orvis for sponsoring the video, Tight lines and hope to see you at next years festival!”
– Dan Wilcox, The Reel