It was an unforgettable weekend at the Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival and from the feedback we’re hearing, it keeps getting better each year.
We kicked off on Friday with sunshine, strong spirits and yes, some pretty punchy winds. But no matter what, the anglers showed up and by Sunday afternoon, we had some truly impressive catches logged.
Friday evening saw the return of the Orvis x YETI® Night Station, bigger and better than ever before. After a day of casting and early catches, anglers gathered on the beach for sunset sessions, relaxed casting classes and a masterclass in BBQ with the Weber UK team on the grills. Cold beers from Lakedown Brewing Co. and a great atmosphere made it the perfect way to ease into the weekend. With challenging winds, some of our anglers braved the fishing until midnight, but eventually retired back to the warmth of the Night Station.
With many back up again at 5am for a dawn session, plenty of bass were landed on Saturday, including a hefty 55cm, but it was the mullet that really stole the show this year.
Saturday night was all about the Saturday Social, which is always a chance for everyone to come together, swap stories and celebrate a big day on the water. There was pizza from Reeko’s, plenty of Lakedown Brewing Co beers, a tasting from Spirit of the Downs and a lively fundraising auction in support of Angling Mentors.
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Come Sunday morning, a stunning 60cm thick-lipped mullet took the title for longest of the Festival, caught by Phil Bowley and a 58cm in a very close second by Steve Richards, but it wasn’t just about size of fish caught this year, with many catching their first bass and mullet on the fly.
This year’s Mullet Masterclass with Colin Macleod delivered an exceptional return: seven Golden Greys up to 50cm and a Thin-lip of 50cm were netted over the weekend, which was an outstanding result and a testament to the patience and skill it takes to target these elusive species on the fly.
Tom Lambert took home the multi-species prize with an impressive trio: bass, mullet, and flounder. It was a well-earned win that showed not just skill, but a real understanding of the harbour’s variety and the patience needed to land all three on fly.
And now, the full list of 2025 Festival champions:
🏆 LONGEST MULLET
🥇 Phil Bowley – Thick-lip, 60cm
🥈 Steve Richards – Thick-lip, 58cm
🏆 LONGEST BASS
🥇 Alan Strachan – 55cm
🥈 Dan Wilcox – 52.5cm
🏆 MULTI-SPECIES CHAMPION
🥇 Tom Lambert – Bass, Mullet, Flounder
🥈 Steve Richards – Bass, Mullet
🏆 BEST NEWCOMER (In memory of Yvonne Webb)
🏅 Jude DeSouza
🏆 ‘CAPTURE THE SPIRIT’ PHOTO CONTEST
🥇 Michael Boiling
🥈 Philip Spratt
🏆 ROWAN’S REELY ACCURATE PRIZE
🎯 David Woods & Rob Moore
So what’s next?
Next year, the Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival and the Orvis Beginners Festival are merging into one mega four-day event, running from July 2nd–5th 2026. That means even more workshops, even more fishing and even more of the community energy that makes this Festival so special.
Whether you’re completely new to saltwater fly fishing or have a few PBs under your belt, we’d love to see you there. Come for the fishing. Stay for the fun.
