The finalists from the Orvis 2024 contest produced some wonderful images that captured several species and a variety of on-the-water experiences.
Although astronomical summer doesn’t end until September 21st, most kids are back in school, and the nights are growing increasingly crisp. It’s a time to reflect on how well you spent the longest days of the year.
Back in 2014, I had a tough summer, fishing-wise, so to make up for it, I set myself a goal: to go fishing 20 days during the month of September. Thus was born the “20 Days in September” Project. I had so much fun—and enjoyed my time on the water so much—that I opened up the project to everyone and turned it into a photo contest that I ran on the Orvis Fly Fishing blog and social media. For the next 10 years, the contest attracted more and more participants, many of whom told us what a blast they had trying to complete the challenge.
Get Ready to Fish!
I am excited to announce that “20 Days in September” lives on as a partnership among MidCurrent, Orvis, and Scientific Anglers. Here’s how it works:
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Make an honest attempt to get on the water 20 times during September. Of course, these don’t have to be full or even half days of angling. Just 10 casts are enough to count on any given day. So steal time whenever you can: before work, at lunchtime, after work, or . . . (cough) during work. On weekends, get in a few casts around family time, kids’ sports, or yard work.
You don’t have to complete the 20 days to win.
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This is not just about trout. Any species and kinds of water are eligible—from bass and pike in lakes, to stripers and bonefish in saltwater, to carp in canals. If you can catch it on a fly, it’s game. The only limitation is that the fish must be caught during the month of September 2025.
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Take pictures of your fish, the water, your fellow anglers, the flies you’re using, or anything else. To promote good fish handling, photos may not show trout held out of the water. With so much low, warm water around the country, we want to ensure that trout are released as quickly as possible, with no extra time out of the water for photos.
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Post your photos to Instagram with the hashtag #20sepdays and tag @midcurrent, @orvisflyfishing, and @scientificanglers. (Only photos using the hashtag and all three tags will be eligible!)
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At the end of the month, we’ll go through all the photos and pick 10 finalists. Then we’ll let you vote for the winners!
Prizes!
The prizes up for grabs are worth the effort:
First Place
Orvis Superfine Graphite 5-weight fly rod, Battenkill Click reel +
SA Magnitude Smooth Trout Expert Clear Tip Float fly line.
Second Place
Clearwater Reel & Spools 3-Pack + three SA fly lines.
Third Place
Orvis Sling Pack + an assortmen
We’ll also give 2 One-Year Subscriptions to the All-New MidCurrent Learning Center: One to a randomly selected person who posts a photo of them picking up trash while fishing, and one to a randomly selected voter at the end of the contest.
You don’t have to complete your 20 days to be eligible to win, but we will have a Roll of Honor for those who do manage to complete the Project. So start start carving out more time for fishing. Do you think you can hit the 20 mark?
Click here for the full contest rules and conditions.
The contest is open only to legal residents of the USA who are 18 or older. (We apologize to our readers in Canada and overseas. Click here for an explanation of why we have to do this.)
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