Fall Fly Fishing Challenge is Saturday

If you're not doing anything Saturday and have the itch to fly fish, you might want to enter the fifth annual Fall Fly Fishing Challenge.
Rick Grassett, a Sarasota professional fishing guide, and I founded the event after agreeing that the area has a lot of talented fly anglers and offers good saltwater fishing.
The event has attracted an average of more than 40 anglers each year. Competition is tough, but it should be. Our goal was to pit the best fly anglers in the area against one another.
Two years ago, we added a second division to the event to attract more anglers. In addition to the Open Division (all licensed captains and guides must compete in the this division), we added the Angler Division. Only non-guides are allowed to fish in this division.
In the Open Division, snook, spotted seatrout and redfish are the eligible species. Overall champion will be the angler who has the highest total of inches for a single redfish, trout and snook. Also, prizes will be awarded to the anglers who have the most total inches of redfish, most total inches of snook or most total inches of trout.
This is a catch, photo and release event. Anglers will be allowed to turn in a maximum of 10 photos.
In the Angler Division. eligible species include redfish, spotted seatrout, snook, ladyfish, jack crevalle, flounder, pompano, permit, mangrove snapper and other species. Six places will be awarded.
The tournament is sponsored by the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers and Coastal Conservation Association Florida.
Captains' meeting is scheduled for 6 a.m. Saturday at the City Island boat ramp in Ken Thompson Park.
For information, call Rick Grassett at (941) 350-9790 or Steve Gibson at (941) 284-3406.