From Cheeky Fly Fishing:
The second annual Cheeky Fly Fishing March Madness: Road to the Final Fish tournament kicked off on February 20th 2012 to raise money for Casting for Recovery, Stripers Forever and the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. The concept was similar to the NCAA Basketball March Madness Tournament, except with game fish substituted for basketball teams in the bracket. Individuals submitted brackets with a $5 donation and voted on the Cheeky Fly Fishing website for the fish they like to target the most in each respective matchup. The fish with the most votes in each matchup advanced to the next round. Over 250 brackets were entered, raising more than $1,000 in donations.
On April 2nd, after 32 matchups and over 5,000 votes were cast by fly fishermen from around the world, Rainbow Trout was crowned champion for the second straight year. Perennial favorites such as Peacock Bass, Tarpon, Steelhead, Roosterfish and Bonefish dominated their early matchups and sleepers such as Mako Shark and Smallmouth Bass made impressive early round runs to mix up the field. However, in the much hyped championship matchup between Rainbow Trout and Peacock Bass, the defending champion prevailed.
Alex Horne of Denver, CO won the grand prize by picking an impressive 31 of 32 matchups correctly. Over $5,000 in prizes, including reels, rods, line, sunglasses, art, apparel and accessories from fly fishing’s top brands, were awarded to contestants with the most accurate brackets.
Participation:
- Over 5,000 unique votes cast by fly fishermen around the world
- Over 250 tournament entries
- Over $1,000 raised for Casting for Recovery, Stripers Forever and the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust
Sponsors:
Prizes, collectively worth over $5,000, were generously donated by Thomas & Thomas, Howler Brothers, Kast Gear, Sarah Lauridsen Art, Montana Fly Company, Patagonia, Maui Jim, Fishpond, The Fly Shop, Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, Confluence Films, Jim Teeny, Mud Dog Saltwater Flies, Free Fly Apparel, Nomad Fly Fishing, Vedavoo, The Fiberglass Manifesto, Jim Klug Outdoor Photography and Cheeky Fly Fishing.
Beneficiaries:
Casting for Recovery: Founded on the principles that the natural world is a healing force and that cancer survivors deserve one weekend — free of charge and free of the stresses from medical treatment, home, or workplace — to experience something new and challenging while enjoying beautiful surroundings within an intimate, safe, and nurturing structure.
Stripers Forever: Non-profit, internet-based conservation organization seeking game fish status for wild striped bass on the Atlantic Coast in order to significantly reduce striper mortality, provide optimum and sustainable public fishing opportunities for anglers from Maine to North Carolina, and to secure the greatest socio-economic value possible from the fishery.
Bonefish & Tarpon Trust: Organization aiming to accomplish healthy populations of bonefish, tarpon, and permit through sponsorship and funding of research, education and conservation. Most of BTT’s work is done by volunteer efforts.
Cheeky Fly Fishing:
Cheeky Fly Fishing, based in Boston, MA, is an independent fly fishing equipment and apparel manufacturing company. Its core products, Cheeky Fly Reels, are designed specifically for progressive fly fishermen looking to push the limits of the sport. For more information on Cheeky Fly Fishing and its products, please visit www.cheekyflyfishing.com.
