2025 the Cicada edition!! Hopefully we get some big bugs flying around by mid-June to make this year’s event one of the record books!!

The Skinny - $150 ENTRY FEE FOR TEAM OF TWO. Contestants will have 24 hours to go out and catch as many species of fish on the fly rod as they can in Pennsylvania (wading and boat fishing permitted).  Any waters in Pennsylvania you can get to and get back from in the allotted time is fair game! The contest will start at 12 PM Saturday June 14th, 2025, and ends at 11:59 AM Sunday June 15th followed by a reception and prize awarding at Axeman Brewing Co. in Bellefonte, PA. ALL PROCEEDS (after costs) FROM THE TOURNAMENT AND RECEPTION will be donated to CLEARWATER CONSERVANCY to help support the fantastic work they do protecting our watersheds in central Pennsylvania.  

Event - The award party and event will take place at Axeman Brewing in Bellefonte, PA from 12-3pm, Sunday June 15th.   Contestants 21 and over will be given 2 drink tickets each toward beverages.  TCO will be providing snacks & lunch.  All attendants are welcome to order additional food or beverages on a separate tab.   As contestants arrive, they will present their photo evidence of catches to the judges and will be awarded points accordingly.  

Rules - Contestants will have to take a photo of all their eligible fish using personal cameras or cell phones.  A time and date stamp from their device will be required to have a fish eligible for points and additional measuring device provided by TCO will need to be part of photo.  Points will be awarded in correspondence with fish species, size and relative difficulty to find and catch in Pennsylvania.  ONLY THE LARGEST FISH FROM EACH CATEGORY WILL BE ELIGABLE FOR POINTS, you won’t be able to catch 60 8” brown trout and win. For example, if you catch a 11” brown trout and a 10.5” brown trout only the 11” trout will be scored in that category. Winners will be named and rewarded after judging and points will be allocated that evening. In the event of a tie winner will be determined by the total length of all fish caught. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place teams as well as prizes for non-placing individual categories (ie. biggest fish, strangest fish from the non-placing teams). 

All contestants must be checked in and done fishing at Axeman Brewing by 12 pm June 15th to be eligible. All fish must be caught using fly-fishing gear and must be fair hooked, we are going on honor system here so don’t be a cheater! Contestants will meet at 11:15 am June 14th at Spring Creek Park (345 Balmoral Way, State College, PA 16801) YOU MUST BE AT THIS MEETING TO COMPETE, remote starts will not be allowed to keep the playing field level.  TCO will provide additional materials for use in scoring the contest that morning, you will need to provide a camera to document your catch.  There will be a good deal of driving during this tournament, we encourage all participants to obey local speed limits and laws. 

Any contestant found guilty of violating local laws during the tournament will be disqualified.  TCO Employees and guides are not eligible to win from the contestant prize pool but may compete in a separate scoring event with allocated prizes TBD. 

Please contact George Costa at TCO State College to sign up, if you have questions or for additional information.

georgecosta@tcoflyfishing.com  -  814-689-3654