You won't find any better way to kick off the year's fishing season than the Cheeky Fly Fishing Schoolie Tournament, held annually in Cape Cod. Last weekend marked the fifth year of the event, as anglers traveled from over 19 states to attend.
Arlington-based Cheeky has hosted the event since 2012, attracting saltwater fly fishers from all over for the catch and release tournament. In their first year, they attracted 30 participants to fly fish along West Dennis Beach. While the event began as a small gathering of fishing enthusiasts, this year's Schoolie Tournament hosted over 200 registered competitors. The increase in attendance over the years is astounding, even for Cheeky's CEO and co-founder, Ted Upton.
"It's amazing looking back at 2012, with only 30 people standing around on a dirt parking lot looking for an excuse to fish," Upton told us. "We just wanted to bring anglers together on the Cape at a time of year that is great for fishing for striped bass."
While the number of competitors has increased each year, it is clear that Cheeky's mission is not to sell their signature, florescent-colored reels. Rather, the entire focus is on bringing the fly fishing community together for an enjoyable weekend on the beautiful and fish-friendly beaches of Cape Cod. Since the start of the event, Cheeky has focused on community connections, and while the attendance may change each year, the culture of the tournament remains the same: A family friendly event designed to encourage interest and facilitate the growth of the sport.
"I think it's all about the idea that it's not a hyper competitive event," said Upton. "It's more like the fishing community coming to gather for a few casts, a few beers, and some good times."
Quietly, however, Cheek'y Schoolie Tournament has grown to make waves on a national scale.
When asked how the Schoolie Tournament matches up with other events of its kind in the country, Upton could only respond with, "I don't know, but we are really trying to develop. We really think it is the largest fly fishing tournament in the country."
The tournament is unique in a number of ways. Cheeky is particularly proud to support Stripers Forever, a non-profit organization dedicated to making striped bass a gamefish by eliminating commercial exploitation. The Schoolie Tournament emphasizes the catch and release style, where fishermen are encouraged to photograph their fish and release them back into the ocean.
Each year, Cheeky connects with new notable sponsors that help put on a great event and grow the sport. This year's tournament involved companies such as Under Armour, Capefish, Yeti, and many others. They are there to help provide the many prizes for winning teams, and encourage the growth of the fishing community.
"Most sponsors didn’t want to just send product in the mail, but wanted to come and have fun and enjoy the event itself, as well as do some fishing," Upton added.
The fly fishing community is growing each summer and Cheeky Fly Fishing has taken that local interest and run with it. This year the Schoolie Tournament went off without a hitch, and Upton can only assume next year's event will be even bigger.
"We feel really lucky to host such a fast growing event," he said. "The goal for next year is to continue growing the event and exposing more people to fly fishing and the striped bass fishery, but also continuing to preserve the fun, low barrier to entry qualities of the tourney that make it a success in the first place."
Image via Cheeky.
