The Titusville area is blessed with one of the best fly fishing creeks in the county.
Wanting to harness the great natural resource, and make fly fishing more accessible, the Titusville Rotary Club eight years ago started their fishing fundraiser, the Oil Creek Classic.
This year’s event will take place on May 13 and 14. Accompanying the tournament is a Community Festival, which will help keep the rest of the family occupied while the anglers are on the water.
“With our fishing tournament, we at the Rotary Club want to try and expose the public to just how great fly fishing is, and also expose the fisherman to our great community,” said Al Rickerson, chairman of the event and a past Titusville Rotary Club president.
The event kicks off at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 13 at the Ed Myer complex with registration and Big Al’s Welcome Dinner. Before eating, those who plan on hitting the water the next morning will also hear about the event schedule and get the rules.
The fisherman will then start on Saturday, May 14, at the complex at 7 a.m. The fisherman will have until 5 p.m. to catch all the trout they can. There will be lunch provided by an establishment known as Chris’ Creekside Cafe, named after Rotary President Chris Fiely.
The tournament will conclude with Traci’s Award Banquet with dinner being served and awards being handed out.
The Rotary Club knows that not everyone in the family will want to get their waders on and get in the water. Free for the entire community, and those with friends or family in the water, the club is also hosting their annual Rotary Club Community Festival on the 14th.
This year’s festival will look different from year’s past. To celebrate the Rotary Club’s 100th birthday, the club will be offering a free ride on the OC&T train.
The free train ride will leave the Drake Well station at 10 a.m., and get back at 1. With the community festival happening from 1 to 3 p.m., it gives those interested plenty of time to participate in both activities.
Hot dogs will be served as a free lunch at the festival.
At Drake Well, there will be a host of activities geared for all ages. For the little ones, there is face painting as well as other fun activities.
“We want the kids to come out get their face painted, enjoy themselves and play some games,” said Rickerson.
For those that might want to learn a little about fly fishing, there will also be a fly tying class, and a fly casting class with fly master Garry Kell.
“We wanted it to be so you can have a whole day of fun even if you don’t fish,” said Rickerson. “For those that do fish, we wanted them to access a nice stocked stream, enjoy our great environment and get outdoors.”
The Classic and Community Festival are a fundraiser, but also a chance for the club to give back. A portion of the proceeds from the event will go toward scholarships, and support trips sending Titusville students to the Chincoteague Bay Field Station and a mission trip to Ecuador.
Speaking to why the Rotary Club hosts not only the tournament, but also the festival, Rickerson said, “First of all people come here and might not want to fish. Secondly it also gives the community a chance to experience fly fishing and make it accessible, and the third is just to give back.”
More information about the Oil Creek Classic can be found at occ.titusvilleparotary.org.
Dvorkin can be reached by email at Gdvorkin@titusvilleherald.com.
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