Under a dense canopy of oaks and maples, a few dozen anglers wade into Oil Creek in western Pennsylvania and gracefully whip their fly-fishing rods with a soft whoosh. They’re here for the trout — and the glory. This is the Oil Creek Classic, an annual fly-fishing tournament held in one of the state’s premier trout streams.
The event, held each May, has been sponsored by the Rotary Club of Titusville since 2014 to raise money for youth programs and scholarships. The tournament is also a community builder, bringing together local residents, fishing enthusiasts from around the state, Rotary members, and partner organizations such as Project Healing Waters, which helps military veterans find peace and healing through fly fishing.
Denny Shannon, from Fairview, Pennsylvania, along Lake Erie, is one of those veterans. He is one of the first anglers to make a catch: a beautiful 14-inch rainbow trout with bright coloring. “I love coming here to fish the tournament and enjoy the camaraderie,” he says.
The Rotary Club of Titusville and partners, including (from left) Andrew Schlicht, Steve Coleman, Benjamin Dolby, Traci Middleton, and Terry Peterson, have sponsored the Oil Creek Classic since 2014. The fly-fishing tournament raises money for youth programs and scholarships.
Image credit: Nate Smallwood
The fishing is all the more exceptional given the area’s industrial heritage. As the name suggests, Oil Creek was once lined with oil wells — among the first anywhere in the world. Tiny Titusville, not Texas, is widely considered the birthplace of the modern oil industry.
The native Seneca people had long used the valley’s “seep oil,” which they skimmed from the surface of the creek, for medicinal salves, insect repellant, paint, and waterproofing for canoes and clothing. In 1859, Edwin Drake, a retired railroad conductor, adopted a technique used to drill salt wells and struck an oil deposit just outside Titusville in what became the country’s first commercially successful oil well. It set off a boom in the valley.
The creek, feeding into the Allegheny River, became an oil highway. At the industry’s height in the 1860s and ’70s, riverboats moved millions of barrels of crude down to Pittsburgh. The hillsides were cut bare for timber, worsening floods, including one in 1892 in which oil tanks — and parts of the oil-filled river — caught fire. More than 100 people died.
Titusville’s last refinery closed in 1950, and years of conservation efforts have improved the water quality. Today, the oil-filled skiffs have been replaced by kayaks and recreational anglers. On its banks, Oil Creek State Park offers more than 50 miles of scenic hiking trails. And the water is home to an abundant population of caddis flies, stoneflies, mayflies, and midges — favorite food for the stream’s trout. Hence, it’s a mecca for fly fishers.
Titusville club member Al Rickerson was among the locals who picked up fly fishing. He and his son, Armand, developed an interest in the sport after taking classes taught by Joe Humphreys, a legend among fly fishers. (Fun fact: He’s also the only person inducted into both the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.)
It soon dawned on Rickerson that an opportunity existed for his Rotary club to tap into the activity. The club had tried, with varying success, to hold events to raise money for service projects. Rickerson decided to try something different. The lure of Oil Creek and fly fishing were quite novel, and Rickerson put together a team to create the Oil Creek Classic. “My history of organizing successful basketball tournaments fed my competitive spirit and helped will the Oil Creek Classic into being,” he says. “The success of the tournament has also shown the town and region what a wonderful natural resource Oil Creek is.” Fly fishers tend to be passionate about conservation.
Running through northwestern Pennsylvania, Oil Creek is a premier fly-fishing destination for anglers going after rainbow and brown trout. Popular sections feature signature trout stream hallmarks with pools, runs, and riffles.
Excellent insect hatches provide plenty of food for the large population of both recently stocked trout and holdover fish that have survived in the wild and offer more of a challenge.
The Oil Creek Classic, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Titusville, takes place each year on the second weekend of May. Learn more at oilcreekclassic.org.
Image credit: Getty Images
Since the first competition 12 years ago, the event has embodied the spirit of Rotary, through service to the community, the support and involvement of local businesses, and the promotion of the area’s outdoor beauty.
This year’s event has drawn fly fishers from the four corners of the state and beyond, including a dozen members of Project Healing Waters who were sponsored by Titusville Rotary in appreciation of the group’s work helping veterans through the therapeutic art of fly fishing.
The night before the contest, participants and staff gather for a meal at Fat Chad’s Tap & Steakhouse. Titusville club member Traci Middleton processes last-minute registrants and hands out gift bags, including a canvas knapsack with the tournament’s logo and a custom-made pocket knife from Titusville’s own Great Eastern Cutlery. Each knife’s carbon blade is etched with an Oil Creek Classic logo.
Middleton is excited by the turnout. “In 2014, we had just four participants, and this year we’ve got over 40,” she says. “We plan on continuing the tradition and showcasing our beautiful town and event and hope to draw more participants locally and from afar in the years to come.”
To share the excitement with more of the community, the club sponsors activities throughout the weekend beyond fishing. One offering is a ride on a vintage train that takes passengers through Oil Creek State Park and past the museum that tells the story of the birth of the oil industry and its subsequent growth to global enterprise. The museum grounds include a replica of Drake’s towering wooden well.
The day ends with dinner and an awards ceremony, emceed by Middleton with big smiles from all in attendance. Club member and Past District Governor Chris Fiely says they’re excitedly planning for next year. “We’re already thinking about whether we change things up, though the club’s existing Oil Creek Classic volunteers remain committed to participating, and maybe we’ll have a new member or two.” Spoken like a true angler ever in search of a catch.
This story originally appeared in the September 2026 issue of Rotary magazine.
