Current News

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Justin Knickerbocker of Cochranton holds the new fly rod combo kit that he won from the Oil Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited. The fly fishing outfit was purchased by the club in memory of the late Ron DeWoody, a founding member of the Oil Creek chapter and a retired educator. At the request of the DeWoody family, funds donated to the Oil Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited in Ron’s name were specifically earmarked for the club’s educational outreach to local youth.

The Franklin-based Oil Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited held its annual banquet April 5th, 2015, and one of the highlights was a fundraiser the chapter conducted to benefit the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.

A box of five dozen flies hand-tied by Ron DeWoody (left) brought in $715, which will be sent to the Parkinson’s foundation to assist in finding a cure for the debilitating disease.

“The foundation is matching grants during the month of April, so the chapter’s donation will be doubled,” said Tom Young (right), who was chairman of the banquet.

Young said donating to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation has special meaning for the Trout Unlimited chapter, as DeWoody, one of the founding members of the Oil Creek TU Chapter, has been battling the disease for many years.

Chapter president Gary Ross (center) said the local coldwater conservation group is “happy to be able to send the donation to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation and proud that banquet attendees gave so generously.” 

On April 28th, 4 youth fly-fishermen and 3 mentors attended Wayne Harpster's Coldwater Kids adventure on Spruce Creek.

  Even though the weather was brutal, they still had a great time, and each one hooked a fish.

  Wayne invites 40 youth from across the state each year.  The event is coordinated with Penn State and PATU. 

 The picture was taken with famed fly-fisherman Joe Humphrey.

Trout Unlimited Chapters Sponsor Scholarship for Clarion University Student (8/27/12) 

Danilyn Schaut, a Clarion University Environmental Biology major, has won the $1000 Cold Water Conservation Scholarship sponsored jointly by the Allegheny Mountain, Iron Furnace, and Oil Creek chapters of Trout Unlimited (TU).  Danilyn is from Kersey Pennsylvania and is the Daughter of Susan Saline and Daniel Schaut.  In addition to her coursework Ms. Schaut is active in research and professional development.  Danilyn is an active member of and Events Committee Chair for the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of The Society for Conservation Biology and a member of the Clarion University Chapter of The Wildlife Society.  Applicants for the TU Scholarship were evaluated based on academic achievement and a commitment to the conservation of cold-water resources.