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HANCOCK — March 30, 2010 — The third-annual “One Bug” fly-fishing trout tournament is scheduled for Friday, April 23 through Sunday, April 25 on the Upper Delaware River.
Sponsored by Friends of the Upper Delaware River (FUDR), the catch-and-release tourney will be headquartered at the Old Capitol Theatre at 170 Front St. in Hancock.
“This event celebrates the sport and camaraderie of fly-fishing,” FUDR Chairman Dan Plummer said. “It pairs avid sportsmen – and sportswomen – with great guides, and together they chase our beautiful river’s world-famous wild rainbows and hungry spring browns.”
The hook, Plummer said, is that each team selects a single artificial fly each day. If it breaks off or is otherwise lost, the team’s day of tournament fishing is finished. The event was fashioned after the Jackson Hole “One Fly” fundraiser in Jackson, Wyo.
The One Bug is the most important fundraising event of the year for FUDR, a nonprofit stream advocacy group. FUDR has been a leader in the battle to get in place a more sensible water-release plan from the area’s reservoirs, providing both safety from flooding and a sustainable world-class fishery.
The fly-fishing tournament has raised more than $25,000 a year. Proceeds have been used for such things as the ongoing restoration of Sands and Cadosia creeks, crucial Delaware River feeder streams in Delaware County that were ravaged by flooding in June 2006.
FUDR has also donated generously to other local causes, including the Lourdes Hospital Hancock clinic, Loaves and Fishes Food Bank in Hancock, and a local youth wrestling team.
The fly-fishing tournament, limited to 18 teams, has only a few slots still available, Plummer said. The per-team entry fee is $2,200. The number of entries has more than doubled since the first year.
The weekend kicks off with a reception and party at the Old Capitol Theatre on Friday, April 23. That event is open to the public. Tickets are $100.
The evening includes dinner, an open bar and a live and silent auction.
For Friday tickets or entry information, visit www.fudr.org or call Plummer at (607) 363-7848.
“There will be no long speeches, just a few fish stories,” Plummer said. “This is our night to say thanks to all the contestants, guides, local business owners and residents of our area. We do it right, and everyone has a blast.”
The tournament fishing begins on Saturday, April 24, with a kickoff breakfast at the Circle E Diner in Hancock.
River guide Jim “Coz” Costolnick will offer advice on the crucial decision of choosing a single fly for the day.
At day’s end, the teams will convene at the Bluestone Grill in Hancock to tally scores, swap stories and mull the following day’s fly selections.
The final day of fishing begins on Sunday, April 25, with breakfast at the Hancock House Hotel.
“This event is about doing something good for both the fishery and the community,” FUDR Vice President Lee Hartman said. “We try to involve as many local businesses as we can, and many of them, like the Hancock House Hotel and Smith’s Colonial Motel, offer gracious discounts for our participants. We hope we return the favor by giving the local economy a boost.”
Susan Alper, co-owner of the Bluestone Grill, said the tournament calls attention to the many benefits that sportfishing brings to the area.
“We all need to embrace the rivers because they are a primary attraction for those who visit the area,” she said. “When the rivers are down, so is our business. There is a direct relationship between our success and the health of the rivers.”
An awards dinner will be held Sunday evening at the Old Capitol Theatre. Trophies go to the top guide, the top three teams and the highest-scoring individual.
In addition, this year FUDR will award its first Jimmy Charron Award, named in honor of a longtime and highly respected river guide from Equinunk, Pa. who died recently.
Winners of the initial “One Bug” in 2008 were Paul Robino and Terry DiSabatino, fishing as the “Delaware Boys.” Last year’s winners were Andy Tumalo and Paul Weamer, competing as the “Big Fish” team.
“This event is not about the trophies,” Tumalo said. “It’s about having a great time and doing something good for the fish and the rivers.”