This year’s Cape Lookout Albacore Festival, the Crystal Coast’s premiere fly fishing and light tackle tournament/event is a three-day event and will be held on October 20th – 22nd 2016. The festival aims to raise money for our cause and the veterans we serve. The first day is a private Healing Waters Day for Disabled Veterans followed by the Public Festival and Tournament on the second and third days. This year’s festival is full of prizes, auction items, music, food, and most importantly great fellowship. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to try your hand at some of the area’s finest fishing while helping to raise awareness and funds for our cause.Here’s some history on the Cape Lookout Albacore Festival from their website: “The original Cape Lookout Albacore Festival began in 2002 as the vision of past Director Charlie Utz. His two year old daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2001 and had undergone treatments at Duke Children’s Hospital. The Albacore Festival was organized as a charity event to raise money for children being treated for Cancer at the Hospital. The Tournament was an instant success and went on for several years raising money for it’s charity.
Fast forward to the year 2014. It had been several years since the last Albacore Festival. A group of fishing friends and admitted “Albie Addicts” started throwing around the idea of resurrecting the Cape Lookout Albacore Festival. With the blessing of past Director Charlie Utz, the Cape Lookout Albacore Festival was reborn. Since North Carolina has such strong military ties, and because we are all grateful for those who serve to protect our freedom, it was decided to name Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing as the Festival’s charity. Throughout 2014, the CLAF Board met, planned, made contacts, and laid out the blueprints for the 2014 Albacore Festival. The entire fly fishing community united to donate time, money and goods for the Festival, and thanks to all of them, the new Cape Lookout Albacore Festival was a great success. $10,000 was raised during the 2 day event and donated to Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.
The Cape Lookout Albacore Festival is a 2 day event open to the public, along with a private “Healing Waters Day” for disabled military veterans. The Thursday “Healing Waters Day” is organized with PHWFF along with local boat captains, to give disabled veterans the opportunity to get out on the water and chase False Albacore on fly. The Friday of the Festival is a pre fishing day, with a Captains Party that evening at Anchorage Marina in Atlantic Beach. The Captains Party includes a BBQ dinner, art and fishing gear auctions, raffles, live music, etc. Saturday is the Fishing Tournament followed up by an Awards Banquet that evening. Prizes include top of the line fishing gear and the world famous Copper Albacore trophies. We are working hard to make the Cape Lookout Albacore Festival the premier fly fishing tournament/festival on the East Coast. We hope to see you this Fall!”
To learn more about the Festival please visit www.capelookoutalbacorefestival.com
Our deepest thanks to everyone at The Cape Lookout Albacore Festival for their continued generous support of our cause and the veterans we serve. We are truly honored.