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Tuesday, January 25, 2000 Page: 3
Working to protect the outdoors, the Nanticoke Conservation Club has been
sponsoring projects and events for over 50 years. The group, made up of
several hunters and fishermen, will hold their Second Annual Ice Fishing Derby
this weekend, the latest in their long tradition of outdoor projects. The
first ice fishing derby was held at Moon Lake in 1997, explained Gerry Bavitz,
the clubs secretary. Despite wet and rainy conditions it went well.
Unfortunately, derbys in 1998 and 1999 were cancelled because of warm weather
and lack of safe ice. But this years extreme cold weather should insure the
derby will go on as planned on January 29. Along with the derby, an ice
fishing clinic will be held for youngsters up to 15-years-old, Bavitz said.
Included in this clinic will be video presentations, slides and demonstrations
of knot tying, bait presentations, safety habits and be kind to your
environment lectures. The youngsters will then proceed to the lake to be
taught the proper methods of ice fishing. The derby is just the latest in many
projects the club has sponsored. The Conservation Club can be traced back to
1946 when it was known as Camp 272 of Nanticoke, PA, and later the Nanticoke
Rod and Gun Club. The club received its charter as the Nanticoke Conservation
Club on April 4, 1951. The original purpose of the club was hunting. Its sole
purpose was to stock rabbits in the fields around Nanticoke and anywhere else
public hunting was allowed, explained Bavitz. These rabbits were imported from
as far away as Missouri. The club operated this way for some time, with
hunters being the sole beneficiaries and leaving the fisherman out in the
cold. When the club changed its name from the Nanticoke Rod and Gun Club to
the Nanticoke Conservation Club, fisherman became more active. The club built
several boats for use at Lake Silkworth, Nuangola, Sylvan Lake and Harveys
Lake. In the 1970s, the club started its cleanup of litter along Route 29 near
Harveys Creek. This cleanup has now expanded to twice a year. This project is
now done in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the
Pennsylvania Department of Transporation and the Pennsylvania American Water
Company. The club has accomplished much at Harveys Creek. Several years ago,
creek deflectors were installed in the lower section of Harveys Creek to
deflect the flow of water toward the middle of the stream during low water
periods, Bavitz explained. In 1992, a jack dam was built in the upper section
of the creek along with Route 118.