Beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 30, the Bath Area Fish Committee held its 67th Annual Children’s Fishing Contest in memory of Tommy Fehr and Herbie Bensing at Monocacy Creek with two days of fishing and fun for children ages 0 to 15.
The Bath Area Fish Committee stocked the creek Friday evening with 503 trout this year,
costing them $3,000, which they raised through donations from businesses and individuals in the community. These donations also allowed the committee to purchase prizes for 20 tagged fish, consisting of fishing poles, nets, and tackle boxes. Various baskets of toys, fishing gear, candy, and even a bike was purchased or donated to the committee, which was raffled off on Sunday, May 1 at noon, and helped the committee raise back some of the funds they used for the contest.
Families arrived early to set up their spots all along Monocacy Creek. At 8 a.m. Chris Fehr sounded the horn with Bath Borough Mayor Fiorella Mirabito, Bath Borough Council Vice President Frank Hesch, and Pa. State Representative Ann Flood who all came out for the festivities.
State Rep. Ann Flood, who grew up going fishing with her dad, expressed, “I love being here to watch the children fish. I find a lot of enjoyment in it and it’s great for them to be outdoors and pick up a great pastime.”
Scott Cavallo of the Bath Area Fish Committee was raised in Bath and grew up playing in the Monocacy Creek every summer with his brother and sister, so the fishing contest is very special to him. Cavallo and other members of the committee met with volunteers the prior evening at 6:30 p.m. to stock the creek. Cavallo stated, “The kids helped dump the fish in the creek and it was cool because they got to see how big they were.”
The contest, which ended May 1 at 3:30 p.m., limited the catches to four fish per person. Children of all ages were very excited to show off their catches, and many of them caught their four fish within the first hour of the contest. Proud parents and grandparents could also be seen teaching and helping their children and grandchildren bait their hooks, cast their lines, reel in, and dehook their fish.
The Bath Area Fish Committee is a nonprofit organization run entirely by dedicated volunteers and is still accepting late donations to help cover the costs of this year’s contest and prepare for next year’s.
Any local businesses, organizations, or individuals who wish to make a donation can make checks payable to the Bath Area Fish Committee, Federal Tax ID# 270504688. The donations can be mailed to BAFC, P.O. Box 143, Bath, PA 18014. For additional information, contact committee member Pete Lalik at 610-730-6737.
