Sunny skies prevailed on Saturday when the Nesquehoning Conservation Club held its Sixth Annual Connell McCall Memorial Fishing Derby at the Nesquehoning Creek, attracting a record crowd in what has become one of the most popular social events in the community.

"It's a great event for people from all of the towns; it seems like everyone enjoys it and it's a good day out," said Donny McGorry, NCC president.While a record 115 children ages 3-15 enjoyed the excitement of the morning, a few hundred other family members, neighbors and friends mingled at the food stands and covered tent area to enjoy homemade ethnic foods, praising the club members for their ongoing initiatives that have made the creek an anglers' delight, and remembering McCall, a Lansford resident who passed away in 2006 at 39.Partnership formedMcCall "loved fishing," said Bob Perrin of Coaldale, a founder of the Friends of Connell McCall, an organization established to remember Connell, a son of Emmett and Mary Ellen McCall, which has partnered with the NCC to make the derby a success.Club secretary/treasurer and Sam Kitchko said, "They have been great partners with the club; they help out quite a bit." That includes raising funds that helped NCC stock 710 fish in the creek and seeking donations so that every child who attends receives a prize.Connell's cousin Peter Crane of Lantana, Texas, donated $500 toward the event.Perrin said the Friends "was organized to perpetuate Connell's name and the things he loved, and so we came up with the idea of a fishing derby."He said timing had a role in the tournament's formation, in that the group began contemplating the derby idea at a time when the NCC was beginning to take its conservation efforts into full swing. Perrin said, "We went to Bill Richards, a club member who was working for Rep. Keith McCall at the time. Bill played a key role in getting this started. It took two years to really get it going, but the NCC was great. They were cleaning up the creek. It now has a supply of life in it and, hopefully, this event will get bigger and bigger every year."NCC Vice President Greg Pecha couldn't say enough about the support that made the derby possible, adding, "Without the club members and their families and the continued support of the community, we could not make this derby a success."He said tents, stands and picnic tables were supplied by the New Columbus and Nesquehoning Fire companies and Joe Kovatch Jr. donated the facilities at the Kovatch Plaza. He said the club purchased 710 fish for the derby, including two fish that were 24 inches and 22 fish that were 18 inches, donated by businesses and local individuals. The two 24-inch fish were donated by Todd Leslie Plumbing.Club is vibrantThe NCC was founded in 2005 and, since that time, has made great strides in transforming the creek into a great fishing location.Kitchko said cleanup of the creek became a goal of the club. "Acid mine water and sewage previously contaminated the waters, and following the installation of the borough's new sewage treatment plant, and water runoff projects, the club activities really picked up."He added, "We cleaned up the creek, but it was a joint effort. The state wasn't stocking it (the creek), but Lehigh-Carbon Community College (which had a campus in Nesquehoning right next to the creek), obtained a Growing Greener grant and used the funding to do a stream evaluation and testing program. Together, with the club, we got the state involved and it was deemed able to support fish."Many club members do many things, McGorry said, including Joe Drosdak and Kitchko, who often "police it," cleaning up garbage; Bob Dunstan, who spends a lot of time cutting brush; and "a lot of behind the scenes work that make the creek so beautiful."He said the club started stocking the creek in 2005 and, two years later, the creek was placed on the state approved trout water list, meaning it became eligible for stocking by the Fish and Game Commission.He said club member Mickey Angst arranged for the Biology Club at LCCC to test the water and the club members started building dams and planting trees along the creek. Meanwhile, "cleanup measures and stream improvements resulted in good, increased habitat for fishing and recreation," said Drosdak.Winning anglersThe overall winner of the derby was Hunter Kennedy, 14, who caught the largest fish, a 17 -inch rainbow trout. In the 3-7 age group, Francesca Staehle and Lexy Coady each caught a 17 1/2-inch rainbow trout. All three youths received a trophy and a fishing rod.The first limit of the derby was caught by Lucas Szumigraj of the 3-7 age group. He received a trophy and a fishing rod. Also with a limit in the 3-7 group was Alex Greenburg. First limits in the 8-12 group were caught by Scott Klingerman and Madison Bunso and first limits in the 13-15 group were Tyler Sacks and Christina Dacey.Prizes were also given to youths who caught the first fish in each age group, including: 3-7, Madison Fisher, Ben Klingerman, Spencer Shirer and Asa Andrews; 8-12, Kamaryne Smith, Kylee Eidol, Brianna Stahley and Brett Balliet; and 13-15, Mike Leslie and Tanner Kennedy.