The Bald Eagle Sportsmen’s Club has announced a list of upcoming activities including their stocking day set for next Saturday, March 25.
The club’s vice president Buddy Daughenbaugh said the organization has been raising trout for more than 50 years. The club has about 125 members and was started in 1945. A trout nursery was started in 1954, according to the club’s George Jackson. The cooperative nursery raises 45,000 trout each year.
“We are probably one of the oldest clubs in the area,” said Daughenbaugh. “I’d like to see a lot of people show up for the stocking day. Rain we don’t care about – we stock rain or shine.”
He said a lot of snow could create a different story and the club would get word out if there is any postponement. More information on the stocking day is available through Tim Christine at 684-5045.
The club also sponsors 10 fishing derbies that are free to the kids. The first of those this season is scheduled for Reservoir Park on April 15. The Albemarle Corporation Children’s Fishing Derby will run from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Contact Harry Raling at 684-2998 for more details.
In addition to the stocking day and the involvement with the fishing derbies, the club also offers shotgun grocery shoots which run through the first Thursday in April starting at 7 p.m. The club has .22 rifle grocery shoots on the first Friday of the month including April 7 and May 5 at 7 p.m.
Daughenbaugh said the Association has a trap-shooting league. Interested persons should contact Max Morbeto at 342-1617.
Hunter safety courses are also offered twice a year. Daughenbaugh said, “With everything that’s going on, we are trying to teach everyone gun safety. It’s not the gun that kills, it’s the guy behind it.”
Daughenbaugh can be contacted about the safety course at 684-3386.
He also spoke of the upcoming Bald Eagle Creek Trout Tournament scheduled for April 22 and 23 at Bald Eagle Creek.
The Bald Eagle Creek Trout Tournament Association will be holding the eighth annual tournament to benefit the Bald Eagle Sportsmen and the Port Matilda Fire Company. Mark Jackson can be contacted at 632-7222 for more details on the tourney.
The Sportsmen’s Club holds regular meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 8 p.m. The club is located on Route 350 north of Snappy’s going towards Philipsburg on the northbound side of the road. The phone number for the club is 684-8404.
