The 243-acre Lake Habeeb, known for having the "bluest water in the state”, is nested within Rocky Gap State Park located in Western Maryland’s Allegany County. The park, which encompasses over 3,000 acres of public land for visitors to enjoy, is surrounded by rugged mountains making Lake Habeeb a truly beautiful place to fly fish. With generally excellent water clarity, a fly fisher can target largemouth and smallmouth bass, yellow perch, channel catfish, stocked rainbow[...]

Located in Garrett County, the Youghiogheny River (“The Yock,” as it is popularly known), is wide, ranging in width from 80 to 180 feet. Even when other anglers are on the water, there is a sense of being alone on the river. Flowing South to North, the four and a half mile special regulation section offers quality dry fly fishing. The river has been referred to as a hybrid tailwater, given it receives its waters[...]

OFFICIAL RULES FOR: The Maryland Office of Tourism's Great American Outdoor Show Ticket Giveaway There is no purchase or payment of any kind required to enter the Great American Outdoor Show Ticket Giveaway . The contest is not open to employees of the Maryland Department of Commerce (“Commerce” or “the Department”) or Miles Media or their families. All entrants must be 18 years or older. The Sweepstakes will close and the winner will be selected[...]

Just this past week, a large push of rockfish have come out of the rivers and are setting up on the humps just north and south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. There are many ways to target these fish. We have been very successful jigging on them in 15-20ft of water, using 3/4oz jig heads and 4” Bloody Point Chartreuse shad. If the current is strong, we noticed that using 1oz jigs and a 5”[...]

As avid hunters, one of the best and most rewarding things we can do is pass the love for our sport on to the next generation. The good news is that it’s fairly easy to get kids interested, as many are naturally interested in wildlife and nature, but some will take to it slower than others. You can start by watching turkeys and deer at close range and show your kids the little things. Just[...]

My first rod was flamingo pink with a reel that flashed pink and green lights when you cranked it. That rod isn’t what made me want to go fishing as a kid or spend time on the water. I didn’t fall in love with my FisherGirl-branded cap, or pink camouflage, or even my Barbie tackle box. I fell in love with fighting a fish and watching it get scooped up by the net, being dunked[...]

In the spring, Maryland’s Chesapeake swells with silver: shad and river herring. Like salmon, these fish are anadromous: the adults run upstream into fresh water to spawn, then return to the Atlantic Ocean to live for the rest of the year. The new generations develop from fertilized eggs suspended in stream currents to swimming fry and then juveniles, feeding and growing over the summer before migrating to the ocean, where they somehow meet the adult[...]

Duck Hunting in Maryland No article on the early days of waterfowling is complete without mention of the Chesapeake Bay and places such as the Susquehanna Flats, where the Decoy Capital of the World calls Havre de Grace home in Harford County. Maryland has some of the best duck hunting opportunities on the East Coast: From body booting on the Susquehanna Flats; hunting canvasbacks off shore on the Potomac River and wood ducks in flooded[...]

Fishing for Tuna The Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, is one of the most valuable animals in the world. Its commercial value in the Asian sushi and sashimi markets can be as high as $60,000 each for giant tuna. Recreational fishermen on the Atlantic coast pay top dollar for offshore charter boats seeking bluefins. Frequenting the offshore sand ridges and canyons of the continental shelf and slope, these fish are often found wherever there is[...]