The tidal Patuxent River flowing through Prince George’s County has a wide variety of fish which readily strike at fishing flies. As the river widens at Jug Bay, fly fishers can choose from bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish, white catfish, chain pickerel, largemouth bass, striped bass, yellow perch, white perch, carp and northern snakehead. This is a fish menu which will keep you busy from early spring to late fall. You will need access[...]

Well, now that spring turkey season is over here in Maryland, it’s time for us hunters to contemplate what we’ll do with all this free time on our hands. Most hunters, at least those I’m acquainted with, will tell you it’s only a few months before the opening of bow season! I’m referring to the elusive whitetail deer. For the majority, this dictates that it’s time to get your bow ready with a visit to[...]

I began my career with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources as a forest ranger in 1987; a year later I accepted a position with the Wildlife Division. Never a big advocate of hunting, I had learned about wildlife population management in college and understood the sports’ recreational and management values. Still, I had much to learn. Working in a division primarily funded through federal dollars and hunting license sales, I wanted to see what[...]

The single-leaf iron and concrete bridge was built in 1932. It’s the focal point of the historic little town that serves as the county seat of Worcester County. It’s also the dividing line between good and great yellow perch fishing on the Eastern Shore. I swing wide around the tight corner at the town’s only red light, checking my mirrors to make sure my 16-foot jon boat trailer doesn’t clip the curb and resolve that[...]

An Interesting Challenge Late season deer are not the kind you’re used to when the season opens. For one, they’ve likely been chased, shot at, and generally pursued for a few months by now. The remaining bucks and does have learned new behaviors and movement patterns to stay alive. That means this is the worst time to slip up by hunting on a wrong wind or making noise on your access trail. Be particularly smart[...]

In addition to the reputation for producing really big blue crabs, the tidal waters around Wye Island also host some very productive fish habitats, ideal for fly fishing. Launching from Wye Landing on the Wye East River, you will quickly find yourself at the eastern end of Wye Island adjacent to Skipton Creek. If you circumnavigated the entire island, you would pass by Pickering, Gross and Lloyd creeks, and Shaw Bay on the south side[...]

Where the free flowing river meets the tidally influenced river, the Choptank River at Red Bridges Trail site in Caroline County provides for a very unique fly fishing experience. For three seasons of the year, the menu of fish species that can be caught by fly fishers changes. Spring brings yellow perch followed by white perch, hickory shad and river herring. Then in the summer the menu changes to largemouth bass, redbreast sunfish, bluegill, crappie[...]

One of the premier East Coast destinations for icing jumbo 12- to 15-inch yellow perch for adventuresome ice-anglers is Maryland’s Deep Creek Lake. At 3,900-acres in Garrett County, the lake also offers a shot at walleyes, northern pike, chain pickerel and huge bluegills once the ice forms. With a 10-fish limit on yellow perch (per angler, per day) the regulation helps to limit the potential for over harvest of these massive, top-end panfish that can[...]

Summer Flounder This left-eyed flatfish has both eyes on the left side of its body. Its "eyed" side is scattered with 10 to 14 eye-like spots which blend in with the ocean floor and it has a white belly. Its belly or underside is white.​ Summer flounder average between 3-6 pounds and 15"-22" (40-56 cm.) long.​ They spend most of their lives on or close to the bottom, as other flatfishes do, and use their[...]