There is a true gem in St. Mary’s County when it comes to fishing and that is St. Mary’s Lake. Nested within St. Mary’s State Park’s 2,200 acres of mainly undeveloped lands, the lake encompasses 250 acres of fishing habitat for a great assortment of fish species including bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, redear sunfish, chain pickerel and yellow perch. The park offers a modern comfort station, picnic tables, playground, boat launch ramps and a large[...]

At one time, the property was an active sand and gravel mining operation, now it is restored to its natural environment. Governor Bridge Natural Area offers a unique fishing experience in Prince George’s County right off Route 301 in Bowie. Today, largemouth bass flourish in the eight-acre lake. Fly fishers can also cast for black crappie, redear sunfish and catfish. A loop trail encircles the lake and provides excellent opportunities for hiking, bicycling, nature study[...]

Bow hunting is a way of life, a natural order if you will. This is especially true in the traditional sense (i.e., longbow or recurve bow). I choose to hunt with traditional equipment as it affords me a deep, personal challenge in perusing game. The traditional bow allows one to become a better hunter being limited to shorter working ranges for harvesting intended prey. I am talking 20 yards and under. It ensures that the[...]

We knew where they should be, and we can affirm that catching big fish right there that time of year with heavy jig-heads and plastic baits on conventional spinning gear is quite doable. We’ve done that. But, could we dial in an effective fly pattern, achieve the perfect drift, and get the nearly weightless fur, feathers and wide-gape hooks down in the rip-current to where the fish were hunkered? There was only one way to[...]

Accessed through Cecil County’s North East Community Park, the North East River provides fly fishers with a great freshwater tidal river fly fishing experience. Given the number of different fish species you can catch at this Trail site—bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, largemouth bass, river herring, striped bass, white catfish, white perch, yellow perch, northern snakehead and blue catfish—there is always something on the fly fishing menu for everyone in your group. Given you are fishing[...]

Protected by the Patapsco Valley State Park, the Patapsco River offers a great fly fishing experience for those just starting to pick up the fly rod as well as those who have been fly fishing for decades. The State Park provides multiple points to access the river, each with parking, and the river itself is easy to fish from shore or by wading in the gentle currents. In the spring, you can cast for the[...]

You have a campsite or a cabin on an island, boat launch ramps and place to tie up your boat, miles and miles of marked water trails, tidal creeks bisecting beautiful salt marshes, and access to miles of beaches on Chesapeake Bay– you just described a perfect weekday or weekend stay at Janes Island State Park in Somerset County on the lower Eastern Shore. And when you add that you can catch speckled trout, redfish[...]

This summer I wanted to catch a big rockfish. So this summer, me and my dad learned how to catch them. Our first two times we did not catch any rockfish. But then we figured it out and started to get the hang of it and started catching them. So during the summer my dad and I had a blast. But I still hadn’t caught a big one yet. I asked if I could go[...]

Depending on who you talk to, some may say the Waterfowl Festival (November 9 th, 10 th, and 11 th) in Easton, Maryland is for fine art, while others will tell you it’s the best place to learn about traditional Eastern Shore heritage, and a hunting buddy might tell you it’s the place to pick up the latest and greatest hunting gear. It truly does have something for everyone and is a great fall weekend[...]