Imagine a 17th-century Dutch painting, with rolling farms and a gentle gradient river flowing through a picturesque valley, and you’ve just described western Maryland’s Casselman River. Located 15 miles northwest of the Garrett County FLy Fishing Trail Site at Big Run State Park - about a 20 minute drive - the Casselman is one of Maryland’s best kept secrets for fly fishing. It’s springtime and mid-morning on the Casselman and there’s a caddis hatch on[...]

Catching striped bass on dock lights in December is great, as long as you have tide movement and the right fly fishing gear. I personally like an 8 wt fast action rod with a floating line, for a leader I prefer a 20 lb tapered fluorocarbon leader 9’ long, and a black and purple size 2. Now not just any dock with a light will produce, you need to find one that has at least[...]

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[...]

Sam is a Wildlife Response Technician with the Department of Natural Resources- Wildlife & Heritage Service. She hunts whitetail deer, small game, and waterfowl. Sam also loves the challenge that comes with it and knowing where the meat in the freezer is coming from. Q&A with Sam: What makes Maryland unique? Maryland is unique when it comes to hunting because we are the only state in North America where you can hunt sika deer in[...]

Surrounded by a vast forested watershed and protected within the Morgan Run Natural Environmental Area, Morgan Run is a trout stream located within an hour’s drive of many Marylanders. Regularly stocked with brown and rainbow trout by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, this section of the stream is a Catch & Return Trout Fishing Area - limited to artificial lure fishing. This means there are more opportunities to catch good-sized trout. The miles of[...]

Sometime in mid-March my pulse quickens. Subtle signs, imperceptible at first, announce the arrival of spring. Daffodils and crocus appear. Even our dormant lawn starts to show signs of life. No longer do I need to pass the time watching countless fishing videos on YouTube or scrolling through tackle websites announcing the latest fly rod built with space age technology. It is time to dust off my fishing tackle and make plans to fish the[...]

It is during this time that the staging and spawning of Maryland’s Yellow and White Perch is in full effect. It is a great activity for all ages and is a great way for anglers with or without a vessel to get in on the action. It is an inexpensive activity that I have enjoyed since childhood and now serves as a break from regular annual maintenance and upgrades to my charter boat The Marylander[...]

About White Perch Ask anyone in Maryland to tell you the first fish they caught, and the most likely answer will be a white perch. (Morone americana). Close cousins to striped bass, they’ll take an artificial lure quicker than a whipstitch on a shad dart. They’re prolific in most tidal streams, and they are great fun to catch. Not just for kids either - there are plenty of full-grown adults, including this old stump jumper[...]