Waterfront Lifestyles
Water, water, everywhere...
The mid-shore, especially
Talbot County
shares an abundance of waterfront; in fact there are 600 miles of it just in the
county. Our area is blessed with the Bay and several important rivers, the Wye,
Miles, Tred Avon and the Choptank. Interspersed among these major waterways are
numerous tidal creeks, which, in turn, are fed by hundreds of tributaries, each
with its own crooks and bends of running streams and coves, shaped in such a
convoluted manner, that the land looks like a crooked old hand. These
projections form long necks leading to low points at the end, hence the naming
of these features Bailey’s Neck, Deep Neck or Howell Point and Travelers Rest
Point.
Traditionally, oysters, crabs and fish have been the economic backbone of the local economy, however, the supply has diminished to a point that the water has become more valuable to the tourist industry and recreational boating.
Boating
“…believe me my friend, there is NOTHING – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats…” --Kenneth Grahame “The Wind in the Willows”
There is so much to see
and do on the water; it’s difficult to express the pleasure of boating in our
area. Sailing has been synonymous with the Chesapeake for centuries, in fact, it
was the principal means of transportation for more than two hundred years. The local
marinas are located in Oxford, St Michaels, and Tilghman Island. Cambridge also has extensive facilities
off the Choptank. There are two yacht clubs, the Tred Avon
Yacht Club in Oxford and the Miles River Club in St Michaels.
Meanwhile, power boaters have discovered that our sea towns offer a safe harbor for relaxing, shopping or enjoying the local scenes. The trip from the major communities of Western Maryland and Virginia is short enough to permit daily or weekend trips.
Smaller boats with a
shallow draft have the advantage of exploring the low water creeks and inlets -
subject to the tides.
Since marine charts
cannot keep up with local conditions, caution and experience will keep you out
of trouble.
Canoeing and kayaking have emerged from obscure sports to become the fastest growing water recreation activities in the country. Visitors and residents alike have discovered that our 600 miles of waterfront offer endless enjoyable trips around our magnificent tributaries and tidal coves. In addition, the state Natural Resources Agency has established specific “water trails,” which will expand to almost 500 miles by 2005. For the adventurous paddlers, sea kayaking on the Chesapeake has become an exciting activity.
Fishing
For many of our residents and visitors, nothing beats the zing of fish line peeling off a reel and the throb of the bending rod as the fish takes the hook. You can head in almost any direction and you will usually find a place to catch fish. There are numerous ramps to put small boats in the water along most waterways. If you don't own a boat, the options include charter boats (usually with a captain or guide), party boats, small craft rental or just wading off the shoreline. Fish species in the area include our famous rock fish (striped bass), croaker, weak fish, sea trout, whitefish, bluefish, flounder and Spanish mackerel. Further up the rivers and streams look for large mouthed bass in the tidal fresh water.
Crabs and Oysters
Seafood lovers may want to catch the star of
the bay, Maryland’s famous Blue
Crab. Its scientific name
Callinectes
Sepidus, roughly translates to beautiful, tasty swimmer, - and it
certainly is. It’s not hard to do, the choices are trot lines, wooden or metal
traps, hand lines from boats, piers or just wading along the shore. The
entire process is highly regulated and the rules change frequently, so it’s very
important that you obtain the current regulations. Presently, recreational
crabbing is permitted from April first to December fifteenth.
The equally famous Chesapeake Bay oysters or “arsters,” as they were called by the watermen, may be harvested non-commercially during the period October first to May thirty-first, using tongs, rakes or by hand. The oyster regulations are subject to change, so that it is important to check the rules regularly.