how clean is your beach?

the natural resources defense council has published their annual list of cleanest...and dirtiest beaches...maryland has the seventh cleanest beaches and virginia is ranked number 4: where does your beach rank?

skishing

since i havent been catching any stripers lately (im blaming it solidly on the heat) im reading everything i can to get a leg, or rather a fin,  up. in todays wall street journal they cover an insane fishing style called skishing, invented by a biker from new york. the video above gives a great overview of the craziness of it all, but this non-embedding trailer on the skisherman is more revealing as to what motivates this guy to fish offshore in a wet (dry?) suit. wonder if i can still squeeze into mine. pretty wild.

see food

i fished sunday as long as i could stand the heat near the channel marker...for the second time this month, i almost got thrown in the water by a cabin cruiser flying by about 20 feet from me...i guess he just wanted to put his wake in my boat: it was about 5 foot high, btw. what a jerk. i didnt catch any fish, either. so i headed to captain faunce's for my fill.

big fish

i saw this photo on the weather channels' site while checking radar. yes: this is a big fish to catch with a fly rod, but am i mistaken or is there something swimming up behind him?

chesapeake bay weekend events

•Cambridge Classic Hydroplane Regatta   

the 100th annual high-speed hydroplane regatta series is the american powerboat association's world championships for inboard hydroplanes and jersey skiffs,  11 a.m.-5 p.m, saturday and sunday

•Cruise for Kids   

easter seals combines boaters with special needs kids for a day on the water at harborview marina  in baltimore, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m

•groovin in the park

groove in the park at groovin in the park at holly point nature park in deltaville with music on the waterfront from 6-8 p.m. 

•Bumper BASH

hook up at the bumper bash on dobbins island on the magothy river, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. 

•Kilmarnock Farmer's Market   

local growers will sell their produce and goods on main street in kilmarnock, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 

•Mari*Fest    

this annual festival at the havre de grace maritime museum has maritime activities for the whole family, including a crab and bull roast and the upper bay soup challenge, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 

hydroplane races

   The 100th annual cambridge classic regatta series started today and flies through sunday, 11-5. held at great marsh park, this event is the American Powerboat Association's World Championships for inboard hydroplanes and Jersey skiffs: looks wild!

dolphins in the potomac river

i fished near point lookout the other day: caught a couple croakers...a few blues...didnt keep anything. on the way pack in to my dock, i saw dolphins! i have seen them here before,  but not in a while. they come in to the potomac river to feed and have been doing so for a long time: back in july 1884 it is reported some dolphins made their way up to the tidal basin. people freaked out and shot at them for days...word has it, they escaped alive and unscathed. we all should be so lucky!

jellyfish sandwich

i am sure i am not the only one who noticed all of the mini jellyfish everywhere in the bay and the big ones on the beaches this past hot, hot weekend. i was just thinking how i had not seen any since earlier in the spring- but then i remembered i wasnt in or on the water very much the last few weekends because of heat and/or storms.

no swimming for a while, but maybe a jellyfish sandwich is in order.

weekend boating events

it's the dog days, people: enjoy it while it lasts!

saturday    

•watch fresh-built boats race and eat fried stuff at the wright skiff race and fish fry in deltaville, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

•the wooden boat festival on tom's river in new jersey starts at 9 today. wooden boats,  nautical vendors, marine artists, and boat rides accompany many boatbuilding activities.

•the lower eastern shore antique and classic boat show is hosted by the wicomico yacht club and features antique and classic boats, a barbecue, a boat parade and live music.

sunday   

•solomon's puts on the screwpile regatta challenge sunday through tuesday.

time for fishing

it is supposed to be stormy a little later, so i am headed out looking for rock...

or spanish mackerel.

chesapeake bay weekend events

it is so hot here in the mid-atlantic, but it is finally breaking and cooler weather will prevail for the next few days...

so go check out a festival on the water this weekend...

Nanticoke Riverfest
it started thursday and continues through saturday, the nanticoke river festival in seaford features canoe and kayak races, a treasure hunt, live entertainment, a carnival and more. tonight, 4:30 - 11 p.m.; Sat. 7:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Blackbeard Festival
tall-ships head for hampton where re-enactments of blackbeard's sea battles, pirate folklore, pirate songs and music lively up the waters saturday 10am-11pm and sunday noon-6pm. argh: check it out!

Junior Olympics Sailing Festival
the rock hall yacht club hosts junior olympic sailing hopefuls from around the country for this competition in the upper bay.

Swim for Life
swim one, two, three, four or a five mile course on the chester river to raise money for HIV/AIDS research. registration begins at 7 a.m. and the swim starts at 9 a.m.


Taste of Cambridge
who will be top chef of Dorchester County? all will be revealed during the crab cook-off which is the highlight of the taste of cambridge annual street festival. there will also be a professional crab-picking contest, live entertainment and more.

Runoff Rundown
so far more than $13,000 has been raised to benefit the james river runoff rundown. the paddle starts tomorrow when volunteers traverse the entire 340-miles of the james river in one day as a benefit for the James River Association. join them!


Birthday Bash
celebrate alexandria's birthday in conjunction with america's! fireworks start at dusk and will be accompanied by the alexandria symphony orchestra. starts at 4 - 10pm


Leukemia Cup Regatta
head to deltaville for the leukemia cup regatta, a silent and live auction, a gala and two days of yacht racing. the fishing bay yacht club races start at 11am on saturday, and follow up with the auction and dinner beginning at 5:30 pm. races start on sunday @ 11 a.m.


Log Canoe Races
the chester river yacht club and the rock hall yacht club sponsor annual log canoe races in the chester river off langford creek: paddle up! saturday races begin at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; the sunday race starts at 10:30 a.m.


Watermen's Heritage Celebration
enjoy the workboat parade...pray as the fleet is blessed...secretly bet on your favorite workboat in the races...watch entertainment...buy arts and crafts...and eat lots of seafood at this annual celebration at the watermen's museum in yorktown, 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. July 11


Thomas Point LighthouseTours
check out the chesapeake bay's most infamous lighthouse at thomas point. reserve a seat through the annapolis maritime museum beginning at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.