CWA Supports The Maryland Fly Fishing Trail Project

Last year, the CWA Board of Directors agreed to support the Maryland Fly Fishing Trail Project because it aligns closely with our mission and is intended to enhance fly fishing opportunities throughout the state of Maryland. The project envisions a state-wide trail, both as an on-line site and in the form of a map pamphlet, that would serve as a self-guided tour and direct participants to fishing locations (streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and tidal marshes) in each of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City. To see the full description of the Maryland Fly Fishing Trail project, click on the button below.

The Maryland Fly Fishing Trail project is looking for a cadre of committed volunteers who are willing to explore these fishing sites and record what each one offers: what are the species of fish to be caught? how convenient is access? is the site suitable for wading, kayaking, canoeing or boating? are there lodgings or restaurants nearby? are there tackle shops, fishing guides or charter boats available near the site? Project organizers will provide information on how data is to be collected and submitted. Fly fishers from all over the regions and from many organizations will be sharing their fishing experiences and helping to promote the sport of fly fishing.

Chesapeake Women Anglers-
As you may recall, myself and a team of fellow fly fishers have been working over the past year with colleagues from the Maryland Department of Commerce, Maryland Office of Tourism and Maryland Department of Natural Resources on the development of the nation’s first statewide fly fishing trail. We are about a month away from the official launch of the Maryland Fly Fishing Trail’s website. The file below provides a listing of the 48 Trail sites—two in each of Maryland’s 23 counties and two in Baltimore City.

What the Trail’s website now needs most is visual images of people fly fishing and the places Trail participants can go out and experience fly fishing…and catch a wide variety of different fish species.  Here’s where you can directly help launch this first in the nation Fly Fishing Trail.

I am asking for your help in sharing two sets of photographs: photos taken at one or more of the 48 Trail sites as well as fly fishing in action photos and photos of fish caught while fly fishing. We all capture images of the fish we and our fellow fishers have caught and photographs of the waters we have so enjoyed fishing. Please dig back in your archives of fishing photos, select and share images of when you have fished at one or more of the Trail sites. And while you are looking for those photos, please select and share photos of you or others around you actively fly casting or mending a line or fighting a fish or just wading in the middle of a stream or on a boat or kayak or canoe at any location around Maryland.

Please name these image files very simply with the name of the location where the photo was taken and the name of the photographer so your/their contribution to the website can be acknowledged. If you are able to share multiple images from the same location, please number the photos so each has a unique file name.

Then email those photos as attachments directly to me at richbatiuk@gmail.com. If you want to share a number of photos whose size prevents them from being attached to an email message, please email me directly to let me know and I will email you a URL link to a Google Doc shared file which has been set up specifically for this purpose. You can easily upload the image files to that shared file.

And please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or concerns as well via email.

Once the Maryland Fly Fishing Trail website has been launched, I will share more information about the Trail and our future plans for using the Trail to welcome a much greater diversity of people to come out and enjoy everything that fly fishing has to offer.

Thanks, Rich

Rich Batiuk
Maryland Fly Fishing Trail Team, Co-Chair
Free State Fly Fishers, Immediate Past President
Potomac/Patuxent Trout Unlimited Chapter, Member
MD DNR Black Bass Advisory Committee, Vice Chair
Chesapeake Conservancy, Board Member