At 79, Punkin Haddaway’s Still Crabbing and Still Being Punkin
Punkin Haddaway started working on the waters of Broad and Harris creeks in Talbot County when he was nine years old. Crabs and oysters. Staples. They are to watermen what corn and soybeans are to farmers. “I crabbed on one side of Harris Creek, my father crabbed the other side. “We lived in Wittman; no […]
Ice Storms, Dismal Oyster Market and Frost’s Birches
Lots to report here on Grace Creek on this 19-degree January morning, the whole world here, creek to sky, encased in ice. Stubborn ice it is, too, given the sub-freezing forecast for the next several days. Waxy green magnolia leaves gleam and pout in ice, drooping with little of their typical southern swagger. Shimmering holly […]
Colen Sisters making their Mark on the Mid-Shore with Hippocratic Growth
Hippocratic Growth. It’s a philosophy; an intention; a corporation. And now, in large letters, beneath an iconic Masonic Temple symbol, the simple phrase emblazons the front of one of the most prominent and historic commercial buildings in downtown Chestertown. The 19th-century red brick building at the corner of Monument and Court streets serves as corporate […]
Shipping News: A Globe-sailing Skipper visits Grace Creek
His home is in a small town named Metz in eastern France. “It’s near the border with Germany and Austria.” I’m thinking that’s where his mother is too. When I made photographs of him and his boldly painted sailboat motoring out of Grace Creek, headed for Oxford, he asked me to send them to him […]
Lion’s Mane jellyfish a reminder of our cold winter
The large, orangish and red jellyfish floating around the surface of our creeks and rivers are another remnant of the cold winter quickly becoming a memory. Lion’s Mane jellyfish typically inhabit colder waters of the North Atlantic but, drifting with currents associated with colder than usual temperatures, they can make it into the brackish waters […]
Watermen Closing Out Wild Oyster Season
A warm and sunny afternoon in late March. Light winds. A dozen or so deadrises still oystering out on Broad Creek. Many of the boats have already come in; the earliest, two young divers who have been the first to get their 12-bushel limits for many days now. Price has been holding steady at $35 […]
Our Cold, Snowy Winter could Benefit Rockfish Population
Long, wet, snowy and cold winters, as 2025 has brought us, are just the thing to spark at least “cautious optimism” in Maryland’s striped bass program manager. Beth Versak of Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources said this week that really cold and snowy winters can result in above-average spawn success. That could lead to a […]
Invasive Catfish, West Coast Oyster Shells Fueling Chesapeake Renaissance
“At Tilghman Island Seafood, we collaborate closely with watermen who are dedicated to the Chesapeake Bay’s unique ecosystem. These local watermen recognize that their livelihoods are deeply connected to the health of our waters. We are committed to balancing productive fishing with responsible practices to help secure the Bay’s future.” – FromTilghman Island Seafood’s promotional […]
Maryland deploys icebreaker to clear channels for watermen
Freezing temperatures, just taking a break now, have been clogging Eastern Shore creeks making it difficult for watermen to get out to public oyster bars. It’s tough enough for them to make any money during the lean months of January and February without the added complication of ice. One of Maryland’s fleet of buoy tender/ice […]
Deep freeze driving large numbers of Canada geese to Eastern Shore
A survey of the 2024 nesting season on Quebec’s Ungava Peninsula for our Atlantic Flyway Canada geese recorded one of the lowest reproduction rates on record. Given that, why are we seeing so many more Canadas in our fields and waterways this year than we’ve seen in previous years? The answer is obvious, but before […]