December 26th, 2021 was a beautiful, warm, and windless day. As is our tradition, we loaded up and headed off to Weatherly for the week between Christmas and the New Year. We arrived mid day. It was so nice outside that Mic, Johnny and I decided to head out with our rods to see if we could find a few Rockfish. While the keeper season ended December 15th, catch and release was still an option. Off we went, out of Leeds Creek to the Miles and into Eastern Bay.

Our first stop was old faithful, Deep Water Point. We tossed a few lures on the pole and searched the edges for marks – nothing doing. Next up was Tilghman Point, where we noticed a number of gulls resting on the water waiting for the bait to rise. We quietly idled about looking for marks and even cutoff the engine for a drift – again, no marks and no visible bait. Johnny encouraged us to keep heading out, believing the fish would turn up somewhere in Eastern Bay.

The water was so calm and the visibility so clear, we could motor at full tilt and Mic’s hawk eyes could pick up birds, if they were working, within a mile or so. Still, we saw no working birds. We arrived at Kent Point near the main stem, but by this time I noticed it was 4:17 PM and the sun was due to set at 4:50pm. Mic was losing enthusiasm and resting on the bow platform while Johnny and I idled across the shallow flat to find the deep edge. When we hit 45 feet we saw a mark and decided we needed to get lines in the water or we would have no chance of catching anything. Johnny and I put our lines down, and let our 60 gram Blue Blue’s hit the bottom and we began to jig.

I kept an eye on the screen, and noticed a small pod of big fish on the bottom in 50 feet, and said to Johnny, “Stay on the jig, we are over fish.” We both kept the jig going, and boom, Johnny hooked up with a monster. I pulled my line in, Mic got up quickly and grabbed the net and we watched Johnny wrestle this fish. We knew it was a special moment and hoped the leader would hold and we could land this fish. I took out my phone and began to video. We had recently completed the Weatherly Outdoors website and were beginning to post on Instagram (which I know nothing about), so I was hoping to have some content for the site. I distinctly remember saying to myself, “no cursing on WO, we need to be on our best behavior”. Well, you will notice in the video below my efforts were a failure.

I struggle with my language sometimes, particularly  in the course of relaxed outdoor activities.  I’m working on it. This video captures such a special moment with two of my sons out on the water enjoying the peace of a warm winter day in late December and hooking up with a fish we will never forget – I hope you can extend grace as we work on our language.

When Johnny got the fish to the boat, we realized the net was too small and I had to put the phone down, but as you can see I left the video running – so the sound of chaos and the effort to land the fish can be imagined. I had to reach over the side and get my hand in her mouth, which was a bit stressful with just one small hook in her lip. To say the least, landing this fish was thrilling.

We took a few quick pictures, and wanted to get her back in the water as fast as we could to ensure her survival.  

Of course we forgot to weigh her, measure her, and all the other smart stuff necessary to get a certificate. However, we did think about it as Johnny was so aptly preparing her for release back into her element. Mic grabbed a rod, Johnny put the end of the rod on the fishes nose, and then Mic put his hand at the tail of the rod just before she was ready to swim off. She measured at least 47 inches and maybe as much as 50 inches, but we will never truly know. You can see the release in the next video and the effort to measure her.

A classic! What a memory! It was an amazing afternoon on the water together with two young men I love so deeply. We arrived back at the house just as darkness set in to share the story with the rest of the family. Living the story is one thing, telling it over and over again is almost as good.

Through and through Maryland’s eastern shore is in my blood, and I think it is in all our blood now. There is something special about Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. It’s hard to explain, but easy to notice when you are upon these waters. I am reminded of the scripture Tee and I held onto when we purchased Weatherly in 2007 – Psalm 29 was the word we heard and remains the focal point of our experiences at Weatherly, and upon the waters that surround us.

The voice of the Lord is available to us all, maybe not audibly (at least for me), but able to be heard. It is powerful and real, and for me heard most acutely as I enjoy Gods creation. The verse in Psalm 29 that stands out in my heart is verse 3- “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters”.

Indeed it is, and indeed every time I am upon the waters my souls is refreshed and my spirit enriched as I hear the still small voice of God speaking –  “I love you, I see you, I made this for you, and I am with you as you see Me in and through my creation.”

Surely this day, we each experienced a bit of re-creation as we recreated together on a warm December day in 2021. I have a feeling 2022 is going to be a good year, and hopefully one filled with the joys of being outside – with God, learning from God, how to be like God – and maybe, hopefully, cleaning up the language just a bit.

Happy New Year!