Anglers interested in learning successful techniques and materials used in fly fishing have a unique opportunity to see some of the world’s best fly anglers and tiers at this year’s Lefty Kreh TieFest at the Prospect Bay Country Club in Grasonville, Maryland. Even if you’re not into fly fishing, you can see the patterns that work effectively for landing fish such as striped bass, perch and trout. The Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland sponsors the event. Among other accomplishments, the nonprofit was instrumental in bringing back the yellow perch population in Chesapeake tributaries. The event is March 7th and activities run from 10AM to 9PM. ccamd.org
Norfolk resident sets world record in a dinghy
A personal achievement became a family achievement for 51-year-old Norfolk, Virginia, resident Robert Suhay when he set the world record for the longest single-handed sail in a dinghy by a male. This past November, Guinness World Records confirmed he had sailed 283.5 nautical miles (326.24 miles) in a journey that ended on July 2nd. In a story published in the Christian Science Monitor, his wife Lisa wrote “While he didn’t set out to do this, this voyage emerged as a father’s route back to a meaningful relationship with his sons—Zoltan, 20, Ian, 19, Avery, 15, and Quin, age 10. And that’s the real feat my husband accomplished.”
Robert began sailing at 5:08AM on Sunday, June 28th in a 14’15” Laser. Eighty-six hours later and far up the Patuxent River, he accepted a tow to Calvert Marina unsure if he had accomplished his goal. Suhay sailed without a chase boat and rough conditions created by Hurricane Arthur forced him to zig-zag across the Chesapeake Bay in order to outrun the storm. Effects of the hurricane knocked out his communications early in the journey and later prompted the U.S.C.G. Mid-Atlantic Division to eventually stop his record attempt short of home. But data from a GPS in his life jacket pocket proved that he had sailed the record distance. A complete and, at times, gripping personal account of his journey is available at robertsuhay.com.
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Gulf Stream Fishing
Captain Ernie Foster will talk about the origins of Gulf Stream sport fishing off the North Carolina Coast during a presentation at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras April 7th. Foster made his first trip to the Gulf Stream in 1951, and his father, the late Captain Ernal Foster, had the first charter boat in North Carolina built specifically for deep-sea fishing. The free presentation will include vintage photographs and vintage fishing tackle along with historically accurate information from a true waterman. For more details, call the museum at (252) 986-2995 or visit ncmaritimemuseums.com.
Back Bay Project
A developer is moving forward with a proposed marina project near Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach. Doug Wilkins applied for the permit for the marina (64 members-only slips) and a boat ramp, which would be located off Sandpiper Road in Sandbridge, near the Baja Restaurant. However, the project faces challenges as biologists and supporters of the refuge believe the marina will be detrimental to the wildlife and vegetation that flourish in the area. The Army Corps of Engineers is currently working on an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project.
By Christopher Knauss, Southern Boating, March 2015