Fish

The Potomac River serves as the southern border to all of Washington County, making it an obvious outlet on which anglers can try their luck. But there are a number of other places in the county where one can fish, ranging from small creeks to large lakes. And there is a wide variety of fish to be had. Here is a list of some of the lesser-known fishing spots in Washington County, what baits you should use and what you can expect to catch, according to hookandbullet.com . Mount Aetna Creek: About 2 1/2 miles up Mount Aetna Road from Robinwood Professional Center, fishermen will find largemouth bass, white bass and sucker.

Two men swam safely to shore after their fishing boat filled with water Monday morning in the Potomac River near the Snyders Landing boat ramp. Daniel Bowman, who lives near Smithsburg, said in a brief interview after the accident that he was fishing for bass with his friend Mike Lama when the anchor of their boat “got loose.” “The water was swift in that spot and we just went down,” Bowman said. “I’ve been in the river a lot of years and that’s the first time that’s happened.” When asked how long he was in the water, Bowman said, “however long it takes to swim to shore.” Sharpsburg Volunteer Fire Department Deputy Chief Chris Mullendore said he believed the two men were in the water for about an hour.

It’s always good to begin a fishing story with a little humor. “You know Alan,” I said to my fishing buddy, “all fishermen are liars except for you and me, and to tell you the truth, I’m not real sure about you.” He didn’t agree with my assessment. I also excluded Lawrence, another fishing buddy, from that fraternity of truthfulness, because I once caught him holding up five aces from a card deck in one hand on the captain’s boat. He seems always to take my money at our friendly card game.

Wildwood Middle School students in teacher Carolyn Thomas' science classes are learning how to protect the environment by learning how to fly-fish. On Tuesday, they grabbed fly rods and, using bits of Velcro for flies, tried to land stuffed cloth fish strewn about simulated ponds of dark blue vinyl tarps. Their instructors were Josh Nease, Trout Unlimited's West Virginia Headwaters youth education coordinator for all nine West Virginia counties in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and Kati Cole, of Trout Unlimited's National Fly Fishing in School Program.

Alaska has a soundtrack all its own — the thunderous groan of a glacier, the splashing tail of a king salmon, the deep baritone of a moose. It's an unparalleled performance on a stage that is bigger, wilder, more spectacular than anything in the Lower 48. With its vast expanse of nameless peaks, cobalt rivers, woodlands and tundra, it's a dream destination for many nature lovers. It's also a second home to Drs. Fred and Rebecca Wagner Bye. For the past four years, the Hagerstown periodontists have been traveling to the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, with their children, Natalie, 14, and Mark, 10. Populous Anchorage lies to the north.

A man was killed Tuesday evening when the Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck he was driving east on Fish Hatchery Road struck an embankment and rolled over several times, according to the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office. Matthew R. Nestor, 23, was killed in the crash, the sheriff's office said in a news release.   Nestor was pinned upside down in the cab and partially ejected from the truck in the crash, the release said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash, which was reported at 6:13 p.m., occurred just east of a fish hatchery, the release said.

Adam Eshenour could barely wait to try out his new waders, and the 14th annual Noontime Lions Trout Derby was the perfect time to do that. Standing in the middle of Conococheague Creek at Wilson College in Chambersburg, the 10-year-old from Newville, Pa., didn't seem to mind that all of the tagged trout eluded his line. His brother Isaac, 13, joined him in the middle of the creek while their father, Dan, opted for drier land on the bank. "We're fishing in the derby," Isaac said.

Whatever Jonathan Miller is doing now, you can be sure he'd rather be fishing. From the time he was old enough to hold a rod — which he guesses was around the age of 2 — Miller has had a passion for fishing. He inherited his love of fishing, he said, from his father and grandfather — lifelong anglers who educated him about equipment, technique and patience. A 2008 graduate of Boonsboro High School, Miller, 20, said he was a member of the Boonsboro Bassmasters Club and entered to fishing tournaments as a teenager.

Remington, the Washington County Free Library's pet gold fish, will be celebrating his sixth birthday at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 26, at the North Pointe location. The library will host a special birthday storytime in honor of our beloved mascot. And Remington has asked that guests attending his birthday party bring an item to donate to the animals at the Humane Society of Washington County.  Items that are greatly needed at the shelter include Purina Cat Chow, Purina Kitten Chow, non-clumping cat litter, Kongs of all sizes, towels, wash cloths, liquid laundry detergent, bleach and dish detergent.

The annual Fairview Fishing Rodeo at Claud E. Kitchens Outdoor School at Fairview will be Saturday, April 30, from 8 a.m. to noon. Students and families are welcome to attend. Admission and activities are free. The Albert Powell Fish Hatchery will provide stocked trout. Breakfast and lunch will be available for purchase at the Fairview Bus Pavilion. Prizes will be awarded in the following age groups: prekindergarten through grade 5; grades 6 to 8; and grades 9 to 12. First-, second- and third-place prizes will be awarded in each age group for longest trout caught.