Burnt-orange day lilies bloom, duck weed begins to spread an emerald haze over the canal, blue tailed skinks scamper around snatching tiny insects for lunch. Summer has embraced Fletcher’s Cove again. A warm, damp blanket of seasonal calm has replaced the frantic fishing days of April and May. Plenty of anglers and fish can still be found around our beautiful enclave, but by and large the mood and mindset are those of relaxation and reflection rather than active fish hunting. I like the kinder, gentler feeling. There is enough aggression in our sports and society. As for days gone by, oh(!) what a shad season it was. Jump started by a high water in early April and finished off by a dry, hot May. But for three glorious weeks, you could not keep the silvery denizens of the ocean deep off your line. To have just a few more weeks of that run would be awesome, but spoiling. That small modern-day band of serious white perch anglers had a modest level of success. Most Fletcher regulars agree that perch are the gourmet choice among keepable fish of the Potomac. As is said… good things come in small packages and the diminutive perch packs a lot of flavor into a pan-sized fish. Striped bass (or rockfish) are still being caught in the D.C. region of the river. If the water does not heat up excessively, stripers can roam around Fletcher’s most of the summer. George Frenett, our most senior regular angler at 92, has worked the drop-offs, ledges and humps, to bag his limit of rock and beautiful walleyes for the last five or six weeks. Just two days ago, he showed me a walleye of five or six pounds ready to make a fine dinner. Walleye rival the perch mentioned above for blue-ribbon eats. George lets most of his fish go and FYI (my opinion here!) it is an angler's right to take fish for consumption provided you are within the limits of the law! George reminds me each time we speak that he feels most alive when out on the water. Come out in the hot summer and take advantage of what’s in your backyard, but seems a million miles away. A couple of items to note… For those of you preferring a simpler ride, Fletcher’s recently added some single speed cruising bikes to our herd of hybrid 21 speed cycles. Also, we will soon be receiving 15 tandem kayaks to augment our popular cruising singles. Call for info… but a word about calling. Fletcher’s is at the end of the power line, end of the phone line and often “over the line” in terms of technological challenges. I’m beginning to believe that the spirits of Fletcher’s past are teaming-up to resist movement into the 21st century. A large part of what makes this place so unique is its old fashioned character. As hard as it can sometimes be to get here by road or even call here by phone, rest assured that we will be here to assist you with stepping into a kinder, gentler time. We are worth the effort. All the best for your summer… Dan  operated
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