It was another frigid Maryland morning. A stiff breeze was gusting, threatening to tip me into the nearby Magothy River as my black Lab pup bounded along down the sandy beach. My plan was to introduce the youngster to the shock of cold, winter water gradually, starting that day.

    Not long ago and, of course, in the dead of winter, a good friend of my wife’s had returned to Annapolis from Paris with her new husband, Jean Francois. My lovely spouse informed me that JF had heard about the great fishing around the Chesapeake and she had volunteered me to take him out on an impromptu expedition. It was barely above freezing. What the devil was I to do?

     Winter weather can be hard on anglers. It’s discouraging to think of fishing when the early morning light is reflecting off of your iced-up car in the drive.      For many other sportspeople, winter is opportunity knocking. A duck hunter can become elated over an incoming cold front accompanied by some occasional sleet, snow and stiff winds. That’s what brings the birds down from up north to fill our skies and careen among our decoys.

     Some 14 years ago, I began to write the Sporting Life column for Bay Weekly newspaper. While I had published a few freelance magazine articles as I neared retirement in my then-current career, a regular writing gig was a new endeavor. Both I and my editor in chief at Bay Weekly, Sandra Martin, wondered how it would evolve.

     Chesapeake rockfish season has closed, but other species can continue to keep your angling interest as well as grace your table — if you don’t mind the winter chill.      Catfish are active, and they fry up awfully well, particularly the blues, though the channel cats run a close second. No minimum size and no possession limit for these interlopers. 

     I’m going to go way out on a limb this year to suggest some specific gifts for the sportsman/woman in your life. I realize it’s a dangerous direction, but this year there seem to be some real winners out there.

     The eagle appeared as if from nowhere. I had been casting lures fruitlessly for white perch, but it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, there was just the slightest of breezes and the temperatures were nicely bearable. Though there were no fish in my bucket, I grudgingly persevered.       Then for no reason, I looked up. Overhead soared a giant bird, its white head and tail contrasting with the dark feathers of its powerful body. A perch, roughly 14 inches, was clutched in its talons.

     Brisk winds had kept me ashore, so the fallback was our community clubhouse field with my trusty seven-foot medium-action rod and a hookless three-quarter-ounce surface plug. My purpose was to see what all the hoopla was with the new digitally controlled Shimano casting reel, the SLX DC 150 XG.       The letters DC refer to digital control. A tiny computer mechanism in its spool controls spin.

     The tradition of Thanksgiving dinner was first attributed to the Plymouth Bay Colony in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. But the practice of a harvest or a thanksgiving dinner was widespread throughout the early colonies and especially around the Chesapeake.

     Getting the boat ready for winter causes me emotional upheaval. It is not only a burden of hours but also an unwelcome recognition that one of my great avenues to peace and contentment will soon be closed off.       I’ve made my checklist, only to avoid it for weeks. Each item is a step closer to a kind of prison, so I’m not fond of any of the unavoidable tasks facing me.