I almost always find the shucks of numerous stoneflies on the boulders along Father’s Day Creek, my secret trout stream and “spirit-home” in Pennsylvania. I am impressed by three things -- the size of the shucks, the abundance of them, and the fact that the transition from such a large nymph to fly takes place … Continue reading Overnight: The evidence of life in Father’s Day Creek
An outpouring of concern I have not seen since the 9/11 attacks
We know that people around the world are appalled that Donald Trump is president of the United States, but I am hearing directly from them this week. The response so far to my column on Trump and, even more so, the Sun’s “rat” editorial about him has been off the charts. We are hearing from … Continue reading An outpouring of concern I have not seen since the 9/11 attacks
Vietnam War protests were bitter, but they were about policy. In the Trump era, it’s all personal
Since the founding of the Republic, people have always been at odds, based on their personal interests, their religious beliefs, their life experiences, their political loyalties and prejudices. I witnessed American debate at its most intense -- over the U.S. involvement in the war in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s. But where we are … Continue reading Vietnam War protests were bitter, but they were about policy. In the Trump era, it’s all personal
Maryland is the wealthiest state. Millionaires need to step up and save the BSO
Maryland is the richest state per capita, with a median household income of $80,766 and one in 12 households the home of millionaires. Kiplinger last year estimated close to 180,000 millionaire households in the state. So why is the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra struggling to stay alive? It should not be -- not with the kind … Continue reading Maryland is the wealthiest state. Millionaires need to step up and save the BSO
Heaven-on-Earth Moments
Over the last two years, heavy and record-setting rainfalls have washed away numerous fishing days, both on our home waters near Baltimore and in the trout streams of western Maryland. I am a regular reader of the U.S. Geological Survey’s online river data; gage readings from the National Water Information System are just as important … Continue reading Heaven-on-Earth Moments
How the Founding Fathers Fished
I went to the Pennsylvania Fly Fishing and Film Show in Carlisle Saturday morning for the purpose of giving some exposure to Father's Day Creek in the commonwealth of the book’s setting. I was fortunate to be assigned a vendor table near Ye Olde Colonial Angler. While I’m sure I would have spotted him no … Continue reading How the Founding Fathers Fished
In Baltimore and other cities, many are called for jury duty but few chosen, and why is that?
Citizens of Baltimore are used to (or sick of) it by now -- getting summoned to jury duty at the historic downtown courthouse, sitting around all day, and never getting called to serve on a trial jury. . . . Obviously, there are trials. Obviously, people serve -- I have, on two criminal cases -- … Continue reading In Baltimore and other cities, many are called for jury duty but few chosen, and why is that?
The tragedy of Billy Dolan and the futility of the war on drugs
There are thousands of tragedies from the opioid epidemic, but the tragedy of the Dolan brothers, described in two of my Baltimore Sun columns, stands out in one particularly depressing way: The older of the two, Billy, (in flight off a trampoline in the photo with this post) had been blamed -- and criminally charged … Continue reading The tragedy of Billy Dolan and the futility of the war on drugs
Adrift in a river of reveries
“If men ceased to exist, sound would continue to travel and heavy bodies to fall to the earth in exactly the same way, though there would be no one to know it.” That’s a quote from one of the many philosophers who have pondered the time-worn question about a tree falling in the woods. When … Continue reading Adrift in a river of reveries
A plan to make West Baltimore greener and healthier
In preparing to write my June 16 column in the Sun, two things - I visited Kirby Lane Park in West Baltimore and came across a story in Popular Mechanics about how green Baltimore is. It’s a good piece, worth reading, and will make city dwellers feel a great deal of pride for the amount … Continue reading A plan to make West Baltimore greener and healthier
Dan Rodricks 