They say a bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work. Fortunately, you’re not likely to have a bad day fishing when you’re surrounded by the natural beauty of the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Scenic Byway in Maryland (also known as the Catoctin Mountain Scenic Byway.) Take a day off and drive the route to fish-filled rivers, lakes, and ponds where you can let your line slack and your mind wander. Whether or not the fish are biting, the byway’s scenic landscape and rich history will accompany you on your fishing adventure.

Before you cast your line, read up on the rules, regulations, and restrictions for fishing in Maryland. Make sure you obtain the necessary licenses and talk to visitor center staff or local wildlife management agencies about park-specific fishing rules.

Where the byway crosses the Virginia/Maryland border, near Point of Rocks, MD, the Potomac River entices fishermen and women to see what they can angle from her waters. The river runs adjacent to the C&O National Historic Park, where you can walk on the towpath trail and find another fishing opportunity in the C&O Canal.

If you want to pass on your superb fishing skills to the kids, or if you are a beginner yourself, take the byway 20 miles north from Point of Rocks to Fountain Rock Park. Before you start reeling in the rainbow trout specially stocked at the park’s spring-fed fishing pond, take the family to the nature center building where children can participate in nature programs offered to children of all ages. You can also learn about the nature center’s interesting history-- the building once belonged to the owner of a fishing operation and was where the catch was cleaned.

To learn more about this region’s fishy history, continue about six miles north along the byway until you’ve reached Fishing Creek, near Lewiston. Although little remains of the once-thriving fish hatcheries of the 1950s, the ponds still raise a few brown trout and sunfish, which are shipped elsewhere.

Roughly six miles north of Fishing Creek along the byway, drive just a couple miles east of Thurmont, MD, and you’ll arrive in Cunningham Falls State Park where you can witness a 78-foot waterfall and go fly-fishing on a catch-and-release basis at Big Hunting and Little Hunting Creeks. If you want to take your fish home, lure in a catfish or trout at Hunting Creek Lake. The lake offers a wheelchair-accessible fishing pier and summertime boat rentals to satisfy your personal fishing style.

Fulfill your fisherman’s dreams just north of Cunningham Falls at Catoctin Mountain Park. At Owen’s Creek during fishing season, you can take home up to two fish per person per day. As you wait for the fish to bite, ponder the park’s history. Before it became a park, the Catoctin Mountain area was home to an iron furnace, but it’s better known today as the home of Camp David, the presidential retreat, which is closed to the public. From U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to Jimmy Carter and Herbert Hoover, prominent leaders have taken time off to enjoy fishing in the byway region.

If world leaders can take time off to go fishing, so can you. Take Maryland's Journey Through Hallowed Ground Scenic Byway through a heritage-rich, rural landscape to peaceful ponds and serene rivers, and escape a dull day at the office for an exciting fishing excursion.