The cover pages of Pocomoke resident C.L. Marshall’s third book are pictured. Submitted photo
BERLIN – A local author with a passion for hunting, fishing and the outdoors shares his adventures, and the lessons learned from them, in his newest collection of short stories.
Earlier this month, Pocomoke resident C.L. Marshall released his new book, “Chesapeake Outdoor Tales: Hunting and Fishing by the Tides.”
“It’s a good blend of hunting and fishing stories from all across the Chesapeake Bay watershed,” he said. “There are stories of chasing white marlins down in the Norfolk Canyon to fishing the skinny waters off of Bloodsworth Island and hunting just outside of Tangier. It’s a little bit of something for everybody in terms of outdoor adventure stories.”
Marshall said his newest publication is the third in a series of books written about the outdoor lifestyle along the shore. His first two books, “Chesapeake Bay Duck Hunting Tales” and “Chesapeake Bay Hunting and Fishing: Unforgettable Tales of Wing and Water,” were released in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
“One of the cool things about those stories is that they are relatable to anyone else who lives an outdoor lifestyle,” he said. “If someone hunts or someone fishes, the things that happen in these stories are things that aren’t too far off from what happens in their daily experiences, their outdoor experiences.”
Marshall said “Hunting and Fishing by the Tides” shares the tales of memorable trips, as well as the ups and downs of outdoor life.
“Many of the stories aren’t necessarily based on a hunting experience,” he said. “They are more based on the thoughtful side of hunting, if you will. There is one story that talks about the misses … the fish we lose, the shots we miss. They tend to stick with us and haunt us as outdoorsmen, often for a longer period than the successes we have.”
Marshall said the collection also explores the relationships built during fishing and hunting trips and shares both sad and humorous tales. In one short story, he recalls an offshore fishing trip, during which drifting pineapples were mistaken for a school of marlin.
“We got closer and saw these fins sticking out of the water,” he said. “But as we got up on it, we realized these weren’t actually fins we were seeing. A bunch of pineapples had blown off a freighter and it was all these Dole pineapples bobbing in the ocean … We successfully brought 22 of them onboard and we did have a bottle of Myers’s Rum, so it worked out great.”
The book, 125 pages in total, also features photographs from Paul Bramble and Jim Lewis and illustrations from Joyce Northam.
“Those things really compliment the book,” Marshall said. “They help set the tone of it, and they fit well with the stories. I couldn’t be more pleased with that.”
To promote his book, Marshall said he will appear at several local events in the coming months, including the Waterfowl Festival and First Friday in Snow Hill. Information on book signings will be available on the Chesapeake Bay Books Facebook page.
“For folks who typically don’t fancy themselves as readers, this is a book they tend to enjoy,” he said. “The stories are short, and they get to the point pretty quick. You can read one or two of them, be done with it and then pick it up again later.”
For more information on “Chesapeake Outdoor Tales: Hunting and Fishing by the Tides,” or to purchase a copy, visit www.clmarshallpublishing.com. The book will also be available at several local stores.
“What makes it unique and kind of special is the book – and all the books, for that matter – have been directed toward and based in the Chesapeake Bay watershed …,” he said. “So for those folks who enjoy that and treasure the Chesapeake lifestyle, these books talk about and delve into the things that make this place special. It does it from the standpoint of someone who has grown up here and lived here and tries to preserve those traditions and way of life.”
