Fletcher's Cove is a park and recreation area owned and managed by

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properti ...

, located at 4940 Canal Road, Washington, D.C. 20007, between

Chain A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. ...

and Key Bridges, part of

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is located in the District of Columbia and the state of Maryland. The park was established in 1961 as a National Monument by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to preserve the neglected remains ...

. Fletcher's Cove, called by many customers "Fletcher's Boathouse", has been in this location since the 1850s and is renowned as a fishing and recreational area. The nearby Abner Cloud House is the oldest building on the canal, dating back to 1802. After 145 years of business, the fourth generation of the Fletcher family retired in 2004 and Guest Services Incorporated, a

concessionaire, assumed responsibility for the operation of the concessions. The area surrounding the boat house was then officially named Fletcher's Cove, though most people still call it Fletcher's Boat House. Proprietors of Fletcher's Boathouse include Julius Fletcher (1950-1978) ¹, and Julius Fletcher's sons, Ray and Joe (1979-2004). Ray and Joe were the fourth generation of Fletcher's to run the boathouse. "Those spring runs are the heart of Fletcher's trade. Fishing starts in mid- to late-March, when hordes of white perch move upriver from deep holes downstream where they wintered. The perch, loaded with roe, seek fast, fresh water at the top of the tidal reach where their eggs hatch best. Next come shad and herring, bright from the sea and heavy with roe. Generations of Marylanders and Virginians have converged on the Potomac around Fletcher's each spring to dip-net herring and shad, extract the roe and salt-cure the flesh, though the practice has declined in the last 25 years. Finally, the river in late April and into May teems with spawning striped bass, locally known as rockfish, which attract another wave of anglers keen to catch a trophy up to 50 pounds", said Joe Fletcher in 2004⁴. While many fishing enthusiasts come to Fletcher's Cove for the spring run of shad, perch, and rockfish, many other people come to kayak the Potomac River, and bike, hike, and run the C & O Canal and other trails along the river all year round. Fletcher's Boathouse rents rowboats, canoes, kayaks, bikes, and paddle boards.Down by the Riverside: INAL Edition McManus, Kevin. ''The Washington Post'' ; Washington, D.C. 21 June 1991: n10. Fletcher's Cove is in The Palisades, Washington, D.C.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Fletcher's Cove Boathouse - official site

Fletcher's Cove parkrun
Parks in Washington, D.C. The Palisades (Washington, D.C.)