Danny Bowden
Danny Bowden can trace his family back to the 1600s on Chincoteague and neighboring Assateague Island. Like many of his ancestors, Danny follows the seasons, gill netting for rockfish in the spring and fall, crabbing in the spring and summer, and guiding waterfowl hunters in the fall and winter, “taking whatever Mother Nature has to offer.”
- Commercial Fishing
- Chincoteague, Virginia
The largest island of Virginia’s Accomac County, Chincoteague is seven miles long and three miles wide. Chincoteague is situated on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, about four miles from the mainland, and is surrounded by Chincoteague Bay, Chincoteague Inlet, and Assateague Channel. The first census, taken in 1831, showed 510 inhabitants, but the population soon doubled, as the island became one of the largest producers of oysters, clams, and fish on the eastern seaboard. Among the chief fish caught here are trout, croakers, spot, and channel bass, which weigh as much as sixty-five pounds each. While Chincoteague has since become one of Virginia’s largest tourist destinations, both commercial and recreational fishing have remained important industries on the island. Danny Bowden can trace his family back to the 1600s on Chincoteague and neighboring Assateague Island. Like many of his ancestors, Danny follows the seasons, gill netting for rockfish in the spring and fall, crabbing in the spring and summer, and guiding waterfowl hunters in the fall and winter, “taking whatever Mother Nature has to offer.” Danny is the quintessential Chincoteague waterman—continuing to work the waters, and demonstrating his craft at numerous maritime festivals throughout the region, as well as at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
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