Chesapeake watermen at work

Photo essay by Jay Fleming and Fred Stocker

The Delmarva Peninsula is flanked by the productive fishing grounds of the Chesapeake Bay watershed — Chesapeake Bay to the west and Delaware Bay to the east. Jay Fleming and Fred Stocker capture the heart of the nation's watermen with documentary photography.

Jay Fleming comes from a family of passionate photographers. His father, Kevin Fleming, was a National Geographic photographer. At a young age Jay tagged along on assignments and used hand-me-down gear. It didn't take long for him to branch off on his own, aligning his passions and interests with his work, which currently focuses on fisheries, underwater wildlife and cultural history in the Chesapeake Bay. Jay plans to compile his work on Chesapeake watermen into a book that documents the many ways people make a living off the water in the bay's watershed.

Fred Stocker spent the first 10 years of his life on Dover Point, N.H., located on beautiful Great Bay.

"I used to spend time in John Newick's big red barn, watching him build wood lobster traps. I think that's where my love for the fishing business began."

Stocker has contributed to many major publications, including the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times Magazine.

He currently resides in Maryland with his feline friend, "Max, the wonder cat."