On this day in 1871, The Petersburg Index remarked on the fine fishing in the Appomattox River the previous day:
The pleasant weather of the past few days has caused the fish to bite quite freely, and fishermen of all ages and sizes have the “angling” mania. Parties visit the ponds and favorite streams in the vicinity, and meet with fair success. But by far the larger portion of our water sportsmen visit the Appomattox, from whose banks is thrown a countless number of lines each day. It requires some patience to fish in the Appomattox, but one is nevertheless sometimes well rewarded. We saw several fine bunches of ring and other perch caught there yesterday.
If you think this news is ancient history, where people fished with bamboo poles, you might realize that fly-fishing was practiced in the thirteenth century. Undoubtedly, bamboo poles were prevalent, as budgets in this time and place would lend themselves to nothing more sophisticated. Besides, fishermen don’t catch that many perch with fly-fishing.
Don’t ask me about “ring.” I’ll have to call my father. Maybe he knows.
