When we think of America ’s first president , quarter , cherry trees , and untrue dentition often come to mind . But fishing ?
Washington was , by all accounts , an accomplished and enthusiastic fisher throughout most of his life ( gohereto see one of his original tackle boxes ) . As prexy , he ’d often set cruise and enjoy an good afternoon of abstruse - ocean fishing as he travel about the new nation and even convinced notorious cabinet rivals Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton to companion him on one such misstep toSandy Hook , New Jersey .
More than a mere hobbyist , however , Washington transform part of his Mount Vernon home into ahighly - profitable piscary . The neighboring banks of the Potomac River , he write in 1793 , were “ well - stock with various form of fish in all seasons of the year , and in the Spring with shad , herring , bass , carp , perch , sturgeon , etc . , in peachy abundance . ”
Stationed on a section of the river dubbed “ Posey ’s landing place , ” the governing body work nearly a million herring each year . In fact , Mount Vernon ’s piscary commonly yielded far more profit than the various crops ( such as maize and wheat ) raised there .
primitively signify tofeed the plantation ’s slaves , Washington eventually recognized an enviable business opportunity and commence transport barrels of salted fish to the West Indies , recruiting a small fleet of ship , including a schooner and whale boat , for the cause . By all report , the Mount Vernon brand quickly acquired a reputation for excellency worldwide .
Intriguingly , however , the business even helped to fire Washington ’s growing anti - British sentiment before the revolution . purple mercantile policies forbid him from importing Pisces the Fishes - curing salt from Lisbon , leave him no choice but to buy inferior salts from Liverpool . During the war , he often draw upon his extensive connexion with fishermen throughout the colonies to provide food for thought for the starving troop . Unfortunately , in the words of historians William J. Mares and Bill Mares , “ the record shows that the troops responded to angle with as much enthusiasm as George Bush would greet broccoli . They held out for beef , which finally came . ”
