Gone Fishin'

My grandfather, Wiley Thomas Snyder, provided well for his family.  Although poor in "cash money" he raised a wide variety of produce (corn, wheat, potatoes, berries, apples, pecans, beans, squash, cabbage, lettuce, and much more) and a variety of animal products (bees, chickens, pigs, and a cow).  He hunted birds and small game.  He also fished. In looking for documents about him, I found a surprisingly rich source of information - his N.C. Fishing License. 

This license has his signature, his height & weight, eye color, birth date, and address.  I guess they didn't want anyone else to use this license!

I never went fishing with him, but I remember he would grab his fishing pole and a bag. He trudged a mile or two to Gold's Pond where he had to pay a small fee.  He always came home with several fish.  Grandmother would batter them with corn meal and fry them up on her wood stove in a cast iron skillet, and we'd have a feast!