The Speckled Perch Traditional Cache
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Size: 
(regular)
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I guess if you live anywhere else, Pomoxis Nigromaculatis is called a 'Crappie', but he is the Speckled Perch here.
Our little town has the title of "The Speckled Perch Capital of the world", and it is (or at least was) well deserved! For many years northern tourists have flocked here by the thousands to try for these delicious panfish. There have been literally millions upon millions of these tasty fellows pulled from our lake. The bag limit for many years was 50 per person per day and the lake was always able to keep up with demand. When I was a kid catching a limit for everyone in the boat was a given, and if you didn't .." You musta been holdin' yer mouth wrong" As the 'Big O' started declining in health due to a number of factors, the limit was lowered to 25 and now that number is many times hard to come up with.
In the late 50s and 60s, as going to Florida for the winter became more realizable for the middle class, our town saw a boom in tourism. The folks who came here for the winter were not the New York socialite who spent their winters on Miami Beach.. they were not the Philadelphia lawyers who vacationed on Palm Beach.. They were not stock brokers or factory owners from Chicago.. they were corn farmers from middle Ohio.. they were lumberyard managers from Illinois.. they were dairy farmers from Kentucky. In other words they were people just like us, and just like us they like to fish!
In March of 1965 the local Chamber of Commerce decided to hold a fish fry to thank these 'Snowbirds' for coming here and to invite them back next year. They collected Specks from all who would participate and stored them at the B&B grocery store until the big day. They fried the fish with hushpuppies and cheese grits and sold them for just enough to cover expenses. This proved to be such a big hit that it became an annual event.
We still have a 'Speckled Perch' Festival, and a fish fry every March, but it is with 'Store-bought' fish now. (The Game Commision and the Insurance companies put a quick end to using wild caught fish). There is a parade, the park is filled with vendors, booths, etc and there is also a championship class rodeo on this weekend. This year (2007) we are also having our first County Fair and we hope it too will become an annual event.
Come over and see what we have to offer...watch the parade and have a plate of fish in the park.. go to the rodeo and have a great time!
The cache is a one gallon container and is filled with the usual goodies. It is hidden at a business with the same name as the cache and it too is a local tradition. PLEASE cover the cache well as there is activity in the area very often. The owner has given permission to place this cache so please respect his property.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
QVFPhff nzbat lbhefryirf
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