I stare across the river to the graffitied warehouse near the Annabel Lee. White talks nature, extolling the virtues of his river. The James River has the densest population of eagles on the East Coast the best whitewater of any urban river the best fishing for smallmouth bass recently a group of anglers caught smallmouths until they couldn t fish anymore. Their wrists gave out. White discusses alewives, white perch, rockfish and blue back herring.
Someone asks about sturgeon.
No longer in the river. They ran to seven, eight hundred pounds. The Native American boys to prove themselves would jam their fingers into the gills of a sturgeon and go for one hell of a ride. An astonishing bird, shaped like a cigar with wings, flies by. White follows my eyes.