Sunday, April 20, 2014

Rainy Forecast, Fishing and Greeting the Birds


I recently noted that I had almost never before seen a forecast with a 100% probability of rain, and then I encountered two in two different states, hundreds of miles apart.  In those cases the weather forecasters were right.  It rained!  It's almost as if they knew it was going to rain!  Now, you realize that forecasters really never look back (it's forecast, not report after it happens, right?).  Can you really believe a weather forecaster includes stats on his or her resume about how often they were right?  Nah, more likely what kind of market share or ratings their show had.  But still, it seems like 100% is taking a chance.   It means they are certain.  Well, here I sit with the rain pounding on the windows. They were right again.  This is three times in a row.  

I have promised to fish with my grands, so I am likely to learn whether steady rains make fishing better or worse.  Fish aren't afraid of a little water, are they?  On the other hand, actually hooking a fish in any conditions has been rare, so I may not be able to tell at all.  


In any event, as I told my granddaughter yesterday, it is really all about spending some time in nature, watching the birds, enjoying some peace, and, once in a great while, hooking a fish you plan to release anyway after taking a picture or two.  She listened, too.  After our next cast (we made (we do that move together, in deference to the hook that swings through the air), she sat down and repeated "this is really about enjoying nature, watching the birds, taking it easy--oh look, there's a birdie--Hey birdie, I wish I could take you home with us."   I explained that a grey heron fishes to live and has a beak that might just make bringing it home dangerous, but she was undeterred.   "She wouldn't hurt me, I'm not taking any of her fish."  Now that's the truth.  We've watched birds catch more fish in a single morning than both of us combined have caught in our lives.

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