Birmingham age-herald., 1895-04-14

for their previous poor luck that damp and chilly east wind had been blowing and had suddenly veered around to the south or southwest before they were di- rected to cast on the right side of the ship" but I believe 1t was implicit obe- dience to the divine will that gave them that multitude of fishes" The direction of the wind had nothing to do with the success of this particular occasion though ordinarily believe 1t has consid- erable influence over the habits of fish. My experience has convinced me that nothing short of the divine will can make fish bite when one of those dank, gelid east winds from leaden-hued clouds blows steadily. until smiling ripples are transformed into murfnuring whitecaDs. Splitting on the bait will accomplish noth- ing under such circumstances. It were better to reel up and go home. Miracles are not performed in this day and gener- ation. - --s-'-7.r-1--'esz
 Nearly all successful fishermen are close observers of certain signs-botan- ical. zodiacal, lunary and otherwise -which in a measure govern their move ments. Yet it is quite true that some or all of these signs are frequently disre- garded by noted anglers, and it must not be charged to thoughtlessness on their part, but rather charge 1t up to that ir- resistible impulse, that intense yearning that gets. fun possession of man when he wants to go a fishing.
 As for myself, I place little credenee in signs, though I frankly owTi up to some credulity in the dogwood blossoms asi an indicator of the proper time to overhaul your tackle. This is called the botanical slgn yet so few of us fishermen know the true botanical name Of the dogwbod tree. l X
 Once while seated in the shadow of a willow on the banks of lovely stream I asked my friend, pr. Luckie, if he jre- hat 1s, 10, and he replied that he was not absso- lutely certain, but thought it was either eaninabus bitus or piscatoria bitus 3He added further that the, latinity of the name cut no figure whatever; dogwdod was dogwood, and fish wouldn't bite lin- til it blossomed, and that was all there was to 1t. He had scarcely finished speaking when, clickety clickety, click, click, click, and then a hundred clicks in haH second-'twas the doctors reel fairly humming. Oh, what sport he had playing with that four-pound bass Now down the creek on a good run until he feels the taut line, then up and a clear leap from the water in mad effort to shake from his yawning jaws the slender hook; off he goes again swiftly towards the ola stump whose roots projected into the water No, sir, you don't" said the doctor, as he reeled up few rapid turns. Then came the fight to the finish, and in J1ffy the beauty was Hopping in the
 
 "Ah, my dear Jackl' exclaimed the doctor. You told me yesterday that you had strolled out to that dogwood tree just over the hill, back of the cem- etery, and that you found 1t in full bloom: The little skirmish I've had with that foundering rascal there tells me you were not mistaken"
 Now as to the zodiacal question: It IS maintained by many that to be sure or good catch one must never cast a line unless the sign is in the feet. This has reference to the hieroglyphics sur rounding and pointing to the various anatomical parts of the gentleman whose portrait adorns the fiy-leaf of all good almanacs, and means that you should not go a fishing untfl the day when tile sign points directly to his feet. t-
 While placing little or no reliance in this sign, it might be we'll to mention the remarkable number of coincidences I have observed in my numerous outings. When most successful in my catch, upon consulting the, almanac afterwards have found that in nearly every instance the sign was pointing straight to the feet. sts
 ! hays never beenable to determine positively whether I happened to go a fishing on the day the sbanransa to he fee; or whether the sigR Rwent tp a fishing Tbe i,,ar un she sie,' uay s,4,ple and easily explained. We are told ti at fish T. will sei, .so dom take bait when the moon is on ene wane. The reason for this sht,,es IT the moon Is on the decreaseI iI.s ds VI night, or at least it is shining sss break, and by its light the fish n! abled to feed, and are therefore not hdhl gry when the fisherman comes along next morning with his carefully selected Q bait
 Years ago supposed scientist promu1- gated the statement that fish were good brain food. This was understood to mean that the eating of the flesh of fish would improve the brain. Observation has not convinced me of the truth of this, for often and over again have I seen man go to a fish stand, buy three pounds of red snapper for quarter and consume the greater part of the same without giving evidence of the slightest improvement in his upper story.
 No, it is not the eating of fish that iml proves the brain. It's the catching of them that makes the good gray matter. Who will doubt 1t? Surely not the man who has for day forSaken the busy work -a-day world and betaken himself to the shady brookside, there to lure the Dream, the trout, or even the plebian catfish. Surely not he to whose ears thd clicoity -click-clicl1 of a reel is music far sweeter than the 1ute. Not he whose every nerve Is set a tingling and whose muscles culver with ecstacy as the four pounder dashes at the alluring bait with which he has been tempted from his pellucid retreat
 Jag Io~e45,