HINTS ON HSHING 163 



sun fairly bright, and a slight breeze ruffling the sur- 

 face of the water. Equally good from the fishing 

 standpoint is the cloudy overcast day, if the weather 

 is not too cool for comfort, when it threatens to rain 

 and doesn't. The few hours just before a warm rain 

 are also proverbially good. 



After a very heavy shower or severe thunderstorm 

 the water is usually too roily for good fishing and 

 several days must elapse for things to settle down to 

 normal conditions. Our observations lead us to be- 

 lieve that bass are not afraid of thunder, but at the 

 first flash of lightning they will head for deep water 

 and stay there until the storm has passed. 



Much blame for poor fishing is attached to an east 

 or northeast wind, although personally we believe that 

 neither has any particular effect one way or the other, 

 further than that an east wind, if it blows long enough, 

 is bound to bring a rain and a northeaster, usually a 

 cold, blustering storm. Generally, however, the in- 

 fluence of the direction of the wind is grossly exag- 

 gerated and the same may be said of the phases of 

 the moon. The velocity of the wind, providing it 

 does not reach the gale stage, is not ordinarily of a 

 great deal of importance either, except as it affects 

 our comfort. A breeze just strong enough to put a 

 riffle on the water is ideal, but if it exceeds this very 

 much it usually means that we must fish in sheltered 

 places such as bays or the lee shore. Fishing the lee 

 shore in a high wind is a common practice and appar- 

 ently it is productive of fish, too. 



