FISHING True? Or not? DAVE BROWN Fishermen are some of the most fickle and
superstitious people I know. Some fish only with minnows, no matter
what species they pursue. Others will only use a specific lure and colour combination. Most fishermen run their boat at a specific speed using only certain tried-and-true trolling patterns. Others plan their trips around timed phases of the sun or moon, or both. Some of the most sensible only apply their trade during fair weather conditions. A considerable amount of literature has
been written about those factors that may influence your fishing experience and success rates. In fact, some of them have been investigated through empirical research and experimentation, the results of which appear in credible journals. However, other factors may just be
beliefs attributable to hearsay, because they have never been proven with any scientific evidence at all. For instance, take the following statement.
It is one of the most commonly referred- to proverbs cited by fishermen all over the globe:
Wind from the West, fish bite the best. Wind from the East, fish bite the least. Wind from the North, do not go forth. Wind from the South blows bait in their mouth.
I am told this saying, or renditions of it,
likely originated in Britain about 500 years ago. One might ask: “Even though many fishermen continue to believe in its predictive accuracy, is it based upon any scientific
14 BOUNDER MAGAZINE Proverbs, superstitions:
truth?” I for one am not exactly sure! But, if we
look at the following evidence, there may be some scientific reality in what the message is trying to convey. If the proverb is true, fishermen should
only apply their craft on days the wind blows from the west, or south. For, when it is blowing from the east or north, there will be no fish to be had. I guess a prevalent southwest wind provides one with the most opportune fishing conditions. It is a scientifically known fact that air
flows across the Earth’s surface from areas of high to low pressure, and in doing so it never flows in a straight line, because it is deflected as a result of the Earth’s rotation from west to east. In the northern hemisphere, this spinning causes the wind to spiral to the right. In Canada, this is why the majority of our weather patterns run in an eastward direction from British Columbia to the Maritimes. Scientifically, this phenomenon is known as the Coriolis Effect. Winds react differently whenever there
is a low versus a high pressure system. As Ottawa TV weatherman J.J. Clarke tells us every evening, low pressure systems develop as the barometric pressure falls. This is an indicator that warmer, rainy, unsettled weather is on its way. During these times winds typically blow
in a counter-clockwise fashion, and when you are situated on the leading edge of such a system, the wind will predominately move from an easterly direction along with the path of the rain. If we believe in the proverb, this time
www.bounder.ca
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76