Fishing Guide to the Stars starting 7.7.2011

“He jests at scars, that never felt a wound.”
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet [II.ii.3]

Alas, poor Romeo.

Cancer: A very happy birthday to that one, extra-special Cancer.

It’s a good year, up and coming, as long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other.

That’s how this is done; keep moving forward. Happy Birthday!

The Leo: “Why don’t you do something with your life? Why don’t you get me a beer?” To be honest, it was a T-shirt, however, it’s no stretch of the imagination to see either one of my friends wearing such a shirt, or, better yet, telling that to one of his children. Her children. Just not much of a stretch at all. I liked it, but to some of my friends, it might have undesirable connotations. Some days, I don’t get it, if a person is easily offended or doesn’t understand my offbeat humor, why read this material in the first place?

Doesn’t matter. Leo, dear one, how I love my Leo’s best. This is about an offensive to some, amusing to others, message. Like that T-shirt. After looking a the array of planets? I’d suggest we laugh it off now.

Virgo: I must learn from my own mistakes. I was messing around with a piece of software, a camera “app,” and I stumbled across a beautiful summer’s image, a hibiscus, not quite in full bloom. On its way, but not there yet. Gorgeous. Since I was fishing, I had a cheap camera with me, but I opted to try the new software in the phone. I took the image, fiddled with it, adjust hue, saturation, colors, the whole spectrum of adjustments and when I tried to save the phone app’s image? The little thing burped. Electronic burp. Lost it. Either make a back-up, or you might lose it before you’re done. Save early, save often.

Libra: The story, perhaps apocryphal, is about the Harvey House restaurants, associated with the historical Santa Fe Railway. Fred Harvey established a line of restaurants. Noted for good food at decent prices, the tale is that a single restaurant was losing much money so the manager skimped on service and portions, cutting the losses. That manager was fired because the quality and the reputation of quality was more important than lose of income from a single location. What was more important? I’m sure modern marketing people could learn a thing or two from Mr. Fred Harvey. The loss from one store could easily be offset by the continued gain from every place else. As a Libra, you are like Mr. Harvey. You’re obsessed with good quality. Are you willing to suffer a small loss to insure that your reputation is intact?

Scorpio: South Texas lays claim to three historic cities, the Hill County and the fertile Lower Rio Grande Valley. Austin, San Antonio and Houston are part of the history, in name and locus for events. The Hill Country compares favorably to the hills of Tuscany, while the Gulf Coast qualifies as ocean, sporting the longest barrier island in the Northern Hemisphere, and Rio Grande Valley is still one of the richest, most fertile regions for produce. With this much history in one place, with this much commerce in one place, with this much population in one place, you would think that it gets crowded. Strangely enough, we seem to have enough room to move around a bit. Not too crowded. As a Scorpio, are you feeling crowded? Closed in? Need some room to move?

Sagittarius: Run in with them peppers again. I know, I’ve written about these before, but I was rooting around in the ice box to find something, and there was a half bag of those jalapeño peppers again. I sliced one up and added it to salad. And again, I regretted my decision. I endeavor to live my life with as few regrets as possible. I want a clean slate when I go into the hereafter. I regretted those mean peppers. I was lulled into a false sense of security because I used so many “winter” peppers, none too hot. One bite of the super-hot summer pepper did it. I regret throwing away food. Usually. I didn’t regret, nor did I suffer any further misgivings, about tossing what was left of that pepper batch, in the trash. Finally, a saucy pepper too hot for me. It could be advancing age. It could be changing taste buds and greater sensitivity. Or, and I like this best, the summer peppers are just mean. I threw out what I had left. Shriveled little beasties. I’m Sagittarius, so take heed, this next few days. You’re repeating a mistake you’ve made earlier. Don’t. If you do repeat the same offense and if you do wind up with the same results, don’t say I didn’t ry to warn you.

Capricorn: Change, sometimes, just for the sake of change, that doesn’t work. I was inshore fishing, that’s coastal tidal flats, and I had on a Mirror Lure. I’d get some attention, as it was a floater/sinker lure. I stopped a few times, changed lures, but I kept going back to the Mirror Lure, as that had proved effective and its color should have been perfect for the cloud/water conditions. Chartreuse. Metallic sides. Like a chrome-plated side-panel. Sort of. Didn’t fool me, but judging from the way fish would explode around the lure, I had to guess that it was working. When wade fishing, like I was, in order to change, I have to stop, park the pole in a safe spot, clip to the old bait off then affix a new bait, then park everything a second time then I can unlimber and get back to fishing. Can take a few minutes to change up gear. Some guys carry two poles, each rigged different, just switch poles. I’ve had problems with the top-water lure, the hooks get caught in my clothes, so I tend to just carry one pole. That afternoon, I’d changed baits a few times, but I kept trying that Mirror Lure because I had a feeling. Bait was popping up everywhere. I fished in earnest. I was rewarded with a big trout. On that Mirror Lure. Changing, then changing back? Wasted effort. As a Capricorn, like me (fishing), change for the sake of change isn’t required. Stick to one.

Aquarius: I am well-versed in certain types of fishing. Nomenclature, equipment, terminology, techniques. I live in South Texas, so my location dictates what I can accomplish. What I’m good at, or, at least, what I can succeed with. Tools and techniques. While off-shore is big business, big fish and probably big fun, it’s a perfect example of fishing I don’t have any experience with. Same goes for certain species in sub-Arctic areas, like, on the other side of Oklahoma. Another example of fishing that I can do, but I lack skills, equipment, and for that matter, a certain lack of motivation on my part. However, for pursuing local fish, be it bass, catfish, Reds, Specs, and so forth? I’m well-equipped and well-versed. I know what my strengths are, and these strengths are dictated by considerations, like, financial, location, ease of access, likelihood of success, and, in many situations, tried and true successes. While I like to have adventures and try new stuff? While, as an Aquarius likes new tips and techniques, new locations and new species of targets? I’d suggest, like me, in the dog days of summer, coming up, yes, in the heat of the moment, next couple of days, I’d suggest you stick with locations, techniques and hardware that you’re familiar with. New is good. New isn’t a good idea now. New stuff is usually good. Stick with what you know and what works. What you know works.

Pisces: Mustangs — the image of the horse wild on the prairies of the American West, manes in the wind, that Mustang? The horses were/are feral descendants of horses brought over by the Spanish Conquistadores. Furthermore, the name derives from the Spanish term that means “stray.” (mestengo) My little diversion, a look at language and names, where the term “Mustang” comes from? Dig a little. Dig a little deeper. Whatever you do, even though Pisces intuition is highlighted? Even though Pisces can usually intuit the correct response? Don’t do that spooky stuff now. Just as a caution, just as a valid warning, just as a quick, Pisces, head’s up? Dig. Dig a little deeper. In strict journalism, there used to be a fact-checking and vetting process. Me? Hardly. I can’t afford an office or a copy editor, or, for that matter, a proofreader. Doesn’t much matter, not around here. This isn’t about me, this is about Pisces, fact-checking and validating. Here’s the way it works: you have an idea, an answer to a problem. Usually, your first intuition is spot-on. Don’t take that purported fact at face value. Dig. Dig a little deeper. Validate, cross-check and corroborate. You’re right, but it helps, it really helps, to validate that you’re right.

Aries: “Yeah, they got married at that church,” buddy (not named Bubba), was driving, and he indicated a Baptist Church, as we rode past. “So they’re Baptist now?” I asked. “No, not any more, they’re more Christian now. Go to a different church.” More Christian than Baptist? Especially the Southern or First variant of that family? Silly me. I thought they all were Christian and I never realized that there were some churches that were “more christian,” which, by extension, would suggest that there were some that were less Christian. Religious tints and some distinctions I fail to grasp, as I fail to see the doctrine and diction differences, and I tend to seek out similarities. Religion is, at best, a very delicate issue, and one I shouldn’t be using as an example. My Aries buddy driving, his words, not mine, that’s what started this example. I think his expression was less about religious doctrine and not a commentary about what faith is either “more” or “less” of a particular ilk, and it was more evidence of working language as opposed to perfectly correct legalese. What’s more important? Getting the message across with working language? Or being perfectly correct? It’s a critical point, for Aries, with the influence of Uranus, even now.

Taurus: My old cat, she used to love tuna fish from the can. She really liked the “juice” best. I’d open a can of tun fish, and she’d hear me cranking on the opener, and she’d be right there, all friendly, cuddly and cute, as cute as a fat cat can be. I’d drain the contents of the can into her dish, then save the dry, flaky tuna for me. She didn’t care for the fish as much as she licked the sauce. “Tuna Packed in Spring Water,” what the label said. One evening, I fetched home some fresh Sushi. Tiny bits of expensive “sushi-grade” tuna. I like the stuff, myself, despite my friends’ jokes about bait. Cat turned her nose up at the real thing. Wouldn’t have anything to do with real, raw fish, Supposedly a cat delicacy. So much for spoiling the cat. She liked canned tuna instead. There is no accounting for a particular animal’s tastes. I tend to believe that Taurus, as a sign is usually the symbol of epicurean tastes. However, like my old cat, I tend to trust that not everything measures up to what the Taurus wants. Do not hesitate to reject an offer, no matter how well-intentioned that offer might be? Do not pause when it comes to rejecting. Could be really fine, sushi-grade tuna, like my old cat, poor dear, she never had it so good. Do not feel bad about rejection. Other signs, like me, might not understand what it is, but whatever the source of your judgement call? We (the other signs) need to respect it — for whatever reason.

Gemini: Casino Royal (1966) with David Niven, Peter Sellers, Orson Wells, Woody Allen, William Holden, Ursula Andress and so on. It’s a weird film, a take-off on the James Bond genre and franchise of films, a slightly scatological, satirical movie that spirals out of control, and I’m unsure if it ever really makes sense. It’s funny, and amusing on so many levels, that the absolute lack of a plot isn’t that big of an issue, or shouldn’t be. There’s at least one element missed by most of the “art school” film critiques I’ve read, so mention of thematic elements from the final scenes. Hint: Wild (wild) West. As such, this film and its loose collection of seemingly unconnected bits, fantastic casting and some good cameo roles, as such? It’s a perfect symbol for what the coming days in Gemini look like. Weird. Everything seems unconnected. The film itself shows up on cable TV from time to time, worth a glance. Thoroughly weird, even to me. As a timeless classic, in its own way. Like a Gemini. Your life, next few days? Just like that film. Great, in the proper light.