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rings around the sun

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picture of the sky with rings around the sun

It doesn’t happen often, those rings around the sun, but it happens. Just like a day of zero fish. It doesn’t happen often, but it happens…

Today was a zero fish day. It wasn’t even, a “we had some good looks”, “big hits”, or “exciting follows”, kind of day. We saw nothing. The most enticing thing we saw were birds working on floating marsh grass. Yep, the birds were hovering, as though over fish, but they were just settling onto the wads of marsh grass that were floating on the water, the remnants of last nights night’s extraordinarily high (full moon) tide.

We did see a large school of menhaden, a really elegant school of small fish turning in unison. My client was mesmerized by the menhaden, she said it made her think of one of David Attenborough‘s nature films.

Today was also the first day I’ve seen any seals in the harbor, and we saw two of them. One of them was quite curious and came up very close to the boat to check us out. Although many fishermen dislike seals, I can’t help but appreciate their cute whiskered faces. Nevertheless, when the seals are around, it’s a pretty safe bet that the fish will not be biting.

Sandy Neck Lighthouse – Barnstable Harbor

However, even thought the fishing was terrible, the beauty was abundant. Barnstable Harbor never disappoints.

And those rings around the sun, ominous perhaps, yet quite magnificent.