Can a solar eclipse lead to better fishing?

The two-minute solar eclipse we are all about to experience on August 21 will effect fishing

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Idaho Fish and Game folks say that if you want to get better fishing results that day, your best bet may be during and leading up to the eclipse.

The theory is that as the sky gets darker fish will act as if the night is approaching, and during sundown, most fish will bite more.

There is some data on the effect on fish, and there is an account of fishing during one in 1906 in England by an A. Mosely:

“During the partial solar eclipse observed in England on August 30, 1905, I was taking a holiday, and fishing in Slapton Ley (Devonshire). All the morning the sport had been indifferent, but as the eclipse neared its maximum the fish suddenly became ravenous, and I took more in that hour than all the rest of the day. My experience was also that of all the other boats out there at the time. The explanation, I presume, would be that the fish imagined night was approaching, and therefore prepared for supper; and as every fisherman knows, the last half-hour, when dusk is gathering, is the time that fish are mostly on the feed, and will readily take any bait.’’

The Sierra Club posted these specifics about what you’ll see and experience during this month’s eclipse . . .

NOTE: Featured Image is Pictures of the Eclipse / Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute / NASA.