The Infamous "Ides of March"

Another “fishing facts” history lesson from March 15 th 44BC a

bad day of fishing for Brutus, a worse day for Caesar.

Dateline: March 14 th 44 BC (The infamous “Ides of March)

Caesar and Brutus were reminiscing about some previous fishing trips. Caesar remarks that he is not going to be able to fish the next day but askes “Brute” (Caesar’s pet name for Brutus) if he would go and catch them a mess of fish. Brutus, being like senators everywhere jumps at the chance to skip work. Brutus says he needs some bait money and Caesar gives him the Senate Credit Card and tells him to be careful because the Senate is over budget as usual and close to the “Creditus Limitus Maximus.” The next day, March 15 th , early in the morning, Brutus gets up, picks up some slaves to row the boat and heads out to the local bait shop.

He finds that Cassius, the local fishing guide, got there before he did and bought all the live shrimp. So he settles for cut bait. He hits the flats and drop offs along the Mediterranean Sea and catches no keepers. He remembers reading in Flavius’s fishing column that anglers had fared well near the Island of Crete. Afraid to go back empty handed, he make the long haul to the Island of Crete where he wade fishes the shoreline for about three hours and catches two small keepers. Thirsty, worn out and famished he take the two fish to Caesar’s cooks and took a quick dip in the aqua duct (great news for the water supply) to clean up for supper.

Meanwhile back at the kitchen, the Cook baked the two fish and had taken them to Caesar. Still hungry, and in a very bad mood Brutus goes to eat his fish with Caesar. Walking up to Caesar he spies the empty fish plate with nothing but bones left. In a rage he yells “HOW MANY FISH DID YOU EAT, CAESAR?!!! Caesar sheepishly replies, “Et two Brute.” “YOU PIG” Brutus replies and pulls out his concealed cloak filet knife and fillets Caesar to his death. The moral of this story being “Never make a fisherman mad when he has his filet knife.” (Especially during the Ides of March) End of story and end of Caesar.

Thought for the day: Whatever life throws at you duck and let it hit someone else.