Skunk inevitable if you fish long enough

By Dave McKee, For the Chronicle

Of the countless terms and technical aspects involved within the somewhat complicated world of sport fishing, few are easier to comprehend than the concept of an angler catching absolutely nothing while in pursuit of fish. Really there's not much to it, little guesswork or need for further investigation - zero is zero and nothing is just that.

Interestingly enough, while the romance and glamor of fooling a trout or jumping a tarpon drives the press and supports the legend, few things in the life of an angler could possibly be more perfect than getting zipped, blanked, spanked, goose-egged or just plain skunked by a simple-minded fish. Though somewhat embarrassing and fairly unproductive at a moment's glance, these are the days that push us forward, keep us honest and fuel the fire in ways that only those who have been there could understand.

Unfortunately, despite each positive and every potential reward that can result from complete failure on the water, there are few things in an angler's life that are more difficult to swallow and necessary to avoid if possible. After all, if survival depended on a day's catch and one didn't exist, we'd crumble to a pile of bones and dust at the river's edge. And if we sought to prove our skills or showcase our vast knowledge in the presence of others, all credibility and passed accounts might instantly be lost or discredited entirely. Stories of getting skunked are short, uninteresting, impress no one and do little to enhance the pages of the photo album.

For a fishing guide, a trained professional in the ways of magically producing and catching fish any day and any time, catching nothing is a fairly significant and obvious problem. Once is fine and easy to blame on conditions or whatever else. Any repeating fishless pattern in the following weeks is potentially lethal and why guiding is recognized, by those who attempt it, as the most stressful job known to the modern world.

So, like every other morning, I had taken all the necessary precuations - there were no bananas on board, the basketball was situated perfectly under the rear seat and the lucky hairbrush was intact and in place. I had reversed my wading belt three times, set my mug to my left side and kept the black rock in the left pocket of my lucky jeans. Though hardly superstitious and completely confident that skill and local knowledge always outweighed the powers of random luck, I was prepared just in case.

With able-bodied anglers, prime conditions and a stretch of water boasting thousands of trout per mile and even more whitefish, there was no chance, no stink, absolutely nothing to worry about in terms of catching at least one fish before the setting of the sun. And even by noon, with the skunk still in the box, we, or at least I remained confident that the river would produce. At two o'clock I felt the heat and begged for a whitie, by three I was changing flies on the minute and as the hour of four approached I recognized that time was running out.

At times like these fishermen don't worry, panic or prepare to lose much sleep. After all, just being out of the office is reward in itself and catching fish on top of it all is merely a bonus. Obviously I agree wholeheartedly in this train of thought - the purpose of fishing is not just to catch fish, but when the river is your office and catching fish is part of your job description, the emotion produced by stubborn fish is one of absolute dismay. So I tied on a Prince Nymph.

I suppose it was just minutes from the boat ramp that the 8-inch rainbow came to net, saving the skunk, the day and really nothing else when I think about it now.

Realistically, getting skunked is important and believing this enables us to do so with pride. Without those fishless days the sport itself would have no mystery or magic. Without those fishless days we would have no reason or desire to improve. Without those fishless, numbing, aggravating and frustrating days, we would have no apreciation for those perfect moments when the line goes tight. So go get skunked and savor the moment knowing that it probably won't last too long.

Reader Comments