Trout Lake Report: Closemouthed

It's windy, then calm. The weather is cool, and the hatches are impressive. But the fish are strangely silent.

Saturn, Mars, Antares (top to bottom)

You watch the planets align and decide to keep your mouth closed about the fact that you couldn't coax a single fish to open theirs.

The Top Ten Best Things About Getting Skunked

I mentioned in a previous post that I got skunked at Trout Lake.

That hadn't happened since sometime in 2011.

But it happened a second time a few trips ago on a lovely warm evening.

I would have been happy to have kept the streak going, and I tried. But it has been a pleasure since then to fish with no pressure, no matter how subtle it was. It's freeing to simply do your best and let nature take its course.

So getting skunked isn't bad. In fact, as I thought about it there are lots of reasons why it's good.

So here are the Top Ten Best Things About Getting Skunked. 

10. Rod and reel still looking like new.
  9. Can stop worrying about whether fish feel pain.
  8. Don't have to wake up until it's actually time to go home.
  7. The convenience of hands-free fishing.
  6. Two words: Moby Dick.
  5. No annoying expert to tell you how they could have not caught fish better than you.
  4. Can really concentrate on those aspects of fishing that have no direct relation to catching fish.
  3. If this was baseball and you were the pitcher--perfect game!
  2. Go ahead--tie on anything you want.
And the number one best thing about getting skunked: Cuts catch and release time in half.