I'm not going to bore everyone with an entry post about how this is "my personal space" or "my first #blogpost" or blah blah blah. Instead, I'll bore those of you who continue reading my rambling with how, why, and the idears behind "skunked... and out of beer..."
I chose the name I did because I was, in fact, skunked and out of beer. Neither of those is an ideal situation, but the combination of the two could lead you to conversations with nobody but yourself. I do a majority of my cranial pondering, or thinking as a simple man may say, while I'm on, in, or around the water. On, in, or around the water? While I consider myself to be an expert fly fisherman, an outstanding and patient teacher, and fish whisperer, I am not always graceful. A trip turns into a stumble, a stumble turns into a swim and IN the water I go.
As I previously alluded to being skunked and out of beer, it dawned on me that I could have a neat title for my stories, tips, reports, reviews, thoughts, and, generally, all things #flyfishing. While I promise you I do not regularly get skunked, I am not afraid to trudge away from the water, waving the white flag to the fish, and admit defeat. Fish are fickle and finicky finned creatures and don't always cooperate with our well or ill devised battle plan. I believe I learn most on days when I'm not fishing well. Not fishing well forces me to focus and work harder. Casting becomes more precise, though perhaps frantic at times. Drifts are better thought out and executed. Sometimes, the added attention to detail pays off. Other times, it just wasn't meant to happen that day.
What does a good skunking and butt whoopin' do to you? It's humbling. It gets you while you're riding high off several solid outings. It's being humbled that keeps you going back for more. If you weren't humbled every now and again, wouldn't the certainty of catching as many trophies as you want lose its appeal? Bad days of fishing aren't really bad days.
Being skunked, on occassion and on rare occassions ONLY, is a good thing. But, being out of cold ones... never a good thing. Nobody likes being skunked or out of beer. It's happened to all of us though. And when you finally crack a cold one and swap the stories of the day with your buddies, admitting your colossal skunking, take a second and appreciate your time on the water with your buddies. That's what fishing is about.
Thanks for reading,
Brian Lansing
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