Matey’s question tinged my enthusiasm with some concern, because I certainly did – in a word ‘we wuz skunked last time’. Oddly that day had been perfect, windless, glorious sunshine and the lake to ourselves. Ah, That’s livin’ alright (your earworm for the day, thank me later!) But skunked? How did these Americanisms infiltrate our language?
Thankfully we don’t have those creatures in New Zealand, but we have friends in Tennessee with an inquisitive dog that turned into a stinky dog after a skunk encounter. So we have these expressions, but I was sincerely hoping this time we wouldn’t meet even a metaphorical skunk, on a lake a bit south of Greymouth and somewhat north of Haast.
Pardon the nonspecifics, but if I give it away our mates in Hokitika will be upset and yuh don’t wanna upset a good ole boy from downhome Hokitika. Enough already of those “isms”! I suppose we have to blame the mass media. We approached the lake with enthusiasm, still underlayed by some misgivings in case Mr Skunk was still hanging about.
Well founded fears they were, as even before we were in the boat, he contrived to give me a nasty squirt when I lost footing, slid down a muddy bank and ended up flat on my back. Matey didn’t see it happen or he would’ve hurt himself laughing, but thankfully he was away parking the truck. We always launch at a spot with a parking area and picnic tables, so there’re often tourists taking photos and ooing and ahing over the incredible scenery.
This day a bunch of Japanese girls were there and caught my pratfall and of course they registered horror and amusement in equal portions. Hands over mouths and pointing, all in a polite way of course. They said “This occidental acted like I’d done it purely for their amusement”, then muddied but unbowed, I launched Silver Frog. Next I discovered my polaroids were not in the boat which gave me ‘roids of another sort, yes a pain in the – – – – – !
Enthusiasm overcame Health and Safety concerns about a fly in the eye or not cutting the glare, so we nosed off toward the first spot, where matey rose and quelled a thumper. Four and a half, perhaps five pounds of nicely conditioned fighting, fishy energy. We swapped places for my turn on the rod while he rowed, which is our regular pattern of doing things. He controlled the boat, keeping it at the right angle as I began to fish. Out amongst the mountains, conditions can change in a short time so when the lake surface was splattered with big droplets, out came the wet gear. Then it stopped as the sun came out. It became hot and off came the raincoats. In a somewhat theatrical manner we became quick change artists from time to time during the day. However we’d stopped seeing fish, so the suggestion was made to fizz across to the other side where we’d done well in other times. A good call as after some concentrated casting I picked up a nice fish, then had the lack of skills to miss two more. Didn’t see the takes, needed those polys, should’ve gone to Spec……. and other such excuses! Into a nice sheltered, sunny nook, where lunch was broken out and comments made about how privileged we are to live here and to enjoy lunch in such beautiful locations. We certainly don’t take our environment for granted (yuh listening extreme greens?) After lunch we continued drifting along the shoreline of flax, reeds, bulrushes and bush to the waterline, then got into several more nice ones. I had one that spat the dummy, matey picked up another good one, then I lost a nice fish – strategic mid lake release you might say.
Time slipped by too quickly as it does, so back to the ramp we went, where various campervans were pulling in for the night (hope they were self contained) On the run home, making a stop for a bit of fuel for the truck and ourselves, someone said “you two look like you’ve been having fun,”which summed up our day. We also beat Mr Skunk……sort of!
