Fishing and catching are not synonymous. Sometimes, I get to believing that they are. But Mother Nature always steps in to remind me they most certainly are not. Saturday was one of those days. The tide was wonky. The wind was howling. The water clarity was abysmal. It was a tough day for fishing. Wait, tough is not a suitable description. Awful, that is a better word. Simply awful. To tell the truth, I was not even having fun.
The search for synonymous took me from Daniel Island, throughout the harbor all the way to the end of the jetties. After catching no fish, I ran the Pathfinder back up the Wando past the Highway 41 bridge. Still no fish. It was frustrating to say the least. With literally no place else to look, I let the boat drift along the edge of the marsh and told my crew, David and Andrew, we should call it day. They readily agreed. As we got ourselves situated for the ride back to Daniel Island, I spotted a Redfish tailing in the marsh and it was moving toward us! As quietly as possible, I nudged the bow of the Pathfinder into the edge of the Spartina. To our amazement, the Redfish swam within easy casting distance of the boat. Andrew cast a Z-Man 4-inch PaddlerZ into the path of the Red. We held our collective breath and were elated when the fish ate the lure. Our hoots and hollers could be heard from miles away.
After landing the fish, taking a few pictures and letting it go, we could not stop smiling and laughing. That fish changed the day from awful to joyful. It also served as a reminder that fishing and catching are most certainly not synonymous.
Great article. It make all of us feel better to know that even a great angler like you has one of those tough days. I always say “you can suck at fishing and still enjoy it “