By Julio Silva
I went skishing for the first time today. As I was walking backwards into the water, an angler in waders approached me. With a look of astonishment on his face he asked: “Are you going to swim out there and fish?” I was puzzled by the question. What else am I going to do with a Neosport X-Span 5 mm wetsuit, dive knife, AquaSkinz E.H.P.S. gear (Cobra bag, belt, pliers sheath, and gloves), Hansom pliers, Dragon Tails Lanyards, compass, pealess whistle, rod leash, Rapala Lock ‘N Load IGFA certified scale/griper, Tusa X-Pert Zoom Z3 Split Fins, and a 10 foot surf rod mated to a ZeeBass reel?
After a 60 second silence, I responded: “Yes” and continued to negotiate my way through the boulder field behind me. He kept talking, but the sound of the surf was deafening. He shouted his final words: “You are BRAVE!” There is a fine line between bravery and stupidity. skishing without the proper gear is stupid. A great resource on skishing gear is Jacob Freeman’s skishing Gear & Safety article.
Casting a surf rod while bobbing around in the ocean was more challenging than I thought. My “best” casts were when I was “sitting” in an invisible chair as I bobbed around. My 10 foot surf rod propelled my lure a respectable distance. But, the length of the rod butt is more optimal for surfcasting than skishing. Time for a custom skishing rod!
Proper gear and determination got me beyond the surf zone and into my first skish. But, a knowledge of the area and it’s surrounding currents got me back safely. The experience of skishing is unlike any other method. First, skishing is the most physically and mentally challenging fishing method. Second, it’s an experience all its own. Having personally experienced skishing, I should now be able to describe it. But, alas the English language fails me! The words that do come to mind are: excitement, adrenaline, fear, and OMG! I think Paul Melnyk, the founder of skishing, said it best: Invigorating! Bottom line, to know skishing is to experience your first skish. It’s the experience that has the tide washing in an increasing number of skishers each season.
Julio Silva owns the www.fish360.net blog on fishing and fishing patterns, which are cyclical in nature, hence the name. He writes and reviews events, fishing tips, and gear.
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