Early Spring Cutties on Dries--Keep an Eye on Your Dog...

It's pretty early and water in the smaller mountain streams is pretty damn cold. That doesn't mean you can't throw dries and have some success. I got out of the truck the other day, fully expecting to swing streamers and buggers through pools just to catch a few fish and was pleasantly surprised to see midges swarming around. I grabbed the "bug launcher," which is a kids rod built by TFO. It's basically a 7 foot 3 weight. I tied on a little midge pattern I have developed with a foam post and never changed it up. Had a blast.

Cutter was doing his thing while I focused on seems and pools. I've gotten into the habit though, of looking around every couple minutes to make sure he's not rolling in some dead animal or eating crap. What the hell is wrong with this dog? I called to him...

Apparently, skunks are out and I'm not sure if their spray smells worse in the spring because they've been inactive for a few months and it's rotting inside of them or what but holy crap...turns out, Cutter actually likes to ride in the bed of the truck.

Seriously, though, when he came back to me, it was worse than anything I've ever smelled. It was like skunk and death and rotting flesh all wrapped up in one ball of a black lab that even he was rolling around in the snow, doing anything he possibly could to get rid of it. I've seen this dog roll in human excrement that nearly made me puke as he walked by and he looks at me like, "yeah, this is what I'm going for." This skunk made that same dog cringe. 

I don't mean to belabor the point but it was so bad, it got into my mouth and although I tried to keep fishing, I just couldn't. And it wasn't like the eye-watering, burning sensation skunk spray usually elicits. It was so bad I had to check it out...

I made my way back to the truck through the woods where Cutter must of run into the critter. I could smell it the whole time. Part of me realized how stupid this was but I was curious. And there it was. I found the scene of the crime.

There was a set of what looked like small cat tracks in the snow. They were following a somewhat straight path across an opening and then I saw Cutter's tracks. You could tell where he had run up on the skunk. You could see where the skunk turned around and you could see where Cutter was stopped dead in his tracks. There was literally a spot in the snow that was stained yellow by the spray and I actually think Cutter was lucky that he didn't get the full on brunt of that skunk's defense.

Fortunately, we have a car/dog wash place here in Helena that has a skunk spray neutralizer that works pretty well. Every once is a while I get a whiff, though. Disgusting. But like I said, Cutter now enjoys hanging out in the bed while we make our way to the river and I don't have to listen to him whine.

As for Covid-19, I still haven't heard anything from SBA and it's been impossible to get through to the unemployment office. I know independent contractors that are going through the same thing with the same results and all I can say is keep trying and when things get too frustrating, go fishing. Just stay away from skunks.

Keep 'em where they live...