Fishing slang you should know

From issue 4 of Many Corners: Fishing, here are the terms worth knowing when you're at the water's edge trying to look like you've done this before. Get your copy or sign up for a subscription.

Getting Skunked: Going home with nothing. Every angler has been skunked at least once.

Honey Hole: A spot so reliable you won’t tell anyone about it, not even people you like. 

Slack Water: The calm stretch of river or tide with almost no current. 

Jigging: Working a weighted lure up and down to mimic something wounded or fleeing. Less passive than it looks from shore.

Keeper: A fish that meets the size and season rules to take home.

Drift Fishing: Letting the current carry bait or lure at its own pace rather than working it yourself.

Match the Hatch: Choosing bait or a fly that mimics the insects or baitfish actually active that day.

Birds’ Nest: The tangled mess a baitcasting reel makes when the spool keeps spinning after the lure has already landed. 

Working the Bank: Fishing along the shoreline rather than out in open water, on the theory that the edges are where the interesting things happen. 

See the rest of the list in the zine!