If you are like most people, you probably look out at the, "Greatest Snow On Earth," With little more than dread. The slick roads and biting cold are enough to make even the mighty grizzly bear crawl in a hole and hide till the skiers come home.
Well, in case you havn't noticed, we are not grizzly bears. We are also not geese who can fly south for the winter, though a few of us have the means to fake it. The rest of us have to do what people have done since Adam and Eve got booted out of the garden - make do.
| "Even if I had not
caught a single fish, I found a new love that morning" |
One way I've just recently found of making do is ice fishing. I must admit that I was more than a little skeptical at first. I mean, what supposedly intelligent life form would wander around a field, dropping things in holes just for the sake of getting a good score? Well, okay, but at least when we golf, we don't have to drill our own holes and we can wear tee shirts and cut-offs if we want.
It was late last February, on one of those two-quilt-evenings when I got the fateful call.
"Hey Keith, what ya doin' this weekend?"
"Ah, nuthin' much. Sending out for pizza and firewood. Maybe learning the fine art of quilt making. Why?"
"Well, me and Joe were wonderin' if ya might wanna head up to Flaming Gorge for the weekend?"
"HA! The Gorge is filled with ice and snow and they don't deliver pizzas up there."
"I know, it'll be great. We're gonna try to leave about 4:00 P.M. on Friday. Can you pick up Joe on the way to get me?"
"Uh - well I -."
"Great! See ya then."
At least they gave me most of a days' notice. I had 22 hours and 18 minutes to come up with the flu or some other believable excuse to stay home and hibernate for the weekend. Not until 3:45 P.M. on Friday did I learn that most flu and other conveniently debilitating illnesses have a gestation period of longer than 22 hours and 18 minutes.
The drive was quite nice. It took a couple hours but the roads were suprisingly good and we passed the time spotting deer and telling hunting and fishing stories.
I think my partners even believed I was glad they had saved me from my warm hearth for the weekend. Faking joy and excitement on such occasions is easy for a writer. You just pretend to be one of those rugged individuals you have previously written about, who would actually rather be ice fishing than making extra quilts.
Luckily we had made reservations at NIKI'S INN, in Manilla. They have good prices and were filling up fast. Our room was ready when we got there. After checking in, we decided it was too late to fish, and too early to turn in, so we took a quick drive over to THE HUB, just accross the Utah/Wyoming state line from Manilla.
THE HUB is owned by Robbie and Pam Robison and they are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. They are excellent cooks and will serve you just about anything from pizza to steak, and cola to Old Grandad. The Hub is also a good place to pick up the latest tips, secrets, and tall tales. We spent a very enjoyable evening trying to discern one from the other.
It has long been one of my theories that, some years back, when man still had relatives living in the ocean, they got mad at us for eating some of them. To get even, they decided that they would try to only bite during the hours when most civilized mammals should be home sleeping. My partners on this trip evidently hold the same theory because at the most un-civilized hour of that Saturday morning, they gleefully dragged me off one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept on.
I won't even mention the fact that they ruined a perfectly good dream in which I was about to recieve the Guiness world record for the largest quilt ever made.
NIKIS' staff was most accommodating. They fixed us a great breakfast and a sack lunch to take with. They drew a line at the motels' quilt though. I put up a good fight, considering I was wrapped like a mummy in the motels' quilt, but with the help of my traitorous partners, they had me grossly out-numbered.
We reached Linwood Bay at about the same time the sun did. I have not words to describe the beauty of sunrise on an ice covered Flaming Gorge. Even if I had not caught a single fish, I found a new love that morning.
The fish's clock must have been frozen in the ice because they did not bite until later in the day. When they did, it would not have mattered if we were in the middle of a blizzard. I was hooked.
Ice fishing, like most outdoor sports, can be done cheaply or expensively, but if you don't own a boat and like to fish the deep water, the ice may be the very best way.
The main thing to remember is safety. It can get dangerously cold and you must be prepared. Dress in layers and wear warm, water-proof boots. It is good to have a bucket or folding chair to sit on and you will be much more comfortable with wood or padding that the air can't pass through. It is also nice to have a short piece of 2x6 or something besides the ice to put your feet on. Take a sled to carry your gear.
Ingenuity may be your most valuable tool. I've seen everything from a small, sand filled bucket for a fireplace, to a dome tent with a hole in the floor to fish through. I like the tent idea best because it is easy to move, provides a wind break, and can be heated with a gas lantern.
Your favorite tackle shop at home, or around the Gorge can advise you on technique. We had our best luck with flourescent green, weighted, crawdad imitations and white, lead head, bucktail marabou jigs. Both tipped with sucker meat or pieces of minnow. Jig your bait a few inches off the bottom.
The bites are usually very light so pay attention. Also, the 'MACKS' have hard mouths. That and the stretch of your line when fishing deep means you have to pull quite hard to set the hook. Once you do, hang on, you have just found one fantastic fight.
Whether you use a fish finder or not, (We did not) you may find you have to drill quite a few holes to find the fish. It's a good idea to carry an extra set of blades and an allen wrench for your auger. It is much easier, while on the ice, to change blades than to sharpen them.
You can find a good, in-expensive ice auger almost anywhere and you will be suprised at how easy it is to use even a manual auger once you get the hang of it.
You will also want to carry a scoop to keep the slush cleaned out of your hole. We used a large, kitchen, strainer spoon, bent to the proper angle and it worked very well. There are several commercial models on the market.
Definitely use an open faced, or spool type reel so you can easily keep the ice from locking up your line. A special ice fishing pole is optional though. I used my 5 1/2 foot, graphite, spin/cast pole. Strung with 12lb. test line and had good success. Everyone has an opinion on the proper gear so keep it cheap and let experience guide you.
You must carry and read your proclamation. Also carry a small measuring tape. We found the Game Wardens to be as friendly as anyone around the Gorge, but they have an important job to do, and will do it. Play it safe and you are in for one of the best times of your life.
Final tip, on my second trip a couple weeks later, my cousin and I took our wives with us. This is a bad mistake and you must never make the same one. They will catch more and larger fish than you do and you will never, ever live it down....