Yes, it has been mighty cold this winter, and yes, there is a certain appeal to extending the fishing season, but the very thought of walking out on the ice of a supposedly frozen lake, well, to me it just seems to fly in the face of logic.
And yet, for some strange, strange reason, I have somehow gotten it into my head that I want to try ice fishing, which is a bit odd considering just how much I dislike winter. I don’t even like going out into the cold when it’s out of necessity.
All that being said, a few days ago I found myself in one of the local fishing tackle stores making inquiries as to what kind of gear I might need to get started.
I’ve always been pretty much under the impression that all a person needed was a spinning rod with the tip broken off, a reel, woollen socks, long johns and a five-gallon ice cream bucket to sit on.
Boy, was I wrong. I was equally surprised to learned just how sophisticated ice fishing gear has become in the past few years.
There were specially designed two-foot-long rods that enable an angler to sit closer and peer down into their hole in the ice as they dangle their line in the water, smaller-sized reels that hold just enough line to reel in a fish if it makes a run for it and monofilament line that will not turn brittle and break in icy cold waters. There were also all sorts of polypropylene long underwear, one and two-piece Gortex suits and minus 50-degree boots to keep your feet warm, not to mention portable two-person ice fishing huts with heated, padded seats and special sleighs to pull all your gear that can either be pulled by hand or attached to a quad. There was no end to the amount of ‘stuff’ available just for ice fishing … no end to the amount of money one could spend.
The good part was, I discovered that a decent ice fishing rod and reel setup only costs $50 to $75.
Having paid more than 10 times that for a fly rod set up, it didn’t seem so bad laying out just over $85 for a top-of-the-line Fenwick rod with an Abu Garcia reel filled with Berkley Fireline Micro Ice Fused Crystal fishing line. Having made the plunge, so to speak, I nevertheless decided to put off purchasing a fishing hut with heated, padded seats until I have actually gone ice fishing.
There was also the dilemma of whether to buy a manual ice auger, a gas powered auger or one of the new, high-tech battery powered augers. So many choices, so many decisions.
Actually, if the truth be told, I simply held off buying any more ice fishing gear because I just couldn’t see myself springing for the big bucks. This is why I will start to look for things at thrift stores. Summer is the best time to buy winter clothing. A couple of years back, I picked up a good pair of Sorel boots with leather uppers at a garage sale and, like I said, I’ll wait to pick up a two-piece Ski-Doo suit at a thrift store.
One thing that I think I will pick up new is one of those round cushions that you put on top of your five-gallon ice cream bucket to use as a seat. Somewhere I have a Montreal Canadiens toque that I have never worn … again, who cares what you look like as long as you’re warm.
I tossed around the idea of using a collapsible lawn chair but I figured I could carry all my gear in the ice cream bucket. I’m always thinking.
All I have to do now is go through my tackle box and see what kinds of hooks and small lures I have that I might be able to use for ice fishing.
Me, an ice fisher? Who would have thought.
I’ll believe it more when I’m out on the ice though. But right now, it’s way too cold. I think I’ll just stay home where it’s nice and warm and watch The Twilight Zone on television.
“You are walking towards a great expanse of swirling white, towards the icy reaches of the unknown, each step takes you closer and closer to the frozen barren grounds of your wildest imagination. You are walking towards The Twilight Zone.”