As I get older, fishing slowly becomes more about the experience than the number of fish I catch. While this may seem like an unproductive approach to gathering food, I only keep what we will eat, so the total number of fish caught has less importance than the quality of fish caught. When more food is needed, I can then return to nature’s grocery store and harvest a healthy meal or two with (or for) my family.
My desire to catch fish and continue learning remains strong, even though my definition of a good day of fishing has changed. Many, many moons ago I used to fish all day long without a break and would gauge my success each day based on the number of fish I was able to catch. My thought processes started changing after a couple interactions with older, wiser anglers that I met while fishing. My first experience was on the Kitimat River while fishing for salmon. I was fishing a popular run and met an angler who took the time to sit down, look around and take in his surroundings. He ate his lunch and watched the other anglers fishing, including myself. After his lunch, he stood up, walked back to the river’s edge and casted his line out. Fish on! I was impressed to see how relaxed and happy he was. I took note and proceeded to try and catch as many fresh fish that were arriving on the incoming tide as I could. A few years later, I met another angler while steelhead fishing. I remember that he seemed very relaxed and was willing to talk about the weather and fishing. We talked for a while as we fished and I could feel life slowing down around me as we talked.
Fast forward to this weekend and the last few years of fishing with my family. My definition of fishing is now defined as everyone having fun, learning something new and maybe catching a fish or two while staying warm. We held another Group Get Together this weekend at Ten Mile Lake which is basically a way for members to meet each other and/or existing members to meet up and fish together for a couple hours. The best part about a get together is that there are no strings attached. It’s simply another method of socializing with people you interact with online. For some people, it can lead to life long friendships and fishing partners.
When we arrived at the lake in the morning, I decided to park at the top parking lot as I was unsure of the road conditions closer to the lake. Our sled did not slide as well as I would have hoped down the hill and I’m sure it’s now due for another waxing as I drug it across multiple locations of bare road.
Before we got to the lake, we had a great talk with a local angler who was preparing to fish the lake. I really enjoy hearing stories about the past. I love to listen closely because much can be learned through a simple conversation.
Once on the lake, we came across a stick in the lake which marked an open hole that we were warned of. This hole seemed to remain open and looked like a hole that was once used to test the thickness of the lake. I also believe this is where anglers of the past have said a natural spring exists which helps keep the water open in a localized location.
Our walk out to the fishing grounds proved to be exactly as we had expected due to the warmer than normal temperatures. There were false layers of ice on top of six to eight inches of ice. There was also slushy spots with four to six inches of water on top of the ice. The clear, strong ice below us seemed to be “too thin” in spots, but upon closer investigation it was found that the lake was simply frozen ice that was so clear it appeared to not be frozen at all.
When we arrived to our fishing hole, we spent some more time talking with members of the group. I really enjoy the talks and believe this is what makes fishing with like minded people great.
Choosing a location to fish was a simple, yet difficult decision, because Austin was with me and I was more concerned about his comfort that choosing a fishing location. We set up our tent in the wind over an area that had heavy traffic and where the snow had been packed so tightly that it was frozen. The area I really wanted to fish was way off to the side of the main fishing grounds. I walked over to check the area out, but the water on top of the ice was enough to keep me away as I wanted us to stay warm and dry.
When we finally got set up, the fish were just starting to arrive. I drilled a couple holes with my StrikeMaster Ice auger and was happy with its performance. Fish were marking on the bottom every now and then, but none were interested in what we offered. Eventually, we had a school come through at 25ft and the bite was on and gone just as soon as they left. Luckily, we landed a nice kokanee and a smaller rainbow to be taken home later for dinner.
The morning fishing was slow for us. Maybe it was because I didn’t have my line in the water as much as I would have liked to, or maybe it was because of the full moon I kept hearing about. Fishing was apparently really good a day or two prior to the weekend, which is a factor out of my control.
I enjoyed learning how to use my new rod and reel this weekend as well. I found the rod at Franks Supermarket and had to have it. The reel I was using I bought on Amazon. The reel birds nested a few times in the beginning and I had to remove a fair chunk of line.
After adjusting the magnetic drop setting, the reel worked flawlessly. I am now debating on which is better for ice fishing, a bait caster reel or an inline reel.
At the end of the day, I was surprised to learn that my buddy heater handle had melted. Could this have caused a fire in my tent? I assume the handle melted from us cooking smokies and hot dogs on the heater. The aluminum foil I used on the cooking rack must have redirected the heat towards the handle. My buddy heater will now never be the same. In fact, this scenario has me thinking about only using an alternate cooking source from now on. I’m also considering looking into these diesel heaters I keep hearing about more and more.
Overall, we caught 2 kokanee and 1 rainbow trout. We left on Austin’s terms when he was ready to leave and I did not feel pressured to stay longer. Fishing should be fun and we should always be learning every time we go.
I look forward to my next fishing trip. Finding the time this year (and safe ice) will be key. The warmer temperatures have me wondering if my boat will be coming out of storage soon. While this would be ok, I also want to do some more ice fishing and get outside while the weather is enjoyable.