The cockamamie proposal to outlaw January ice fishing got what it deserved, a good thumping. The Legislative Fish and Wildlife Committee voted 13-0 not to send it for a full legislative vote. Why, even its sponsor, Rep. Matt Dunlap, realized the folly of his ways and voted against his own bill. There’s some irony in it all. Dunlap said his bill was in part a response to “constituents concerns” about early- season thin ice, as well as the prospect that ice anglers were putting excessive pressure on the sport fishery.

Not good timing on Dunlap’s part.

Those few ice fishermen tough enough to endure the wind and cold this winter found thicker ice than they’ve seen in years! In fact, on our northern lakes, anglers without extensions for their augers were out of luck.

Normally, a moderately enthusiastic hard- water angler, I found myself making excuses not to go fishing in January and early February this year. It just isn’t much fun when the thermometer is pushing zero, and the wind is gusting out of the northwest at 20 to 30. Ice holes freeze up in seconds. Exposed hands and fingers become too numb to set hooks and wind line. Snowsleds start hard. Ham and cheese sandwiches lose their zest by lunchtime. Fish seem to hunker down, as if sensing the arctic conditions on top.

In short, winter has a way of regulating ice fishing pressure. And yet every year, a group of vocal open water purists convince an accommodating lawmaker that ice fishermen are raping and plundering Maine’s sport fishery. You watch, something akin to the Dunlap bill will rear its ugly head again next winter. My guess is that this is an educational issue: proponents of this ice fishing legislation – whether they be lawmakers or sportsmen – just haven’t spent much time on the ice after fish.

We need to get these activist-minded folks out on the ice in January, the month in question. What they’ll find is that ice fishing – especially in January- is not everybody’s cup of tea. More than likely, too, they’ll see that diehard ice anglers are blessed with the patience of Job. Catching fish through an ice hole can be tedious, like watching paint dry.

Ice fishing has its special days just the same. Most of them come in March when the sun gets higher in the sky, the wind takes a day off, and the sport fish begin to chase the smelt runs under the ice. And to catch fish, you really need to catch the clock. The other day, after a long winter’s wait, my English Setter Sally and I kept a tipup vigil at our favorite salmon water up north. We timed it right. Despite the light snowfall and leaden skies, the fish got active about midday between two fast moving low pressure systems. Retired Maine Game Warden Brian Buchanan and his wife Wilma stopped by for a brief “shack” visit. Surprised by our catch, Buchanan, who fishes the same water from his ice shack on a regular basis, said,” Hmm, I haven’t done that well all winter. I think my timing must be off. We picked today, of all days, to take a day off from fishing and just go sledding.”

Soon the Buchanans and their snow machines disappeared down the lake, swallowed up by the storm and the whiteout. In between chasing sprung tipups and rebaiting hooks, Sally and I shared an elkburger and fried onions.

By 3 o’clock, the second low pressure system arrived as promised. The snow became heavy and wind driven and the action stopped, but we took two respectable salmon and two splake back to my camp. Soon dog and man were hunkered down near a warming woodfire. As all sportsmen learn, as well as most gun dogs, there is a special contentment that comes from being snug by a wood fire in a small cabin during a snowstorm. An iron skillet sizzling with moose steak and a fresh-caught salmon fillet keeps the contentment going, and pays homage to the moment and His creations.

Sometime in the night before bedtime, the weather broke. The next morning, with tote-sled loaded, Sally and I snowmobiled the 13 miles back to the truck. As we broke trail through fresh snow, I found myself looking back on my first good ice fishing trip of the season, and wondering. “Why would anyone want to take this away from us?”

But I know from years of Augusta watching, that they will be back to help us again and again and again. Next winter, or the winter after, our elected lawmakers will return to save us all from ourselves.

V. Paul Reynolds is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal.He is also a Maine Guide, co-host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on 103.9, and former information officer for the Maine Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. His e-mail address is paul@sportingjournal.com.


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