Break the ice for winter ritual

By Stephen Hlawaty
Outdoors Columnist

"I do my best work in awkward situations," I responded to Jeff, my brother-in-law, during a particularly surreal event in our lives. The place: Las Vegas. The event: Jeff's sister's second wedding. The attendants (among others): an alcoholic Russian Orthodox priest, a magician and my mother-in-law's third, and creepiest, husband.

Then, like now, I have no problem dealing with life's more uncomfortable situations, like catching fish on a frozen lake. So what do awkward social situations have to do with catching fish? They both begin with the same ritual: the breaking of the ice.

Being new to ice fishing, I welcomed the advice of avid ice-fisher Shawn Niedenzu and was fortunate to hook up with three men from Loveland for a day of ice fishing on Red Feather Lakes' West Lake, where we fished for brown and rainbow trout. Although we opted to catch and release our fish, others fish to catch and eat. And why not? Fresh fish make for good eats.

Indeed, many would agree that fish taste their best when caught from cold lake waters. Their flesh is firm and flaky and typically lacks the "muddy" flavor of a fish caught from the summer's warm waters. Regardless of whether you're into ice fishing for the pure sport of it or for something a bit more appealing to the palate, there are a few things to consider before you go.

First and foremost: safety. The anglers I fished with agreed that ice should be at least 3 to 4 inches thick before it can be considered safe to fish on. With my son Ethan in tow the day we went, I was glad to see that the ice was 6 inches thick. Know that wind can be one of the most destructive forces to ice, so those fishing in windy areas such as Red Feather Lakes' Dowdy Lake should be advised.

If you were to fall through the ice into the water, try your best to cover your face with your hands, so as to prevent swallowing water from your body's natural reaction to gasp deeply when suddenly entering icy waters. Try to crawl out onto more stable ice. Would-be rescuers should not go in after someone who has fallen through the ice, but rather try to pull that person out with some other rescuing device. A car's jumper cables make for an impromptu rescue cord, while a spare tire can serve as a flotation device.

Safety also necessitates the proper equipment. Rods specific to ice fishing make the day a lot more enjoyable. These rods are shorter than a typical rod and are counter balanced to keep the tip of your rod over your hole while sitting securely on the ice.

Ice huts make a day spent on a frozen lake a lot more comfortable. These huts come in all shapes and sizes and allow anglers to get out of the elements and stay on the ice longer. One less obvious advantage to these huts is that they allow greater visibility into the hole, allowing you to see the fish swim underneath the ice. Light trapped under the ice is projected through your hole and into your hut, which serves as a natural kind of backlight. Without a hut, you can't see anything past the surface of the ice. In a hut you can see when the fish will strike your bait rather than having to rely on constantly watching a bobber.

Within your ice hut the possibilities for comforts of home are endless: snacks, propane heater and cooler, to name a few. The major disadvantage to ice fishing with a hut is its lack of mobility, something to consider when walking to less populated fishing holes such as Red Feather's Bellaire Lake.

Like huts, augers to make your fishing hole come in all shapes and sizes. A gas-powered auger quickly cuts an 8-inch hole compared with a 6-inch hole made with a hand auger, but it also is less mobile. Minnows, mealworms and wax worms make for great bait.

Ice fishing season generally runs from mid-December through mid-March. As such, be sure to dress appropriately and wear sunglasses.

With a new appreciation for ice fishing, I make no qualms about sharing my experience with others, which is more than I can say for my time in Vegas. Good thing that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.