Monday, March 2, 2009

I viewed the morning with alarm...

Was there a lake out there? Or would I find the British museum? And where was our expert guide? Would I find him or was I the only one who got out of bed for this?

A grim morning on the lake


What's the point of having red flags when you can't even see that far? Visability was poor in all directions as the wind, snow and cold challenged our stamina.

a fish has been caught!

The Hand Crafted Hole


Although modern battery powered augers were provided by the guide service, many of us shunned the modern convenience for the pleasure of hand crafting a hole the old fashioned way. We were ridiculed and warned that the ice was beyond penetration at THIRTY INCHES but we knew there be a reason beyond tradition for the workout of chopping a hole: it was a means of getting warm.

MARCH MADNESS

A thoughtful judge ponders IPA decisions while waiting for the next pairing to arrive. The entries were judged by panels of three; a west coast representative and a woman were on each.

Ice fishing was put on hold at 11 am for the judging of the first round of the HOPS NOT HOOPS MARCH MADNESS competition of 64 IPA entries from around the country.

Follow the madness here:
http://brackets.brewingnews.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=306230

I was grateful to get inside from the misery of the cold, wind and snow.

Visability was much better after a few beers

Shelter was provided by our guide service


This custom made shelter was flipped on it's side and converted to a giant sled trailer to haul all the gear off the ice when day was done. Our expert guide Bill was given a special award - a growler of Black Hole Stout - in recognition of INNOVATION IN ICE FISHING TECHNOLOGY.