HELENA, Mont. (AP) – For ice-fishermen, fish aren’t the biggest source of struggle: Instead, it’s the wind.
“You don’t say that word very often out here. You call it the W,” fisherman Nate Gray said.
The “W’’ was breezy but certainly present on a recent morning. It was also sunny, with temperatures above freezing.
Gray and friends (and dog) had their eyes on 19 holes in the surface of Hauser Lake, which was dotted with fishermen.
Each hole had a rod perched on one of many kinds of holders. A few just rested on the ice.
Two rainbow trout – the day’s catch so far – were off to the side.
“Today’s a pretty slow day. Usually, by now, we’ve got eight to 10 fish sitting on the ice,” Gray said.
“Ice-fishing is hard if it’s slow. But it’s still better than sitting at home,” another fisherman, Dave Fine, said.
A few groups had hauled out small ice houses for the day. Gray’s crew just had a small windscreen and a wood stove.
For larger outings, Gray said he pitches his 109-square-foot ice house, complete with an oven to cook pizza.
No matter the weather, the ice house can get downright balmy, Gray and son Leo VanHoover said.
“My sisters sit in the ice tent and kick it back with T-shirts on,” VanHoover, 13, said.
The sport requires a watchful eye, something for which ice-house relaxation isn’t always conducive.
Most ice-fishermen keep bells on the end of each rod for that purpose. Gray takes it a few steps further. He has a bagful of gadgets to help detect when lines go taut.
First he pulled out a homemade rod with a homemade “strike sensor” attached to the handle. The fishing line is placed through a holder near the reel that, when tripped, sets off a buzzer. It uses one AA battery.
Gray then demonstrated a more sophisticated sensor that attaches directly to the line. When it goes tight, the light turns red and a remote pager also begins to beep.
The pager works up to 500 feet from the hole, Gray said. That way, you can keep tabs on the line while inside the ice tent, he said.
They also use a few types of “tip up” devices, which raise a spring-loaded flag.
Still, with so many lines up at any given time, a few casualties may be inevitable. Gray figures about 10 rods get pulled down the hole each year.
“When I go buy new rods, I buy 40 at a time,” he said.
It’s not just rods that go under water. Both Gray and his son have fallen through on occasion.
Leo said the uncertainty doesn’t scare him – he’s used to jumping in cold water, he said.
In all his years, his dad counts three icy plunges.
“It’s an adrenaline rush,” he said.
The ice was 8 to 10 inches thick on this day, well above the 3-inch minimum.
“I used to come out on 2 inches, but I have too many kids now,” Gray said.
Gray said he’s an avid outdoorsman. His son describes him as a kind of ice-fishing guru.
“If you need to know anything about ice-fishing, ask him,” VanHoover said. “He taught me everything.”
Pulling fish onto the ice requires some experimenting with depth, lures and bait, Gray said. With enough holes and rods, however, they can test many combinations at once.
Still, the pair didn’t quite agree on the level of skill the sport requires.
VanHoover said it doesn’t take any, but his father insisted otherwise. The keys to success, Gray said, are time and dedication.
“It’s a great way to feed your family and spend some time together,” Gray said.
VanHoover, meanwhile, seems to have inherited his dad’s enthusiasm for the sport.
“It’s a blast,” he said. “The first time I hooked into a fish last year, I got addicted.”
“I keep trying to get him (Gray) to let me out of school so I can go with him,” VanHoover said. “He won’t let me.”
