Cold Fish

To most people, the lure of ice fishing is a total mystery, even for those who like to fish in normal conditions. When most piscators have the sense to winterize their boats and put away their fishing gear for the season, ice fishermen get all excited about the sub-zero temperatures steadily thickening the ice. Ice fishing is a bizarre, perhaps neurotic, pastime filled with masochistic pleasure, as its practitioners eagerly risk frostbite while standing for hours on wind-blown ice. And yet, as I write this blog post, I am nearly trembling with excitement to get out on the ice to lower a colorful jig into the mysterious and hopefully fish-filled darkness below.