I love ice fishing, even though in the eyes of most Maryland anglers that makes me two sandwiches short of a picnic lunch.
Ten below, driving snow, nose aglow. Bring it on.
But - and this is non-negotiable - the ice under the boots must be substantial. Not Titanic-thick. Four, maybe 5 inches of clean, clear frozen water will do.
Years ago, my friends at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department suggested testing ice thickness by using a cordless drill and a long, five-eighths-inch wood auger bit to bore a test hole. One drawback, I pointed out: It means setting foot on the ice before testing it. Just one of the things that make you go, "Hmmmm."
Anyway, with winter promising to stay awhile last week, I ventured up behind Aberdeen Proving Ground, careful to avoid any Navy SEALs in training, carrying a small tackle shop: orange utility bucket, tip-ups, St. Croix jigging rod, ice strainer, small jigs, wax worms, auger and thermos of hot coffee.
Poked two holes in the ice, checked the depth, set my traps and waited. And waited. And waited some more. Poked another hole and baited my jigging rod. I swear there is more movement in a wax museum than there was on my wax worms.
Finally, flag up. Hand over hand, I brought the line to the surface. A fish face appeared just below the surface. Even with frozen fingers, I felt the frantic wiggle before my dinner vamoosed. The sound of cracking ice sent me packing.
Stupid never felt so, well, cold. Except for several hours later, when I discovered that the strainer and the St. Croix conspired to remain behind on the ice. Frozen brainpan strikes again.
Not every ice fisherman had an attack of the stupids last week. Virgil Poe and Bob Wiest had some fun on the Magothy River and shared a photo of their perching exploits. And they've promised to take me fishing.
If you're lucky enough to land a mess of perch, here's a favorite fried perch recipe with a tip of the cap to Maryland:
1 pound of perch fillets
For batter, combine:
* 1 cup of flour
* 1 cup of cornmeal
* 1 pint of beer (buttermilk can be substituted)
* 1 tablespoon each of salt and pepper
* 2 tablespoons of Old Bay seasoning
* 1 cup of oil for frying
Coat fillets and fry until golden, about three minutes on each side. The batter will keep in a tightly covered container for a couple of days.
