A bluebird day of ice fishing leads to reflections atop a frozen Idaho lake
When people ask me when I developed my love for fishing, I have a hard time giving an answer that doesn’t sound cliché. The truth is, literally, the first time I tried it. Right away, I felt the magic. The beauty of the outdoors. The mystery of what might happen. The excitement of a fish on the end of your line. I was completely hooked.
I recently celebrated my birthday in the Idaho mountains with family and close friends. Early in the morning — right about the time I was born 35 years prior, actually — my friends and I hiked out onto the ice. The only sounds were the faint crunching of snow under our feet and the cold puffs of mist that measured our breathing. In moments like these, you don’t want to say anything — not for fear of scaring the fish, but because you don’t want to interrupt Mother Nature’s train of thought.
We arrived at our spot and set up shop. Fish immediately showed up on our flashers, but they weren’t biting. A mystery to solve! I downsized my lure and tipped it with a tiny wax worm. Bingo! A half-dozen fish came through the ice in short order, but they were all small Kokanee. I finally managed to get my lure through the riffraff to a fish lurking in deeper water. It pounced on my lure, and I could immediately tell the difference as I wrestled a keeper-sized rainbow trout to the surface.
Just before sunup, temperatures dipped into the low single digits. I made the rounds and de-iced the holes — movement helps keep the chill off — before pausing to admire a breathtaking alpine sunrise. A mesmerizing mix of purple and gold tinted a thin layer of clouds and the snow-covered mountain below. Cold aside, I couldn’t think of a more peaceful scene.
We went back to work. Having figured out the bigger trout were hanging out near the bottom, I focused on getting my jig into the strike zone. Time and time again, I watched a fish approach my lure on my trusty Vexilar screen. To my delight, most of them took a swipe at my jig and wound up joining us topside.
We caught a mix of rainbow and brook trout, keeping a handful of nice fish for the frying pan. After a few hours of serious fishing, our wives and kids joined us on the ice. Seeing my daughter, Quinn, bounce across the lake in her pink and blue snowsuit brought a huge smile to my face. I helped her reel in the next trout — although she barely needs my help these days — before scooping her up and taking off on a snowmobile ride.
Our bluebird winter afternoon melted away all too quickly. We fished, played and pulled the kids on sleds behind the snowmobile. We even built an ice fishing snowman. It felt like we had the whole lake to ourselves which, for the most part, was true. It was nearly sundown when we finally retreated to our cabin, where warm dinner and homemade asphalt pie awaited.
When I checked my phone the next day, I was surprised by the lack of photos from my birthday party on the lake. I guess I was too busy doing my favorite things with my favorite people to bother taking out my phone. Because more than 30 years later, the magic is still there. Nature is still beautiful. Each fishing trip remains a mystery. Every bite holds excitement — and there’s a new generation to share it all with.
Tight lines!
Magic Reservoir hosts Dam Fools Ice Derby
The Dam Fools Ice Fishing Derby is set for Saturday, Feb. 20, on Magic Reservoir. Hosted by the West Magic Lake Recreation Club, the tournament will award cash prizes for the longest and heaviest fish in both perch and trout categories. Registration is $10 per angler, per species. Registration begins at 4 p.m. Friday at the West Magic clubhouse, or 6:30 the morning of the event. Anglers can also request a form via email by contacting jkbrose@outlook.com or jonsweet83352@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/damfools.
Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters since he was a teen. Share your fish stories, adventures, tips and tricks with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com or visit www.tightlines208.com.
