For Southern New England, ice fishing isn't the most common past time. It never really stays cold long enough for the lakes to freeze that thick. So for the past 12 Winters four high school buddies from Falmouth, MA make the trek up to Moosehead Lake and Sawyer Pond in Maine to dig through the ice in search of delicious trout.
Armed with plenty of 16oz cans of Narragansett beer, Stew and friends partake in an unforgettable weekend. Fishing is a big part of New England heritage and ice fishing is no different. The temperature isn't ideal, but there is something invigorating about being on the middle of a frozen body of water catching fish. It's obvious you can't just cast your line out, so digging through the thick feet of ice is a job within itself. There's an old proverb that says, "Working hard for a meal makes it taste that much sweeter." These guys can test to that. The first meal had to be hot dogs steamed in 'Gansett lager while one lucky volunteer picked at chunks of ice.
Once they broke through the ice to the lake water, the trout started coming in. All you really had to do was drop the baited line into the hole and within seconds you had a bite. As nightfall came they washed the tasty fish down by shotgunning the tall boys. But it's not just catching and eating the fish that makes for an unforgettable weekend in Maine. Spending the evenings camping on the frozen lake, sharing stories of what's new and fond memories of the past over a few beers by the fire is the way life should be.
Photo by Jeff Adams.
