The Dangerous but Exciting Sport of Ice Fishing
Ice fishing is a very exciting version of fishing. It is done by cutting out holes in solid ice over frozen rivers and lakes and trying to catch fish. This type of fishing is a very old practice, dating back many centuries. The allure in fishing this way seems to be that there is a certain amount of danger involved in it and that makes it more of a challenge. Fishing in itself is a challenge and an art, with the person fishing trying to get the better of the fish that is struggling to free itself. Ice fishing has the added danger of falling into the freezing river and drowning so it becomes almost an extreme type of fishing, more extreme than sitting in a boat all day reading a book while fishing.
The activity of ice fishing is very ancient. Eskimos and other indigenous people belonging to extremely cold climates found that the only way to feed themselves in the frozen wastelands that they inhabited was to cut holes in the ice and fish. Unlike regular fishing, which is done in normal temperatures, ice fishing brings with it certain challenges and dangers. Over the years, ice fishing became a source of entertainment and less about feeding oneself. It followed a similar pattern to other types of fishing out there; people did not need to catch fish in order to eat them. But ice fishing differed slightly in the fact that people who went ice fishing would be far away from amenities such as supermarkets and stores, and so for them catching a fish in the wild probably meant eating it to stay alive. Slowly over the years, ice fishing became a very popular pastime in those countries that experienced extremely cold temperatures and had frozen lakes and rivers. Today, contests even take place to see who can catch the biggest fish from a frozen lake or river.
Ice fishing differs from normal fishing in the equipment needed to take part in the activity. Specialised ice picks and axes are needed to cut holes in the ice. Nowadays, powered saws are also used to cut holes in the thick ice. An interesting piece of equipment that no ice angler can be without is a strainer; this specialised piece of equipment is used to remove ice as it forms over the newly cut hole. That is the unique feature of this version of fishing; normally fishermen do not have to worry about the lake closing up around their line and them having to remove it to fix the problem. Some daredevils of the fishing world have gone old school and have started to spear fish through holes cut in the ice. Spearing fish is one of the oldest ways to fish in the ice and it is also one of the most challenging ways to do it. A certain amount of skill is required to perfect the move that will net a fish with a clean throw of a spear.
Besides the unique nature of this type of fishing, there are certain dangers involved in it as well. The biggest one of them all is falling through the ice and into the freezing cold water. Ice has to be at least 4 inches thick for a person to walk on it and a foot thick for a car to move on it. Even with these levels of thickness, sometimes the ice can break apart and a person can fall in. The danger is that once a person is under the water, they cannot surface again because the entire lake is frozen solid and there is no way out. A lot of people have drowned over the years by falling in while fishing. With the ice being broken and holes being cut into it, there is always a chance that the ice could break apart and suck a person in.
Ice fishing is not only a solitary pastime; there are competitions that take place all over the world. One of the biggest ones happens in Finland and a large group of ice fishing enthusiasts descend upon the country to try and win big prizes. The competitive nature and skill involved have seen a lot of fishing lovers label it a sport instead of just a pastime. Well, it may be a sport but that is a person’s personal choice to call it what they want. With more people getting interested in ice fishing, it looks like more countries that experience bitter cold weather could be inundated with ice fishing enthusiasts.
Tags: