Insane as it sounds I convinced myself that an ice house was actually a sane solution to a very perverse form of recreation. Fishing in and of itself can be a borderline religious pursuit, especially in the flavor I prefer which is fly fishing. I had never been able to convince myself that standing outside in all forms of cold on a large, thick sheet of ice with a hole in it waiting for a fish was ever going to elevate me to some state of joy and enlightenment. Enter the FishTrap Scout ice house.
We bought two single man outfits, or man and a half. Purportedly, it will fit one ice fisherman and all the gear he needs to survive an afternoon in the arctic along with a prodigious heap of fishing gear, bait and attractants. It was immediately apparent that I should have either lightened my load or got something bigger. My dog, who weighs in at about 85 lbs. was as enamored with the idea of shelter from the god forsaken conditions as I was. But, like a passage from a Jack London story I banished him to the frozen wastes to keep company with the measly few Perch that lay flopping around my little oasis in the arctic. I can't help but feel that some day I may pay for this heartless act but the fact is, I'm not going to be the one freezing my butt off. And after all, he was the one that practically ran over me to get in the back of the truck to go somewhere.
If you have ever spent an afternoon ice fishing wide open to the elements it doesn't take long to appreciate some of the finer, simpler pleasures in life- like shelter and warmth. It was pure heaven to actually be able to change lures with fingers that actually had blood running through them and not groping and fumbling with everything with ten frozen stubs that are as stiff and useless as unsharpened pencils. Further, just being sheltered, why it was like being back in the womb. I wanted to take off my entire 100 lb. wardrobe and sit back and start roasting marshmallows. Providing heat was a Coleman Blackcat heater. It was almost unnatural to be this comfortable while ice fishing.
So, for the near future instead of doing something constructive, like getting ready for the fly fishing season and much more sane climatic conditions we are working on our ice fishing skills in a much smaller hospitable environment.
Notes on the Fish Trap Scout-
We looked at a lot of the clam type houses under different brands that have been around for awhile but settled on these because the fabric was heavier and seemed more durable, the frames were one piece affairs, and everything was fastened to the sled. Its like an accordion that just folds over the top of you. The seats will spin around and slide backward and forward. There are both vents and windows with full zipper door. The first one took me about an hour and a half to put together, the second about 45 minutes. Side by side with the other brands it seemed like a much more sturdy ice house. We had them out in wind up to about 15-20mph and with a little snow piled around them they were fine. Outside temps with wind chill were zero or less. I was not enthused about fishing in those conditions, ice house or not but I wanted to see how these things would do- I was impressed.
The Coleman Blackcat-Just a simple little heater. I use it for more than just fishing but it heats up this little ice house just fine. The electronic starter didn't impress me so I got a little butane "match" to start it with and it takes right off. It uses the little green gas bottles that sell for 3 bucks. They will last about four or five hours running on high.
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