Ice Man

When I was a kid winter was for hockey and sledding, not fishing that was a summer activity. When I got older and got married I stayed home and did the honey dos. O.K., and I was outta shape and my body didn’t heal like it use to. I have been approached alot of times to go ice fishing, my wife even bought me a rod and reel, I just had no interest in it.

Last Saturday that all changed.

I got a call from my good friend Mike, he and some of his Flint Bowmen buddies were going to go on a local lake, I wanted to know if I wanted to go, I had the afternoon free so I accepted, I had a wool suit I haven’t used yet and this would be a good chance to break it in. Mike said he would call me back in once he got all the details.

Mike called me back and said that we need to be at the lake at 6:30. “WHAT?!?” I said “Yeah…the guy said it is good to be out there at 1st light” Mike said after a long pause, I think his ears were ringing after I yelled in the phone. We discussed the details and after I figured out all the details I figured out that I needed to get up at 4:45…so much for sleeping in.

I got home from work and the rest of the night was of the night was spent digging out my thermals and wool suit before I went to bed.

The morning came, early, really early. I stumbled out of bed got some coffee, got ready and left. I met Mike at the jumping point and loaded up and went to pick up Art, this is one of the reasons I wanted to go. I don’t get enough time to spend with Art, not that I don’t like spending time with Mike, put he comes up to Compass once in while and Art is on a archery league with his wife on Monday nights, now I think of it Art is on a league on most nights…I’m not jealous of that, well, maybe a little.

We arrived at Art’s a little early, went inside and started a chit chat while Art was looking for the directions, and looked looked some more…he never found them, we left hoping to find the elusive lake. Oh! Art’s wife is a manager at Starbucks, you got to love that!

No time at all we were at the lake. Our “guide” wasn’t there, Art called and said he was almost there. I seen lights and they were on another road, so we backed up and met up with another bowmen. We got out of the truck and greeted Lynn.

We started to get dressed for the ice, unloaded Lynn’s truck. I looked at the lake, I thought to myself, this shouldn’t be a long hike, the lake is right there. As soon as I thought that, Lynn grabbed a shanty and started going right, away from the lake. Now I am no expert at ice fishing, but I thought that you drilled holes in the ice ON the lake! Oh well, I grabbed the other shanty and followed…

Did Matt get lost?
Did Matt catch fish?
Did Matt get his shoes stolen from behind Art’s Truck?

Stayed tuned…Same Matt time…same Matt Channel…