Heidi It appeals to my imagination: ice fishing. I don’t have tons of experience but was able to do it twice already and would like to tell you more about it. The first time I went ice fishing was in Finland. It was not a success. The catch was zero. In February 2020 I had the opportunity to go ice fishing in Sweden. Wondering how we did then?
Drilling a hole in the ice
I was staying in Granö Beckasin and took part in the snowmobile tour. On the way we stopped on a lake and the tour guide took out a giant drill. I immediately recognized it from that time in Finland and after the tour guide’s demonstration I started drilling my hole in the ice. It seems simple but you do need some muscle power! For those who prefer a bit of laziness (or for even thicker ice, of course), there are motorized drills in addition to the hand drills. After a while I had a hole where I could put my fishing rod in. Now it was mainly about keeping that hole open and ensuring that it could not freeze up again.
Sea fishing vs. ice fishing
You should know, I am a North Sea wreck diver. Time on board, between the tides, was sometimes spent by fishing. I had no talent, but I sometimes caught a few mackerels. Yet you cannot really compare it with this ice fishing. A much smaller fishing rod is used for ice fishing and you don’t need a boat. You always ice fish with a nylon line. It is “waterproof” and will therefore not freeze. As I saw the tour guide doing it, I carefully moved my rod up and down. My patience was tested because the fish didn’t bite.
Bite!
I was just exchanging my fishing rod (a bit disappointed) for my camera when I heard the other lady of the group shouting that she had caught a fish. The fish just met the minimum size. Obviously, we shouldn’t expect a big fish lunch that day. In the end we caught just enough fish to provide everyone with a small appetizer, haha. Fortunately, the tour guide was prepared and had had taken sandwiches with cheese (and ham – for the non-vegetarians) for us.
Dress in layers
Because you have to sit still for a long time to go ice fishing, you should dress warmly enough. Make sure you are not sweaty from the activity you did before, because you will get cold quickly that way. Because we combined it with a snowmobile trip, we had received extra warm clothing from the organization. Thick gloves and a hat are also indispensable.
Have you ever gone ice fishing in Sweden? Curious about your experiences!
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