Ice Fishing: A New Englander's Example Of Staying Warm In The Dead Of Winter

As SubArtic temperatures blast most of the northeastern corner of the US, most people hunker down in front of a warm fire. Most people, but not everyone. Armed with my 35mm Leica M3, I set out on a frozen lake in New England to get a closer look at a small tent I noticed from the road. As I came closer, I noticed an older couple surrounded by small holes in the ice, warming themselves in front of a portable fire.

Every morning at 4 AM, they haul their tent, fireplace, and fishing gear across the ice in a large sled, set up, and begin drilling dozens of holes. They then place a fishing line fastened to a pole, which is placed laterally across the width of the hole, and then they wait and wait and wait. They explain that in some cases, they stay there for over ten hours before they have enough fish to make the trip worth their while.

The ruggedness of New England natives (which I am not) never ceases to amaze me. I, for one, can't handle anything below fifty degrees for longer than an hour or two. But for these ice fishermen, "too cold" is nothing more than a simple fix.

As the world rapidly becomes more fast-paced, and we become more and more engulfed in minute-by-minute recaps of grim instant news stories and online political wars. Stepping back and disconnecting from the digital realm in a way that forces you to focus on yourself and your craft is becoming more and more pertinent. As for me, I'll stick to experiencing those feelings in my home studio with a warm cup of coffee and a guitar in hand.