Ice Fishing

Well, I got my cultural experience a full six days before we even set foot in Brazil.

Grandpa Duane (Denielle's Grandpa) offered to take me out to his "Dark House" for an adventure in spearing. Spearing involves a 2x4 foot hole in the ice, a dark house (with a little, little wood stove) and a decoy in the water you move around from time to time.

We got out to the house at about 8:00 am (not very early for the die hard spearers), and in about fifteen minutes we had our first visitors, a couple of 2lb northerns. Grandpa speared one of them, mostly because he wanted to make sure that we got one while we were there. The next one that showed up about an hour later was about 5lbs. Grandpa slid the spear (an ugly five prong tool) carefully into the water as the big ugly thing (looking even bigger in the water) came up to investigate the decoy. With a quick thrust he had it and pulled it out of the water, it's mouth was open wide enough to swallow a large baby. He unlatched to door in the house, stuck the fish out and then closed the door, using the door and the side of the house to pull the fish off the spear. We could hear the fish flopping around outside.

The next one didn't come along until about 11:00. It was worth the weight. If I thought the other two were big, this one was ginormous. A whopping 7lbs!

It was fun and while I don't anticipate making a habit of he sport, it was fun to spend the time with Grandpa and enjoy the ice!

I am glad that God has not left us to fish for fish however. While fishing for men is hard work, the time spent can never be measured in terms of wealth, fame or fortune. Thanks Lord, for telling us "Do not be afraid, from now you shall cacth men.