Tools of the trade

This will be in response to The writing prompt over at Ben G Outdoors.

The prompt is equipment that malfunctioned and how you over came it.

When I first moved to the methow valley ice fishing seemed like the thing to do. I invited my friends from college up to my new house. None of us had ever been ice fishing before. The question was asked, how do we get through the ice? I got an axe I said the ice should only be a few inches.

We get to the lake and start chopping. Ok we are through the first five inches. Of course every couple inches the hole gets smaller. Ok we are through the first ten inches. At this point we can see air bubbles under the ice. Ok we are FIFTEEN INCHES down, we have to be close. At eighteen inches we hit water. It felt like we hit gold.

Here is the problem, our hole started at about eighteen inches across and now that we are eighteen inches down our hole is about three inches long and 3/4 of an inch wide.

Here is another problem once you break the seal the water wil fill the hole to the top of the ice, for the most part.

So if you don't get it here is the over all problem we had a hold to small to fish out of eighteen inches down under water. Have you ever tried cutting ice with an axe that is under water. You get more wet than anything.

Believe it or not we did catch fish out of the sliver we called a fishing hole.

Jump a head two years, my girl friend at the time now my wife and I decided to go ice fishing. Oooooo but wait, we were too good for an axe now that I had a chainsaw my dad passed down to me.

We get out there and the saw cuts through the ice like butter, till I hit water. The blade slings water like it slings sawdust. It's not a good idea to get all wet when fishing in 10 degrees.

Jump a head one more year, valentines day. My wife did not like the fact I was using the chain saw as an ice fishing tool. So I get a hand auger for VDay and it has worked great ever since.

So I guess my tools did not malfunction or break. But they did evolve.

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