Christmastime in Wyoming is a magical time that usually results in gifts given, tons of food eaten, and…cabin fever.

We usually combat this malady by trying to take advantage of the last remaining days of pheasant season.  Stomping around in shin-deep snow and 5°F temperatures is about as fun as it gets, but sometimes you’ve got to mix it up a little and try something new.

When I was attending college in Utah (Go Cougs!), I made frequent trips to Strawberry Reservoir, which lies along US-40 between Heber City and Duchesne, UT.  Ice fishing at Strawberry was some of the most exciting fishing I’ve ever had the pleasure to be part of.

The thing that makes ice fishing so exciting for me is the fact that you never know what’s going to come up through the ice.  A lunker may be landed as easily as a minnow and some fish that are relatively small, might fight like a steelhead.  Add to that the stress of not knowing if your line is going to hold the 23” rainbow that gobbled your lure, and you’ve got a tense couple of minutes.  Multiply those few minutes several times during a typical day at Strawberry, and you’ll know why I’m so fond of the sport.

Fishing hardwater is addicting and once you’ve experienced a great day on the ice, it’s hard to give it up. Like most hobbies though, it’s easy to spend yourself out of house and home.  I’d be willing to bet Dave Ramsey and his debt advisors spend the majority of their time counseling broke ice fishermen who went bankrupt buying the latest rods, reels, augers, ice huts, and tip ups on the market.

More important than buying the latest fishing gear, good boots and clothing are perhaps the most important assets when spending the day on ice.  I once took my brother in law ice fishing and he still curses me, over a decade later, when I mention that day.  He, the proud cowboy, had a wretched day for the simple reason that he wore leather cowboy boots and blue jeans in sub-zero weather.  It wouldn’t have mattered if he caught a dozen 10 pound trout, he would have still been miserable.

Experienced ice anglers know that nearly any type of weather is possible in a Wyoming winter and prepare accordingly.  In contrast to the fishing trip with my brother in law, one of my favorite ice fishing memories took place on Sunshine Reservoir, near Meeteetse, on a sunny January day long ago.  The ice on the reservoir had apparently frozen very quickly, without any wind or snow, because it looked, quite literally like a pane of glass.

It was exactly 4” thick and clear as could be.  We could actually see fish swimming beneath the ice as we fished.  The fishing and weather were great that day as all landed several nice trout and the temps must have reached the upper 30s and maybe into the 40s.  By midafternoon we had removed jackets and were wearing only our short sleeved shirts.

Of course, there were two downsides to those conditions: without snow on the ice it was slippery as could be, which led to several crashes throughout the day.  Also, with the extremely thin ice and unseasonably warm temperatures, no two anglers could ever gather together to admire each other’s fish.  The first time we attempted to stand near each other the ice started to crack beneath our feet, forcing us to keep our distance all day!

Over the last several years, I haven’t ice fished as much.  Since we returned to Wyoming, my winters have been spent chasing big game and deer, more than fishing.  The bug returned on a recent adventure to Yellowtail Reservoir east of Lovell.  Invited by fishing addict friend, we braved the cold and wind for a day on the ice.

Part of the reason I wanted to get out was to test out my new (to me) ice auger.  A neighbor friend recently gave it to me on the condition I take my boys out fishing.  Apparently his fishing partner had upgraded to a new propane-fueled auger, freeing him to gift his older gas-powered auger to me.

Having spent years hand drilling my ice holes, using a powered auger is a complete game changer.  I spent the first hour or so just drilling holes.  Unfortunately, that was all the action I saw that day.  I never got a bite, despite 5 tip ups and a jigging pole.  My fishing partner, Nick, landed a nice sauger, but that was it for our crew.

Despite our lack of success, I am once again, off the wagon.  I can hardly wait to get back on the ice and try it again.  The only question is whether I should call Dave Ramsey now, or after I’ve gone completely broke!