This past week, I had the opportunity to try my hand at a popular Finnish sport—ice fishing. While this sport is also popular back at home, it was a first for me. The above picture pretty much sums it all. Hat, mittens, scarf and a smile bigger than the fish. As I now qualify as an expert ice fisherman, I thought I would write up a comprehensive do-it-yourself guide complete with photos from my adventures this past Tuesday. Please enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions.
Step 1. Go where the fish are.
As you begin your ice fishing adventures, you will first need to find a frozen lake and walk out onto it. Please note that you may go waist-deep in snow if you attempt to plow through the wrong snow bank. It is smart to keep to the ready-made trails.
Step 2. Poke a hole.
After finding a suitable place on the lake, use an oversized screw to pierce a hole in the ice. The ice will likely be about a meter thick, so just keep screwing. Upon breaking through, give the screw a sharp yank to pull it out. The hole you just drilled will immediately fill with ice shillings—I suppose it could resemble a slushy if you put some red or blue food dye down the hole? Anyways, you must remove those ice shillings to get the hook to the bottom of the lake—a slotted spoon should do the trick.
Step 3. Worms and waiting.
After creating a satisfactory entry point into the waters below, you must procure a pole. While you may suspect the pole needs to be several feet long so you can get proper leverage when casting the hook (like the pro fly-fisherman do on TV), please remember you are ice fishing. The rod needn't be too long because you are just going to drop the sinker straight down the hole.
With rod in hand, you must now weave a less-than-fortunate worm onto your hook. If at first you are a bit squeamish about completing this task, you can ask the kind Finn who happens to be walking by to show you how to do it.
Finally, settle down on the frozen landscape and drop hook, line and sinker into the hole. So begins the waiting game.
Step 4. A gentle tug.
As you sit there waiting, you may feel a small tug on your line. Or, you may feel nothing and just be growing bored. Either way, pull the hook to the surface of the lake and admire the fish which has taken an interest in your worm. Quickly yank the fish out of the hole and shout "Kala!" ("Kala" means "fish" in Finnish.)
At this point, perhaps I should comment on the abnormally small size of your fish. While the fish may not be much larger than your index finger, rest assured that the joy which comes from catching it far outweighs its miniature stature.
It is also a good time to mention proper ice fishing attire. It is strongly recommended that you wear large rubber boots. While it is highly unlikely you will catch a fish large enough to splash your feet when exiting the water, the rubber boots definitely contribute to your sense of being a pro ice fisherman. Such attitudes are necessary if you expect to catch fish.
Step 5. Disconnect and document.
While still in an excited frenzy about catching your first fish, you must remove the hook from the fish's mouth. Hopefully, the fish has only bitten the worm and not the hook. However, if the fish indeed bit the hook, you will need to remove your mittens and perform a minor surgery. Either way, it is important you fully document this catch with a camera once the hook has been removed.
Step 6. Repeat.
Repeat steps 3 to 5 until you have brought twenty small fish to the surface. Each time, check that your hook has a worm. Drop hook, line and sinker into the hole. Wait. Pull hook to surface and admire the fish that has taken an interest in your worm. Remove hook. Document. It is important to understand that it is possible to catch all 20 fish with 2.5 worms. Also, in the off-chance that your extremities get cold, it is advisable to pace around your hole to regain blood flow in your feet.
Step 7. Consult the locals.
This step will come naturally. As you stand out on the lake, a few Finns will more than likely ski past you. As they do so, they will examine your catch. Each examination generally generates the same reactions: a small grin and comment on how pieni/small your fish are, followed by a quick lesson on fish identification. This is a kiiski. And here is a muikku.
Step 8. Heat 'em up.
After enjoying an afternoon out on the lake, it will be time to go inside and warm up. Gather your catch in a small plastic bucket and make your way home. The fish will likely still be alive when you arrive back at your flat. So, before frying them, you will need to knock each fish on the head with a spoon to put them to sleep. Then, season well and fry up. Due to the size of your fish, you can skip all gutting steps.
Last but not least, eat up. Or, if you don't like fish, find some friends to eat them for you.
So, there you have it folks. Ice fishing in eight easy steps. Now you are ready to compete in Joensuu's ice fishing competition at the end of March!
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