EVERGREEN, Colo. — “You can jig your line or you can just let it sit there.”
Young and old, but mostly first-timers, dropped their lines Friday at Evergreen Lake, part of an ice fishing clinic organized by Evergreen Parks and Recreation and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
“It’s all about ice fishing, both the safety aspects and how to be effective and catch some fish,” longtime angler Marisa Fox said of her first time learning to ice fish. “You know, you start doing it when you’re two or three. But you just feel, a feeling of accomplishment when you get a bite and when you can, you know, catch a good-sized fish. And it’s delicious.”
Many CPW instructors are on hand to give advice and knowledge to some eager kids. Donna Forrest ensures all rods and tackle are set up for each angler.
“I’ve been an angler since gosh, teens, maybe even younger. So that’s where the love of the outdoors started. Of course, fishing and camping and that kind of thing,” she said.
Forrest explained that rods are shorter and reels are less complicated because anglers don’t cast.
“So you just drop your line through the holes we drill in the ice. Then we have a little bobber and a little weight to help the jig go down in the water and that’s what we use in our fishing digs of ice,” Forrest said as he adjusted the bobber and jig on the line.
The evergreen ice fishing clinic attracts both expert and amateur anglers
A few more seasoned anglers felt confident but didn’t find the baits biting.
“Sometimes the fish get upset and they just swim away, slapping it with their tails,” said Lincoln Walker of Evergreen. Walker said he and his family spend a lot of time fishing, including annual trips to Staunton State Park and Taylor Park.
“I guess it’s just about what you’re feeling about fishing. It depends. Some days you will just feel like it’s the right weather like it is out here today. And you’ll just want to come out and go on the lake. It’s a lot of fun. You want to do a lot,” he said.
Still, without a catch today, Walker feels humbled and the anxiety of determination is the key to this sport.
“It’s a day that they’re just trying to mess with me. I mean, every angler has his day,” said Walker.
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