Hard Water Fishing

Well Hello.....
Been awhile, But Ive been busy, in Kotzebue for a week, and helping where I can around Noorvik. THis time of year, theres good reason to stay inside , if you can, as this is our season of thin ice and schools of Whitefish, wood gathering and intermittent Caribou hunting, but plenty dangerous yet rewarding if your carefull.
A friend of ours went off into the water on his fourwheeler, but his body has been found, after two weeks, nearly a miracle itsself. Thats put a somber mood about town.

On a different note, no Chainsaw, damn it, got a refund 'cause the company dosent ship to Alaska.... they coulda told me a month ago when we called and order'd and paid for the frikkin' thing............ so we've been axin and keeping up on the heat, just gotta re order one else where. Been thinking of something with a 24 inch bar allright, near 700$, though, so its a consideration , not a plan, yet.

Lincoln said "he who chops his own wood warms himself twice"....but he didnt live in the Arctic, either...LOL! Im glad the broinlaw and wife are Ax swingin' Eskimo's, and we do well.

Were using Snowmachines again, but waiting for the ice to thicken more before we travel far or alone, or get heavy loads, but the cold is here and getting colder -0- already at nights.

This is us getting across the fresh ice a couple weeks ago.
This is a dangerous time of year and a great many folks get killed between October and January when the deepest cold sets in. Especially then, getting wet is often death.


A Walking Seal clubbed and given away

Caribou hides Ive been scraping, from all the Caribou I got this summer. Maby a new Parkee or two....


Heres an Ice net being made, to suspend under the ice for Whitefish, schooled up and full of Eggs.

Starts with mesh, twine, ropes and weights, but the wifes recycling an old leadline, and adding a few bits of lead along the bottom for Xtra weight.
When the net was done, we streched it out and plotted our holes, with the two furthest being large and permanent , the small ones every 10 or so feet were for passing the rope along under the ice. Passing the rope from pole to hook'd pole and brought up and repeated untill the rope has been passed from and to both end holes.
Nets are then passed under by pulling the rope and feeding in the net. Weights are used to hold the net down and not float up against the ice, haveing the net get frozen in, a bad thing....

The wood that is passed through the hole is there to keep anyone (me) from chopping the rope while chopping the hole clear of ice each day, and cutting such would be spelling disaster or a hella lotta work... But the rewards this yerar have been very good......130 + a day for two weeks now, with the largest amount today, in a slowly climbing , ever larger Numbers every day... well, today was 196.
freeking SWEET !!! Got some "food security" till spring if need be.