Lake Mary Ice Fishing Adventure

[TyeDyeTwins]

On Wednesday EvilTyeDyeTwin (who didn't ice fish last year) and I went to attempt a early season ice fishing trip to Lake Mary. We wanted to do lake Catherine but after the avalanche accident I personally watched (see story after the pics) we needed to do something safer. Considering I took a dip last year at Mary's around this same time of year, with similar conditions, I was pessimistic on whether or not I would be able to ice fish it.

We started at Brighton...............


Made our way to Lake Mary............


And took the standard "no swimming sign" shot........


It was then the moment of truth. With the new snow (20 inches) the shore was rotted. So we busted out our avalanche shovels and built a snow bridge to the ice. It was then that I drilled the 1st hole.


Shocked that there was 8 inches (5 cloudy, 1 inch of slush/water, 2 inches of clear) I went further till I reached the end of the rope. The ice looked different so i drilled and heard the cracking. Sure enough the ice was 4 inches of breakable slush and 1 inch of clear ice. I went no further.

But that was far enough to get into a few of Mary's Brooks.........








By 5pm and 7 brook trout added to our names we left in a hurry to beat the darkness.




Last Sunday I was up at Cathrines Pass with my backcountry ski buddies. We had toured the area the day before and noted the windloading occurring during the large storm onto a hill named Rocky Point. On sunday we sat at the pass for lunch and I told my group, "we can't ski that today, even the safer route in is sitting under that dangerous slope to the side of it."

Not 10mins later I saw the slope avalanche (2.5 to 3 feet deep, 200 feet wide) on the 4th skier to go down. After watching him ride for more than half the slope I was convinced there was going to be a burial. Luckily he managed to stay on top of the debris and didn't get taken to the bottom of the hill. It was intense watching 5 people running out of the way and seeing a body rolling in the slide.

Lake Catherine is very close by to Rocky Point and all of that terrain frequently avalanches right into the lake. The possibility of a slide hitting anyone on that lake is extreme, especially with the conditions out there. Please have a partner, shovel, probe, beacon, avalung, and the knowledge to use these items if you choose to ice fish the lakes in the wasatch! Avalanche assessment skills and safe route finding skillls are essential!
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[flygoddess]

Totally Jealous!
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[TyeDyeTwins]

[quote flygoddess]Totally Jealous![/quote]

Yeah especially since it was "ice flies" sticking out of those brookies mouths! Not my favorite type of fly fishing. It was the 1st time in forever that I used bait though.
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