Another Passion Besides Cooking – Ice Fishing
Today Joseph explains what we’ve been up to over the past few weeks as well as sharing another passion he has besides cooking – ice fishing.
You have probably noticed that recently we haven’t been posting as frequently, well Justin has been involved with a lot recently… even for him. He is transitioning to a new job where he will be working more than ever before in addition to all of his responsibilities at the steakhouse; planning a move to Boston; planning a wedding; and oh yeah, working as much as ever every day. For me, I have been working the steakhouse as I always do, throughout the craziness of the Holiday season, and now that the holidays are over and the cold of winter has begun to set in I have been involved in another passion of mine… ice fishing, yeah that’s right.
I will start off with a quote from myself sometimes found posted on the front door of the restaurant in wintertime “Caminito Argentinean Steakhouse will be closed Mondays Jan, Feb, and March to observe the 2009 ice fishing season.” The date changes, as does the accompanying picture of whichever staff member, and a freshly caught fish. I began ice fishing when I was in college about 6-7 years ago. I had always wanted to ice fish but never knew anybody else who did, or could teach me how, until I met up with an old friend from my high school days. We began the season with a bang, catching loads of trout bass and pickerel. I loved it right away! I knew I would because I don’t mind the cold. I don’t ski or snowboard, I love fishing, and I usually have more time off in the winter, its perfect!
I fish for sport approximately 95% of the time, rarely keeping my catch. When I go I am always respectful of my surroundings, leaving nothing but footprints wherever I fish. When I get out, my favorite fish to catch are Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Pickerel, and Trout. Trout are one of the few types of fish that I prefer to catch to eat and the type I fish for the least frequently. Ice fishing and ice fishermen/women have a reputation for being a bunch of drunks who dirty up the ice and kill all their fish. While this can be true I feel that the true fishermen, (there are a lot of them, myself included) respect the fish and their surrounding environment. I belong to a fishing forum online called iceshanty.com and represent the Massachusetts team. It is a great place for local ice fishermen to communicate about ice thickness, what’s biting and where, and to plan trips for groups to meet up and fish together. All of the guys I talk to and read posts from on the forum all share the same passion and respect for fishing and all that comes with it.
There are many great place to ice fish in Massachusetts. I love fishing at the many lakes and ponds in the Berkshires, surrounding Hill towns, and right here in Northampton. I would have to say that right now the Connecticut River Oxbow is my favorite place to go ice fishing. It is also minutes from my home and restaurant. Many a mornings in the wintertime I can be found cooking my breakfast on the ice, before work. I love the peace and tranquility of it and I have a pretty good catch record to boot. My largest catch through the ice was a 37” Northern pike that weighed 13 pounds, and I caught it on 6 pound test fishing line, through a six inch hole in the ice.
Over the last few years, I have gotten many of my friends and co-workers from the restaurant out on the ice with me. Several of my prep cooks, my kitchen manager who is from Guatemala, and even a waitress!… once. Many of them fish with me on a semi-regular basis, us having the same days off when the restaurant is closed and all. Ice fishing is one of those things that you just have to love, in order to do it on a regular basis. I am glad that I discovered it when I did, and glad to pass it on to my friends and coworkers. It’s an excellent, peaceful time to be outside, obviously you have to dress warmly, but the sun on your face, a couple friends, a portable grill, some camp chairs, and a few fish biting and you have yourself a recipe for a great winter day. I just love ice fishing, it is something I was born to do, and while the wintertime can be a slow time for businesses, I stay busy and wake up earlier than I do any other time of year.
Oh, and by the way, many more posts are coming. This is not an excuse to be slackers, we apologize, and are right back to grinding, with a great list of content coming.
To conclude I will use another quote from myself, also found on the front door of Caminito: “see you on the ice”….
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