Mark Knapp

Very cool. After you get done with that, could you make me a Ragnar Lothbrook and a Lagertha? Just teasing. Have fun.

Yeah, the last picture is of the first fish I caught one morning. That was just a few minutes after we got to the house, It looks pretty frosty in the house. Most of the other pictures show us in much less clothing, after things warmed up a bit. We're actually having a very mild winter up here. For the most part it's hovered around zero all winter. Not too bad really. Our holes haven't even been freezing up over night with the hole covers on them.

You are the one that clicked it wasn't for kids. Either I am confused or you are. I guess I understand after SDs comment.

I think I understand

It's 70 degrees in the house, Fahrenheit. 😄

Why would it have not been for kids?

Nice job there young feller.

.40 might be OK for black bears, maybe. A grizzly is a whole other thing. I'd go with what SD said for black bears but for grizzly country, I'd go with a large caliber rifle. Where James lives (and fishes) there are mostly black bears but there is an occasional grizzly. What he needs is a dog to go with him. We have had black bears and once in a while a grizzly eating dog food out of bowls in peoples yards. It's even worse near Anchorage. Someone gets eaten every other year around there. Like I said, he's fine for now.

No, that's a poster that was given to me by a friend. It's something someone painted.

A classic oldie but goody. We have lots of bears up here, James just hasn't seen any of them yet. Right now they are all asleep so he doesn't have to worry, not for three more months or so.

Very nice D

Well said.

I have done lots of ice fishing where I would wonder why I like it. I practice No-Suffering Ice Fishing now. We do have a blast.

While they are not flies per se, we are all using my hand tied jigs. I fish a marabou minnow imitation in one hand with no bait and nymph with bait in the other hand. I catch most of my fish and almost all the big ones on the unbaited minnow.

I am sorry for you. You southern folk have it rough.