Nearly four feet of fresh powder-like snow dropped as a result of a strong New England storm last weekend. Snow plows kept to the centerline, leaving one lane roads across the countryside. Vehicles were in the ditches of nearly every road. Blowing snow and freezing temperatures left many without power. In blizzard conditions, there is only action to take - go fishing.

Loading my pack basket into my truck with 5 traps, manual auger, ice shack, and a few cold drinks - I set it next to my bait bucket and headed off into the whiteout. Visibility was near zero, but I wanted to test the methodology that fish didn't feed during/after snowstorms and fed before storms hit. I like to experiment and I believe that's how all fisherman learn.

Five solid hours into the afternoon - the fish made their vote clear. Their choice was the opposite of mine. They stayed home. An early bite caused a flag to rise, but the bait was still intact and kicking. Back through the snow drifts I went to my ice shack. With the writing on the wall and my book nearing completion, I made the command decision to go home and brew a late afternoon coffee. After all, I deserved it.

With the shack torn down and two of five traps packed away, a lonely orange flag rose. A decent sized White Perch laid waiting below 12" of thick ice - lunch. We snagged a few photos with the camera, but kept it in hiding to avoid the moisture. A whiteout doesn't make for spectacular photos. On the other hand, black coffee never accompanied such a good fish fry. Until next time...