Dentry: Safety always main concern as ice anglers begin season

Published December 14, 2005 at midnight

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Ice fishermen, take your marks. Then take your time and stick close to shore. Take a buddy and wear a life jacket. Slide out there and let the meek among us know when the ice is thick enough for square dancing. But don't use the word "safe."

You know what they say:

"There is no such thing as safe ice."

That disclaimer comes from Rick Mueller, senior ranger at Aurora Reservoir, who recently watched a couple of loony tunes tiptoe out on a polished deck barely thick enough to support a grasshopper.

"Ice is never safe," agreed Scott Roush, senior ranger at Chatfield Reservoir where, in the interest of scouting for the rest of us, some people boldly have gone where few dare to tread quite yet.

Me? I'll be along in a few weeks, after all the survivors have checked in. I'll be the guy following a sumo wrestler on a long leash.

Given that 2 inches of ice is supposed to be enough to support a human, it must be said. Not this human. I've grown fond of breathing air.

Nevertheless, there is some good ice (if never "safe" ice) building for anglers this week. Thanks to that bitter Arctic spell early this month, ice-fishing season is getting under way, tentatively, one step at a time.

Fishing reports have been scarce because few anglers have been out, but people have been walking around on reservoirs and lakes, and nobody is missing.

A fishable platform has been holding up anglers in strategic spots even at low-elevation Chatfield, which seldom freezes over until mid-January, sometimes never.

The best ice has topped off the mountain valley reservoirs, where fish are ripe for the jigging.

Here's the view from some of the popular dance floors this week:

• Aurora Reservoir: "Very little of the reservoir has frozen up, except around the marina, and the bays are partly frozen," Mueller said Tuesday. "That nice 5-10-below weather got us started, but now we're having warm weather. The ice is only about 1 1/4-inch thick."

• Blue Mesa Reservoir: Colorado's largest reservoir takes its time freezing, even with 30-degree-below-zero nights. But a solid, 14-inch ice lid has grown near the Lake City bridge, out from the Gunnison River inlet. Andy Cochran, of Gene Taylor's in Gunnison, predicts popular Iola Basin is less than two weeks from good ice.

• Chatfield Reservoir: Despite a warming trend, the ice lid is 3 1/2 to 4 inches thick and probably will stick around, Roush said. He said ice anglers have been fishing at the north boat ramp and at Catfish Flats at the southern end. Fishing success has been slow. Be careful out there.

• Elevenmile Reservoir: "We are 6-12 inches in most places," said Berrie Wears, spokeswoman at Eleven Mile State Park. "But Saturday was 50 degrees here, and there has been some freezing and thawing, so be extremely cautious. We have no issues, but we do have a pressure ridge working, and it looks like it's going to be farther north than usual." She said pink jigs are the hot item and clear line in 4- to 6-pound test is working best.

• Stagecoach Reservoir: The reservoir is completely frozen over, but few anglers have been out, said Mike Taylor, park superintendent. He said the ice is 6 inches thick near the park office. He recommends anglers stick close to the shoreline.

• Tarryall Reservoir: "There is 11 inches of solid ice, and people are having good luck," said Jeff Spohn, the Division of Wildlife's South Park fishery biologist. Tarryall was refilled and liberally restocked with rainbow trout this summer after a three-year dry spell. This is a best bet for ice anglers seeking a quick fix or ice-fishing thrills for children. Most of the trout are plump, 12- to 13-inch stocker rainbows.

• Williams Fork Reservoir: Ice thickness is only 3-4 inches in coves and bays. Dan Murphy, of Fishin' Hole Sporting Goods in Kremmling, recommends against venturing farther out.

• Wolford Reservoir: Murphy said the big reservoir north of Kremmling finally "skimmed over" only last Thursday. "I'm telling people to call back next week," Murphy said. "I don't want to turn anybody away, but I'm on the rescue team here, and I don't want to have to go out there yet."

dentrye@RockyMountainNews.com

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