Mantua » A tiny tent settlement appears to have sprouted in an open area located next to this small town of more than 700 residents in eastern Box Elder County.
Whether the sight of a dozen or more small scattered shelters becomes slightly surreal, after understanding they are fishing huts scattered about 100 yards from shore on ice over Mantua Reservoir, depends on perspective.
Inside, warm and toasty, thanks to propane heaters, anglers satiate their need to fish by auguring through the ice, dropping a lure into a hole and waiting for the next bite.
"They hit harder, and they taste a lot better, too," said Nancy Meek of North Ogden, who, with her husband Danny, has been ice fishing for more than 12 years. "I love the serenity, the peacefulness.
"If I catch a fish, it's a bonus."
A few more fishers, like the Meeks, are content to sit in the open, braving temperatures in the mid-20s and an overcast sky that resembles a dirty gray sheet, their eyes glued to a battery-powered fish finder.
The lure of ice fishing differs slightly for each individual. The common denominator?
"It's something to do in the winter that's fun," said Tex Couch of Willard. "I hate staying inside. If I stay inside all winter I get depressed."
The worst time of the year for Couch is spring when the ice is too thin and the snow runoff makes the rivers run too high to fish.
"I love to do everything outdoors," he said.
To the observer, ice fishing appears to be a sport that would be too cold to enjoy. Those involved dress in layers, from thermal underwear to polypropylene outerwear.
Warm boots -- aided by feet wrapped in plastic -- are a necessity.
"It's not that cold," David Bennett of Syracuse said. "That's a misnomer. It can be 80 degrees in a hut. Don't get me wrong, if you're up at Strawberry [Reservoir], the wind can cut right through you."
The ice Sunday morning was between 4 and 5 inches thick as anglers bobbed mostly small lures, known as jigs, and mill worms at the end of 15 feet of thin line. A quick online visit to wildlife.utah.gov offers accurate information on not only the thickness of ice throughout the state, but what should attract fish.
"The fish aren't as active in the winter, so use a real lightweight pole [20 to 36 inches] with little tippets," Bennett said. "Usually, if a fish decides to hit, they're pretty aggressive."
Four inches of ice is normally safe enough for several people to stand in the same area. By January, many small bodies of water in northern Utah have thick enough ice to drive onto.
Yet, a smart angler will also bring a length of strong rope for emergencies.
"One time when we went to Rockport, the fates were with us that day," Nancy Meek said. "The ice was too thin and we didn't realize it until on the way back when it was creaking and cracking.
"By the time we got to shore, it was pretty much water. It was pretty scary."
These hardy souls live to fish. Fishing, to many, is life. In some ways, fishing resembles life.
"It's fun," said Courtney Adams of Hyrum. "Unless you're on thin ice."
