Peter Patenaude, a registered Maine guide, has been a Filson advocate for over six years. His blog Boot & Canoe, focuses on traditional skills and Maine’s outdoor heritage. Today, Peter shares 10 tips for a successful day of ice fishing.

Exercising a small brook trout on a fly rod is a great experience; similarly, pulling one out of a hole in the ice can be just as gratifying. Winter is a long season if you are waiting and watching for it to boil over into spring. Ice fishing can be the perfect remedy for cabin fever, and offers a great excuse to get out into the cold fresh air. There are few better ways to build camaraderie among old friends or new acquaintances while fighting off the temperatures and waiting for a flag to stand straight up. I have always truly enjoyed this type of fishing, and arguably, one of the many reasons is because of the lack of bugs. You do not need to invest a lot of money to pursue this activity, and if asked, most people have old ice traps and equipment that has been in their attic, untouched for years. Here are some tips to get you out onto the hard water and catching fish:

1. Elbow Grease:  A hand auger or ice chisel will not break down or run out of gas. Although they are more work, they are quieter, more reliable and will warm you up.

2. Extra Blades:  Whether you bring a hand or power auger, bring extra blades and the tools to replace them as they can break off or dull by hitting underwater rocks or stumps.

3. Depth:  Use a lead sounder to check the depth of the water and set your bait at a level appropriate to the fish you want to catch. You can mark your line by attaching an old button to slide up and down.4. Variation:  Do not be afraid to drill more holes or adjust the depth of your lines if you start catching fish in a particular area and depth.

5. Know the Land Beneath:  It helps to know some of the underwater features such as large rocks, ledges or sandbars.

6. Warm Lunch:  There is nothing like hot food to keep you going on a cold day.

7. Check Your Traps and Bait:  The water in the ice hole will freeze over, so bring your skimmer to break it up and remove it. It is best to do this when you don’t have a large fish on the other end of your line. Also, it is hard to catch fish on an empty hook. The smart fish will take your bait without getting hooked and setting off your flag, so every so often, check your bait.

8. Know the Water:  It is ice fishing, not open water, so know the lake before you go out onto the ice to avoid thin areas and breaking through.

9. Insulation:  When setting up an ice trap or pulling in a fish, kneel on your mittens or another insulator to keep your knees from getting wet in the snow.

10. Snowshoes and Traction:  You never know what the conditions will be, and glare ice can be very dangerous. Bring snowshoes as they will work in deep snow, or provide traction on slick ice.

Article courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Bushcraft team:  Jason Schwartz is an axe-wielding, modern day mountain man.  He’s also a Red Cross certified Wilderness First Aid Instructor, music aficionado, and known to some of the locals as the “Bear Grylls” of his area.  Leah Klocko oversees the country music landscape of Pittsburgh as a radio personality when she’s not editing articles about testing a new bushcraft knife or surviving in the wilderness.

If you’re out in the Western high country and need an emergency sunscreen, try wiping the powdery coating from the bark of Aspen trees on your skin. It has an SPF of 5 and could prevent you from getting a severe sunburn.

Kelly James is a long-time friend of Filson and an inspiring photographer based in the Pacific Northwest.  At the age of 13, Kelly was drawn to photography for reasons he couldn’t yet explain, but by 15 could already be found working in the darkroom of the local newspaper.  Now, he has operated a commercial photography studio for over 20 years.  An avid and passionate explorer, Kelly has captured images of views, vistas, and extraordinary experiences that many people will never see with their own eyes.

Photos courtesy of Kelly James.  All rights reserved.

The road up Green Ridge snakes through dense forests until you reach a place near the top where it makes a hairpin switchback and breaks into the open. From that spot there is a view of the east side of the Central Oregon Cascades.  I had driven to that spot in the middle of January. There was about five inches of snow covering the gravel, and mine were the only tracks in the snow. I parked at the hairpin and scrambled up a very steep embankment to try and get some photographs of the sun setting behind the peaks.

I had spent the day shooting images of snow covered forests for a client. For most of the day I had bright sunshine to make my images more interesting. That was not the case when I reached my vantage point on Green Ridge. A bank of clouds had formed on the Western horizon and it looked like the sweet light was going to be blocked. The best shot I could get was of the clouds rolling over the top of Three Fingered Jack. I shot what I could until I was left to scramble down the embankment in the dark.

I loaded up my gear, turned the rig around, and drove through the hairpin heading back down the ridge. Immediately after rounding the curve, a set of tracks came onto the road from the down hill side. They were not there when I came through before. Coyote was my first thought. I followed them down the road until the next switchback where they continued straight into the forest. I stopped the rig and got out to investigate.  Not coyote. I went back to the rig and positioned it so the headlights were lighting the tracks then grabbed my camera and tripod. These were cougar tracks and I could see some potential for an interesting image. Cougar populations have been on the rise in Oregon and this wasn’t the first time I had crossed trails with one of the mountain predators. Still, these were the biggest tracks I had ever seen. I set up my camera and took my shots. At one point I reached down with my hand to measure the track. The paw print was way bigger than my fist.  This is one big cat. I turned around to check the tree line to make sure I was not being stalked. Now, cougars have several names and I always wondered about that.  But at that moment I had the realization that if the animal weighs more than I do — as this one undoubtedly did — that is when a cougar becomes a mountain lion.

As I was packing my camera back into the rig, I thought of just how close that animal had passed. My next thought, might want to start packing my pistol.

Jason Ramos has devoted 25 years of his life to the fire service.  Now a full-fledged smokejumper working out of Winthrop, Washington, Jason has learned to expect the unexpected everyday.  On a clouded and cool afternoon, Filson caught up with Jason aboard his ‘home away from home,’ a custom camper Sportsmobile.

How did you become a smokejumper?
With any fire agency, when you come in, you’re going to hear about all the different job opportunities.  Smokejumping was always at the top.  If you go through all the years of training, and are lucky enough to try out, you can make it.  I learned about it at a very young age, and about 10 years later I applied for it.  Here we are today.

Where are you based?
Currently, I’m based out of Winthrop, WA.  It was actually the birth place of smokejumping — started here in 1939 with experimental jumps in the valley.

Why did you choose this particular occupation?
It’s a good question, but a hard answer.  Some people have multi-generational families of smokejumpers, but I heard about it while firefighting in a city with no smokejumpers at all.  It was something to try out for — you can go that path — and there are a lot of hurdles and obstacles to even get there.  So it’s one of those things you take day by day. Any firefighter in the world, they all know what smokejumpers do.  It’s very demanding, and it’s something that all of them think about.  I didn’t have any firefighters in the family, it was something I’d seen on documentaries, on TV, and in books; and I took that path.

What 5 things do you always have with you in the field?
Every jumper is very different.  Some guys have trinkets from their kids or girlfriends, but I always have good sunglasses.  You’re wearing your boots, you’ve got your chapstick, your knife, some extra money because you never know where you’re going.  Having those things you’re very comfortable with can make missions go very differently.  If you forgot your knife, you know, you have to find a sharp rock.  It can change the mission, those little things are important.

Describe a normal day the life of a smokejumper:
There is no normal day.  First thing that happens is a morning roll call — just like everyone did in school — but a siren may go off before that, and you’re off to a mission.  No two days are the same.  It’s very dynamic.  You could be flying to another state, or half an hour later, be 100 feet up in a tree.  It’s hard to explain, but every day is simply unknown, and that keeps us coming back.

Your job involves a lot of time in forests and the wilderness, what’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been?
Washington State.  The North Cascades.  They’ve got to be some of the most awe-inspiring places you could ever experience.  Some stretches are so virgin and desolate, there is nothing but lakes, and rock spires, and glaciers as far as you can see. A lot of locals call the area the American Swiss Alps.  And it is.  There are places in those mountains you can’t even explain.  Washington is the top — besides Hawaii and Mexico [laughs].

What’s some of the best advice you’ve ever received?
To always be humble and listen.  And that’s a hard thing to do.  In my profession, we’re all “type-a alpha males,” but you have to just listen.  You have to pay attention to the “old salts” or the old veterans.  Listen and learn, because those guys have already been there.  They’re always willing to teach you.  “Listen and watch,” is great advice.

What is something you would love to learn how to do?
I’d love to learn to fly jets.  But I’ve been very lucky.  I’ve been able to do a lot of different sports — and I love to free dive and wind surf — but I’m pretty content.  As long as I’m eating good food, and not being cold or hungry, I’ve got a lot.

Article courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Bushcraft team:  Jason Schwartz is an axe-wielding, modern day mountain man.  He’s also a Red Cross certified Wilderness First Aid Instructor, music aficionado, and known to some of the locals as the “Bear Grylls” of his area.  Leah Klocko oversees the country music landscape of Pittsburgh as a radio personality when she’s not editing articles about testing a new bushcraft knife or surviving in the wilderness.

I originally learned this trick a few years ago while going through Red Cross training, but it’s a technique that’s still not widely known. If you have a clear PET plastic bottle and fill it with germ and virus filled water and leave it out in the sun for at least 8 hours in hot weather (up to 48 hours in cold weather), the sun’s UV radiation will render it safe to drink. This process is known as Solar Water Disinfection.

It’s a great survival skill to know if you are close to a source of water of questionable quality and have run out of potable water. As always, be extra cautious and when in doubt, leave the water bottle in the sun for several hours longer than recommended if possible.

Photos courtesy of Wood&Faulk.

Matt Pierce is a modern day jack of all trades.  Born in Kansas, the tinkerer’s interests in carpentry and mechanics were honed through interactions with close friends and family.  Eight years ago, Matt gathered the gumption to uproot, leave Kansas, and relocate to Portland, Oregon.  Currently, he runs a blog entitled Wood&Faulk and carries a line of his own craftsman goods.

What was inspiration behind Wood&Faulk?
It was based in everything that I learned growing up in Kansas.  The name comes from Woodrow and Faulkner, which are two streets on which I had previously lived.  I learned so much at that time working on house projects and building furniture and everything involved with having old houses.

How did you get started in leather craft?  What was the first piece you remember creating?
I’d tried some simple projects about 15 years ago, but the real spark for Wood&Faulk was the belt project.  I made a tiny run of belts in natural leather for people to wear-in and document how the process went.  After doing that, the requests kept coming in, so I started making belts for sale.

What brought you out to the Northwest and Portland from Kansas?
I was –and still am– just in awe of the climate, the forest and the landscape in Oregon.  It’s 1000 times different than Kansas.  I’m still shocked to see a mountain in the distance at any time here.

Where do you find inspiration?
Music, being outside, reading, taking naps… Just about anywhere.

Are you an outdoorsman?  What do you do and where do you go?
I’d call myself a recreational outdoorsman.  I have a canoe that I love to take out, love to camp and hike, but I never get super crazy about the weight of gear or the high-tech aspects.  It’s more about getting out and relaxing.  If it’s cold or rainy, I’ll hike in my Filson Tin Cruiser.

What’s your biggest project right now, and what’s involved?
Outside of work, it’s remodeling my torn up kitchen.  I hope to post more about that on the blog soon, but I’m deciding how much I want to tear out.  Maybe I’m trying to not think about that…

What is your biggest weakness? And biggest strength?
Biggest weakness has typically been taking on too many projects and not saying ‘no.’  I’ve gotten a lot better, mainly out of necessity now that the business is getting more hectic.  Biggest strength is figuring out how things work, although that usually involves buying more tools, so maybe it’s a weakness?

What is one thing you’d love to learn to do?
I just bought a recurve bow and I’d love to get better at my aim!

What artists do you look up to?
Charles and Ray Eames, Ralph Lauren, Keith Richards, Ai Weiwei.

What’s the best piece of advice you have received?
My Dad taught me how to shake hands properly and tell direction, if that’s considered advice.

Photos courtesy of Lee Kjos.

Lee’s photographs drip with distinct style.  Born and raised in Minnesota, Kjos spent a majority of his life in the outdoors, and his appreciation of the perfect day in the field is palpable.  Ever since his first photograph — which he remembers vividly — Lee has aimed to capture the best possible image of his subject; a tireless pursuit that has certainly paid off.

Where are you living?  What are your interests? How long have you been taking photos?
I live on a farm in Southeastern Minnesota, I’m married, I have three kids.  That’s kind of the boring stuff [laughs].  I like to hunt ducks and to fly fish.  I used to spend a lot of my time with my Dad, when I was real young, traveling around the upper half of the United States and Canada.  Fishing and hunting all over.  More than anything, I’d say that’s what molded me into who I am now, how I do things, and how I look at things in the outdoor world.  My Mom and Dad owned a hunting and fishing lodge in Northern Minnesota, and I grew up there.  Being with people, hunting, cleaning fish; all the things you’d do as a resort kid, y’know?  I tell people I’ve been taking photos ever since I remember.

Do you remember the first photo that you ever captured?
My Dad had an old Minolta Rangefinder camera and it had, from what I remember, a wide-angle type lens on it; maybe a 35mm lens.  I was on a fishing trip in Northern Minnesota, and there was this chipmunk there, and I used to love to photograph wildlife.  So, I was trying to get a picture of this chipmunk, so I baited him with shoestring potatoes and I got him in pretty close.  Took a picture of him, and I was way fired up.  I couldn’t wait to get the photos back.  When I got them back, I was really bummed out, because it looked like he was a million miles away and I thought “What!?”  From that point on, I literally tried to get the best image I could of anything, whatever it was, because of that one time as a kid.

When did you get your first camera?
My first camera, I was 14 years old.  I was detassling corn for a hybrid seed company and I did it for a whole summer for one paycheck at the end.  I think I was making $1.80 an hour, and I took that one paycheck and bought my first pro-body manual camera, with a real lens.

How would you describe your photography in 5 words or less?
Original. Authentic. Genuine. Unique, and bad-ass.

When or where are you the happiest?
I’m happiest when I’m in Saskatchewan, duck hunting by myself.  I like business, but it’s also stressful and hectic.  When I’m sitting down on the ground behind my lens working, I guess I could describe that as total peace.  All I think about is that image, and nothing else bothers me.  I’m not stressed, I’m not anything.  I’m really happy then.  And I’m really happy when I’m fly fishing or duck hunting.

What were the greatest lengths you’ve gone to get a particular photo?
I was photographing Cameron Hanes and he had a big elk rack, and we were in Oregon.  I wanted to get to the top of this berm that went across this mountaintop.  And I had all my camera equipment, hiking up that mountain to get to one location to get one shot at sundown and get down the mountain that night.  It was an all-day affair for one image.  It was the most exhausting.  I’ve also had days photographing running boats like bass boats, in the middle of the summer, hanging off a boat at 70 MPH.  There’s always stuff like that, that takes perseverance and mental toughness to shoot.  Alaska in the middle of January is always tough, shooting on the Tundra.  Extreme environments, that’s whats hard on your body.  I can tell I’m not 20 anymore.

What is the one “photo” that you wanted to capture but couldn’t.  Either you didn’t have a camera, or you were out of film, or it was under exposed or out of focus?
I was in Saskatchewan.  It was late in the year, duck hunting, and there was a creek bottom that had open water.  Almost all the other water in the area was frozen.  I was watching greenheads –mallards– just pour into this thing.  Finally, I got permission from the land owner to cross the creek and get a better view of it from the other side. So, I’m pulling up with my truck and I look down there, and I think something’s odd.  I can’t see the water.  I couldn’t see it was because there were so many ducks on it.  There was literally not one square inch that didn’t have a duck on it.  I reached for my camera in the backseat, as they start lifting off in wave after wave, and the water is coming off their feet and bodies and wings.  In my mind, it was like slow motion, but I couldn’t get my camera in time.  It drives me nuts still.

‘In Your Words’ explores the incredible stories we’ve received from Filson fans across the globe.  Send us your own experiences with our clothing or product here for a chance to be featured on the Filson Life blog.  Thanks to Seok from South Korea for the photo of him and his favorite Filson shop-dog “Win.”

Every weekend I visit the Filson retailer near my home in South Korea.  I first learned about Filson 5 years ago, when I traveled to the United States for business.  Now, I am very happy as all Filson items are available in my country, without having to wait for delivery from an overseas dealer.  I am always looking for durable clothing and footwear as I have been working as a mechanical engineer for 10 years since I graduated from university.  Filson items always satisfy with their durability.  At the Filson store in Korea, there are three different dogs.  One of them, named “Win,” is shown in the photo I included.  He is wearing the Shelter Cloth Dog Coat with Wool Lining and I’m wearing the Double Mackinaw Cruiser, more than enough to keep me warm in the winter season.  Sometimes Win stays in my garden as my wife and baby really like to play with him.  Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my gratitude to Filson for giving me such great memories.

Maine-based Rhon Bell of Backwoods Plaid, takes Filson on a record-setting ice fishing trip.

Fishing is my ultimate connection to nature, so it’s without hesitation that I agreed to a two-day ice fishing trip with long-time friend and Registered Maine Guide, Steve. Within an hour I booked a rustic cabin conveniently wedged between two remote lakes. One lake offering traditional targets of trout, salmon and white perch. The other, pickerel and bass. Most would choose to fish only waters with prized trout or salmon, but there is something to be said for fishing waters promising greater activity; we’re told the bass are hungry. With fishing plans in the books – we anxiously await arrival to the countryside.

Staring into the glow of his iPhone, Steve raised his voice slightly above the AC/DC blaring on the classic rock station to inform me, “The snow forecast for day two is 8-10 inches”. Approaching the camp road, I feared that tomorrow might be our only good day of fishing. It’s my experience that fish feed heavily going into a winter storm. “We’ll be fine”, I muttered and turned off the truck.

Day one offered a beautifully sunny afternoon. Other than an Easterly wind, conditions were enjoyable. We brought three White Perch to the hard-water surface. Each ranging between 11-14 inches. Beginning with a few traps set near bottom we hoped of luring a fat brown trout from a ledge. Others were strategically placed just under the thick ice in case a good-looking salmon were to pass by. Seven hours on the ice were well spent and as grey clouds rolled in, we called it a day. Proving to be amateur meteorologists, a heavy wet snow began falling by the time we arrived back to the cabin. Tomorrow would be the real test.

Quarter to five, I rose and began percolating the Folgers. Peering from behind the cold kitchen window revealed a few inches of fresh powder. Perhaps today wouldn’t be as bad as anticipated. By the time we reached the second lake, snow began to really accumulate. We setup the portable ice shack to provide a refuge from mother nature. The lab we brought along chose to avoid the shack like a plague – there is evidently nothing to explore within the four nylon walls.

We hadn’t setup our fifth tip-up when a blaze orange flag rose. The line spun furiously from the reel as we lifted the trap from the depths of the ice water. Whatever fish was on the end liked to fight. We slowly peeled line onto the ice and watched the line dart back and forth in the depths of the hole. Within moments we surfaced one of the largest bass I’ve ever caught. Weighing in near 7lbs, we quickly snapped a photo and returned him to his native waters. This trend continued all afternoon, large bass after large bass. Each played a good game of tug-of-war. However, we only lost one to not setting the hook just right. Outdoor-sporting chatter was enjoyed as we each learned from the others experiences and laughed at our greatest mistakes.

As the forecast proved accurate and the ten inches fell, we watched from within our warm shack and agreed we’d chosen the right piece of water. The joys of spotting flags rise for hours on end is second to none. As always, two days in Filson gear kept me warm enough to take pleasure in the outdoors. A base layer of Filson Mid-weight Long Johns, an Alaskan Guide Shirt, and Whipcord Wool Pants were the perfect choices.

Constantly searching through the past for further explanation of the Filson story, we found this photograph hidden among past catalogs, antique letterpress equipment, and advertisements long gone from print.  In the picture stands a young Ray Johnson, outfitted in a work-worn assortment of Filson Tin Cloth and a knowing smile.  The photo was taken in the early 1920′s while Ray was working in Castle Rock, Washington, located at the heart of the states’ timber country.  Regrettably, that’s all the information we have on this photograph; it was hand-written and scrawled on the back of the print.  In turn, our imaginations are flooded with the scent of rain-soaked Tin Cloth, dreary days at the foot of Mount St. Helens, and flights of adventure throughout the Pacific temperate rain forest.  We’re glad we were along for the ride.

Were you a part of Filson history?  If you or your family have photographs from the past, send us your own experiences with our clothing or product here for a chance to be featured on the Filson Life blog.