• Sunday-What'sUP December 12 - 12:11 pm

It's fun to look through the Guest Gallery and discover some obscure detail in the Shoebox Memories, like today's from Bert DeVriendt, via Brian Rendel. I zoomed in on the patch labeled "Universal" and found it was an old concrete bag. Yooper ingenuity results in a comfortable spot to pull some fishy's through the ice.

A former shot from Bert Rendel was chosen by Pasty Cam visitors as a favorite Shoebox Memory to use in the 2006 Pasty Cam Color Calendar. Be sure to include one (or a bunch for your friends) in your holiday pasty order, which I would highly advise to place today before the pasties are all sold out. Also, I personally recommend the new historical book of Postcards by Nancy Sanderson - or perhaps the lastest "Historical Building" version of Calumetopoly. Free shipping when ordered with pasties.

By the way, just to be sure we are not doing any false advertising with today's picture: The ice isn't thick enough yet to set up your shanty. It was back in 1940 when Bert took this shot, a little farther along in the winter.

Have a good week :o)

Thanks, Charlie. I really appreciate Bert DeVriendt's work and I especially like this photo. To me, it shows, on one hand how much things have changed and on the other how little things have changed. Ice fishing strategy remains the same. Put a hole in the ice, drop a line, sit on a box and enjoy.

Bet his feet got cold!

Yes--magnificent picture!!!

http://www.kalassa.net/artikkelit/pilkkikopit/IMG_5987.JPG

Sure hope it'll be safe to ice fish by Christmas.
My son, who will be on leave from Fort Lewis,
is counting on doing some when we head to
the UP right after Christmas.

Hmm.. Yes, the basic technology hasn't changed, but I wonder who now would rather sit out there on a hard wood box in the lee of a canvas windbreak, instead of in a warmed ice shanty with catalyst-warmed tushes and feet? Not all old ways were necessarily better. I do admire this man's ingenuity in making use of 'everything but the squeal' as they say in butcher shops.

I like that pocket sewed into the canvas wind-break. Even way back then, if the women don't find you handsome, they would find you handy. There probably wasn't even duct tape then, 'eh?

Wow.I gotta admit that i would be pretty scared if i were him! wouldnt you? Eh?

Ken ja Mimi--

So you like Red Green do you? Me too.

amen to the Red Green reference

I am baffled by the reference to "Red Green".
What are you talking about?

Beverly....that's who, not what. He has a show on PBS. The Red Green show. :)

Ah, Red Green. The show does a great send-up of "lodge guy" culture. Sadly, the show is coming to an end. After 15 years, the final season is airing this year on the CBC (which people in the U.P. are lucky enough to receive). I'm sure it will air on U.S. public TV stations shortly thereafter.

That fishing shanty looks pretty "cozy." It doesn't look much more than a wind break and I get cold just looking at it.

I suspect it is not too cold. Facing nice sunshine, maybe late
winter early spring, with shortening shadows. Not much snow on
the ice, but snow turns to slush where you walk. Holding line
with gloves off and the jacket open is main indicator. Also
probably a pair of nice warm home-knit woolen socks (red/
green in color) in the swampers. Goot tay on da lake, ey?

Proof fishing is a year round sport, Winter or Summer.