The activities available to Minnesotans during the course of our long winters are minimal: snow shoeing, cross country skiing, staying warm and of course ice fishing. This age old activity is often nothing more than an excuse to sit around and drink beer. Often the fishing process is so mechanized that you really don’t have to do anything. I had filmed some ice fishing last year and there just wasn’t anything to show for it. This year I knew I wanted to feature ice fishing in my weekly series, but I didn’t know how to bring up the interest level. That’s when I heard about spear fishing.
Native American used to lie on the ice with a blanket over their heads, looking through a hole in the ice, waiting for the fish. Nowadays, an outhouse sized box is dragged out onto the ice and the windows are blacked out. Next, a big hole is cut into the ice. With sun coming in from the underneath, you can see right down to the bottom of the lake and any fish that swim by. With a decoy to bring in the Northerns, all you have to do is guide a five pronged spear into the approaching pike. Not easy, but exciting, beautiful and very rewarding. Check out this video to see my first spear fishing experience and the pickled pike that resulted.
After learning to cook at his mother’s bed and breakfast, Daniel Klein (The Perennial Plate) went on to work and train at many of the world’s top restaurants. His culinary education brought him to Spain, France, England, India and New York, where he has worked and trained at top Michelin starred restaurants. After graduating from NYU, Daniel also pursued a career in film. Daniel’s most recent film “What are we doing here?” has aired on TV, in theaters and at numerous festivals around the world.