After missing a weekend due to really cold weather and work commitments, French and I  finally got out this past weekend for another dual Argo adventure and ice fishing. This time Goose Pond out near Whitbourne was our destination.  French would be riding his 2017 Argo Huntmaster while I piloted Project 6x6, both machines are fitted out with tracks, convertible top and windshield.

We left town a little later than planned (I was up late publishing a long overdue update to this website!) so we didn't get as much time to scout new ground. We rode in the pole line experiencing the smoothest trail conditions so far this winter. All the little snowfalls have filled in the dips which made the trail really flat!

The main trail was well packed down and even passable by ATV on tires, but as soon as you got off the beaten path you definitely needed tracks! With such awesome snow conditions I would normally be ripping my snowmobile, however I've truly been enjoying the slower paced rides of our tracked Argos this season.

Its also been very convenient being able to throw everything imaginable in the Argo and enjoy a comfortable well fitted out day in the country ice fishing and boiling-up. Project 6x6 continues to run really well, cleaning the carburetor with professional products sure did the trick! I have almost 25 hours on it now since restoring the machine last summer.

Our fire pit place at the top of Goose Pond is well snowed in this year! Quite a difference from my Hammock Camping adventure last September to now!

My newly fabricated Ice Auger Extension for my cordless drill adapted ice auger worked out really well. The setup can now handle thicker ice and now the drill is further away from splashing water, it still comes apart for compact storage on the bike or Skidoo. Check out the build on Mike's Misc Garage Projects 2020.

These ice fishing lines from Outdoor Pros are really neat, I loved the Republic of NL & the Labrador colour themes so much I bought two more and custom painted them with colours representing the modern flag of our province.

Quick pre-lunch coffee crafted using French's Sea to Summit X-Brew and his Yeti Thermos full of hot water.

With lines set and fishing away we fired up French's trusty Husqvarna T540 top handle chainsaw and grabbed some nice dead dry firewood for a proper boil-up.

On the menu today was a pack of bacon sliced up along with a few onions which were set to fry on a perfect bed of coals.

When the bacon was crispy and onions caramelized I threw in two cans of Beans in Molasses and brought them up to temperature while my Kelly Kettle boiled.

The Kelly Kettle works great as a self contained stove but will also work on an open fire provided you have something sturdy to rest it on and keep the handle out of the fire. You can't hang this kettle to boil due to the chimney. I put two green sticks on the fire on which to rest the kettle then put some dry splits down the chimney to boil the 1.2L kettle quickly, usually under three minutes.

Almost forgot to get a finished pic!

We stayed trouting until dusk catching seven fish in total before days end. My Streamlite Protac headlamp lit up the ice and our boot prints beautifully for an awesome pic!

Although it was a relatively short trip we thoroughly enjoyed an awesome day under beautiful sunny skies. We had a great run in the machines, caught a few trout and had another awesome boil-up. What more could a couple young fellers want?

Cheers, MIKE

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