The weather has been extremely cold these last few days, and it's forecast to stay cold for quite awhile! Today the mercury was showing -16ºC plus wind-chill which is significant as it's very windy, nothing unusual here on the East Coast!

Today I threw Project 6x6 on the trailer for a short back roads ride through the backcountry of Bauline to enjoy an afternoon ice fishing. No one else was available to join me today so it would be a solo outing.

With brisk temperatures, freezing winds and a machine capable of carrying everything, it was a perfect opportunity to take my new Woods Arctic-4 ice fishing shelter out for its first ice fishing adventure.

This 90"x90" pop up shelter sets up in minutes. I purchased it last year as it's large enough to fit a cot for overnight trips. With such a poor winter last year, I only got to test it once and that was in my backyard.

This drill adaptor for installing the screw in ice shelter pegs is a game changer and made the task even in today's very hard ice an absolute breeze. In high winds like today, install one corner peg before popping open the shelter, this makes the set-up very easy and the shelter not take flight!

I didn't take my woodstove today as it would be a short trip, but having a shelter break the wind is a game changer for comfort! I highly recommend this style shelter for harsh winter conditions.

After a bunch of rain this past Tuesday, these super cold temperatures have everything frozen solid again. There was 16" of ice on the pond with no water/slush or soft rotten ice layers anywhere I travelled and checked! This is a big improvement over the 6" found in this same spot only 10 days ago.

Lunch today was low key and uncomplicated. Although it was windy and super cold outside, inside the shelter was beautiful. My little MSR Superfly gas stove (which doesn't work well in the wind) had no problem boiling my Dr.Si collapsible kettle for coffee in my GSI Commuter coffee press and heating up a tin of stew.

This all in one coffee press works great. Take the two halves apart, spoon coffee into the bottom section, add hot water, stir, wait a couple minutes and press the second half down slowly just like any other press. You can pour the filtered coffee into a cup, but this unit is designed to drink straight from the press. It has a closable opening and an insulated grip!

No record breakers today, just a few small toss back-ers.

All in all a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon, a little run in the Argo, a boil-up, and a few trout on the lines.

Cheers, MIKE

Copyright © 2025 Michael Smith