This excerpt is from a trip taken last winter by Fish Alaska magazine staffer Steve Boyle. He recounts his unique experience of winter fly-out fishing and spearing for northern pike. This is an adventure of an uncommon kind and further demonstrates that there are nearly endless angling opportunities in the Great Land. Just because the water ices up this time of year does not mean that the fish have stopped biting.

"It was cold that March morning in the Mat-Su Valley. But not too cold to go fly-out winter spearing for trophy Alaska northern pike," Steve writes.

"My Anchorage fishing buddy Jeff Hubbard and I met up with Howard Tieden and Debbie Moore, owners of Arrowhead Outfitters, at their hanger in Wasilla to begin an exciting day of remote ice fishing. Howard and Debbie run fly-out back country adventures for fishing, hunting and sight seeing.

"We loaded up the Maule that's fitted with skis and took off minutes later for the 55-mile trip northwest of Deshka Landing. With years of flying experience and most of it being Bush flying, we were confident of Howard's skills as a pilot. And he didn't disappoint us as we landed on a frozen lake as smoothly as if it were the tarmac at Merrill Field in Anchorage.

"The day turned beautiful moments after we arrived and the cold didn't matter as we were in Arrowhead's heated portable fish houses. We immediately started boring holes in the ice and placing tip-ups before occupying spots in the fish houses. Before I could sit down I heard Jeff yell "Fish On!" and as I ran out of my warm domicile he was pulling up a 26-inch pike that froze in a bow shape moments after hitting the ice!

"I went back to my warm chair where I stared down into the spear hole in the ice. This gives you a view into where the fish live and it's almost like looking into a fish aquarium beneath your feet. Spearing fish is the ancient way of putting meat on the table. Some of the differences between then and now are the modern day equipment like ice augers, heated fish tents, steel spears and a STOL equipped airplane.

"Moments later a pike came by the hole, and like the buck fever I experienced as a teen on my first deer hunt, the excitement caused me to miss my prey. I didn't feel too bad, since Jeff did the same thing. After that they just plain stopped coming by, and I guessed we'd scared them. But not to worry, we just packed up and flew to another lake and set out the tip-ups once again. This time the pike were hitting everywhere. Several must have been big because they were tearing up those tip-ups and even drug one down through the hole never to be seen again!

"By then our daylight was disappearing fast and we had to wrap it up and head back to the barn. Debbie prepared a fantastic meal of what else but fish, both fried and baked, and man was that ever good. While Debbie was preparing our culinary delight Howard was cleaning and vacuum packing our fish for us.Ê

"Shortly after dinner Jeff and I headed back home with a memory to share with friends and a hankering to do it again next winter.

"Arrowhead Outfitters offers not only day-fishing trips, but also overnight trip packages where you can stay in a modern, warm cabin on a lake with fish houses right in front. Additionally, Howard is a licensed guide and leads guided and un-guided hunts for caribou, moose and bear in Alaska, elk and deer in Colorado, as well as wild boar in Texas."

Steve Boyle is an avid fisherman who likes to catch anything that swims. He can be reached at steve@fishalaskamagazine.com. You can contact Arrowhead Outfitters at 907-746-7744.