Skipping class

WASILLA — The state Department of Fish and Game is trying to lure children to become hooked on ice fishing.

Dozens of Mat-Su Valley youngsters gathered on Finger Lake this week to learn about a distinctively Alaska winter pastime that doesn’t include a joystick or video game console.

After walking to the other side of the lake, Frank Wheeler’s class of second- through fifth-graders from Finger Lake Elementary School enjoyed the outdoor field trip and learned about an important part of what can be a subsistence lifestyle.

“It’s just good to get them out for a field trip on a good winter’s day,” Wheeler said. “Also, it’s an earned reward for those (students) who choose to behave in a positive manner. And, it’s a lot of fun, regardless of whether fish are caught or not. It’s good exercise, as we all walked to the lake.”

To hear Wheeler tell it, there weren’t many fish stories generated during Tuesday’s time on the ice. Of the group, only a few fish were landed, none from his class.

“I believe there were only three fish caught by our group from our school,” he said. “But that’s just fine. There’s the saying, ‘a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.’”

Waiting for students on the lake were dozens of holes that had been drilled in the ice and staff and volunteers from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which sponsors the ice fishing lessons. Overall this winter, about 800 children from the Valley learned to bait hooks and how to lure rainbow trout and Chinook salmon, said Samantha Oslund, a fisheries biologist for the ADF&G’s Valley office. In addition, officials monitor ice conditions to make sure it’s safe for students.

“We like to introduce these kids to fishing as they study salmon in the classroom,” Oslund said. “This puts the fish right in their hands and hopefully they realize the importance of fishing. It’s something they can do and be perfecting their entire lives.”

Getting children outdoors and educating them about being good stewards of Alaska’s natural resources is key to the ADF&G mission, Oslund said.

“For me, it’s critical they spend time outside, appreciate it and to spend time in the environment,” she said. “It’s nice to introduce them to that, then they’ll take it from there. … They always wonder what kind of fish it is (when a fish is caught), so we’re able to teach them how to identify the different fish.”

Students bring the bait with them, which is usually a bag of cocktail shrimp, which, according to the department’s website, also “makes a great snack if you don’t use it all.”

While fun, the experience can also be educational, Wheeler said.

“They get back to nature a little bit, discuss the bait and the fish,” he said. “Kids learn strategies and how to go about doing it — keep your line a half-inch into the water, watch the tip (of the fishing pole).”

While growing up in Michigan, Wheeler did a lot of ice fishing, and he continues to drop lines into Alaska’s frozen lakes.

“Oh, I’ve been ice fishing many, many times,” he said. “I try to fill up the freezer. I’m a meat fisherman, but I just enjoy the experience itself — but it’s a lot more fun when the fish cooperate.”

For many of Wheeler’s students, Tuesday’s trek onto the ice at Finger Lake was eye-opening and could give them an option for spending some of their holiday vacation time outside the house.

“Oh, they like it,” he said. “Two of them were a little dismayed with the length of the walk, but I think we’ll do it a little closer to the school next year. … Most of the kids in my room are active in gaming, and that keeps them indoors a lot. But before the advent of the TV and gaming — which has become kind-of a baby-sitter, I’m afraid — things like ice fishing were what we used to do when I was younger.”

Although the young anglers had little luck on Tuesday, “We had better luck on Wednesday,” Oslund said. “They really caught some nice fish, rainbows mostly, and one that was pushing 20 inches.”

Besides learning about a winter outdoor activity, the ADF&G’s field trip carried another benefit that was popular with students, Wheeler said. “It did get them out of math class and Alaska studies class.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.