Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
ICE DRAWS ANGLERS, SKATERS TO MARSH CREEK
Area residents enjoy the outdoors despite the sub-freezing temperatures
The empty windswept main parking lot of Marsh Creek State Park would seem to indicate no activity at the Chester County recreation spot until spring but with the recent cold snap that is not the case. While there was still open water near the park headquarters, winter sports are in high gear on the lake. A variety of people were enjoying ice fishing and ice skating on the northern branch of the lake near Little Conestoga Road.
On Tuesday Matthew and John Young were trying their luck ice fishing. The brothers learned to love the sport from their grandfather who took them out growing up in Pottstown.
“I haven’t caught anything, you should talk to John, he has three,” joked Matthew, who now lives in Emmaus. “It’s nice being out. The ice can vary; the best is clean, black ice four inches thick. This ice is about 4-5 inches thick.”
The brothers have been ice
fishing for 15 years. Matthew said they were visiting a variety of spots around the state that don’t normally freeze.
The Marsh Creek State Park website recommends four inches of solid ice as the minimum thickness for a single person and seven inches of ice for a small group. Visitors should avoid areas with multiple or intersecting cracks, or standing water. The park also recommends traveling with a buddy on the ice and having a flotation device, should something happen.
“Last year I only got out once, to Struble Lake in Honey Brook,” said Bill Mendenhall of Downingtown. He’s been ice fishing in the area for the past 40 years. “It tends to freeze first, but I prefer Marsh Creek. The cold isn’t really bad, it’s the wind that gets to you.”
Mendenhall said he has his favorite spots to fish on the lake. The water depth where he was fishing he estimated was 10 feet with 5 inches of ice. He was waiting to try a spot around the point in deeper water until he had someone to accompany him. Mendenhall uses a variety of poles, “It’s easier to switch poles than change the lure in the cold.” He said if he didn’t get a bite soon, he’d move to another spot and use his ice auger to open another hole. He said with all his outdoor chores finished for the winter, it was a great way to enjoy the afternoon. He said he also enjoys ice fishing with friends.
“We’ve been pretty busy with ice fishing,”said local hunting and fishing outfitter, Gordon’s Sports Supply manager Tom Gordon. “As long as it stays cold we hope to have a good season. Last year there was maybe one day that was cold enough for the ice.”
Gordon said he’s had a lot of customers coming in to buy live bait including: spikes, wax worms, minnows and artificial lures. Gordon said most ice fishermen use a 28-inch ice rod. Popular fish to catch are perch and pan fish. On Tuesday, the fishermen at Marsh Creek also carried small fish finding flash units to alert them of nearby fish activity.
North of Little Conestoga Road, Bobby Kiefer of Exton was waiting for friends to arrive to play hockey. “Playing outside is fantastic,” he said as he skated around a cleared section of ice waiting for friends. “It’s hockey at it’s most natural.”
Nearby, the trail of a fox could be seen in the fresh snow.
Two other young men out on the ice Tuesday were Parker Berry and Tom Hess, both of Chester Springs. The two college students were lacing their skates up, not to play hockey, ”just to skate,” said Hess. “I have a pond behind my house, but it is so much nicer to skate at Marsh Creek.”
“It’s fun,” said Parker. “This amount of snow isn’t a problem. We’ve been doing it for years. Last year was the first year we couldn’t.”
With their skates on, two of them raced off, leaving their unique trails in the light snow.