At first glance, the chain saw seemed a little extreme. Within a couple minutes, though, DNR fisheries biologist Gary Siegwarth had carved a three-foot-by-four foot chunk out of the ice cover on North Prairie Lake, in Cedar Falls. Across the north end of the lake, more normal six or eight inch holes dotted the surface; drilled the conventional way, with ice augers.

Unlike the rest of the crowd, though, Siegwarth was here for a 'deposit,' not a withdrawal. He and fisheries technician John Richmond finished connecting the heavy-duty tubes to the side of their truck. With the flip of a lever, the tanks emptied their payload. Hundreds of gallons of water and 1,800 trout gushed through the just cut opening into the 12-acre lake. And more than 200 ice anglers got to work.

Normally reserved for the coldwater streams of northeast Iowa, trout hit the bright lights and big cities during the winter. In hot weather, trout could not survive in these urban fishing holes. The icy cover, though, guarantees that they'll get through the winter just fine in Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Dubuque, Mason City and the Des Moines area. And if the popularity of the urban trout program spreads, there might be another community or two that could tout trout fishing without leaving town. "There are lots of people who don't even know about the trout program," concedes Siegwarth, who manages the Big Spring rearing station near Elkader. "It's a stepping stone for people, once they have their trout stamp, to come try it in northeast Iowa. They would really enjoy it."

Not that they weren't having a good time here. The last trout were still on the truck when the first hurrah went up from an ice angler 20 yards from the stocking point. Within 15 minutes, the ice was dotted with half to 3/4 pound trout that were now on ice, before heading for the frying pan. "Oh yeah (I'd go this summer)," acknowledged Steve Harris, of Cedar Falls, as we looked over the three sleek trout at his feet. "My boy goes once in awhile with his grandmother. I'd like to do that, too."

The Cedar Valley Walleye Club had promoted the weekend stocking as a family fishing day, collecting giveaways, too, from area stores. "It was kind of nice to see a lot of kids show up," admitted club spokesman Carl Teske. "Some have never fished for trout before. I talked with parents who thought they'd just bring their kids out for a good time." Shawn Anderson was one of them. "I got a lot of nibbles, but they took all my minnows," bemoaned the 12-year old. "After awhile, I finally got one. Then I got this second one," admitting that he really liked trout fishing. Nearby, nine-year-old David Schmadeke was in the hot spot. Three trout were on the ice beside him. His jigging movement was effective. He had three or four more hits before bringing in a fourth fish.

The urban trout program played to similar crowds elsewhere this winter. "It's a way to get it right into these communities. I think there's room to expand it," lauds Siegwarth. "It's a great outdoor recreation. And it's close to home."

Home Ice Advantage

There's more than just trout under there. Anglers on Lake Macbride were clustered in several areas late Wednesday, from the high lines to a point off Cottage Reserve and beyond. "They're catching lots of bluegills in eight to 12 feet of water; in the brush," relays DNR fisheries management biologist Paul Sleeper. "An occasional walleye, just before dark; crappie in the deeper water." Despite daytime temperatures above freezing this week, Sleeper says most areas still have sufficient ice. "Generally, it's not a problem, unless we would get some rain; some flowing water." He cautions that any water with a current; such as Coralville Reservoir, is going to see weakening ice ahead of more stationary bodies.

Hungry Wildlife Concerns Ease

Those warmer temps mean the snow cover is slowly receding. More bare ground reduces the danger of predation for wandering wildlife, looking for food beneath that ice and snowpack. Species ranging from pheasants and turkeys to backyard songbirds are beginning to find food closer to cover as the bare spots return. On the plus side, for human birdwatchers at least, is the chance to increase their winter bird lists. I stepped outside just before dark a few days ago and spooked 20 or 25 cardinals hunkered down in the hedge between our sunflower feeders and the neighbor's. And though he didn't wait until I grabbed my camera, a male pileated woodpecker stopped by the suet feeder late last month.

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