82 NEBRASKAland • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017
T
his photo marks one of my first attempts at landscape imagery as a NEBRASKAland photographer, a shot
before sunrise at Box Butte Reservoir State Recreation Area in early February 2013. There's nothing
special about it, and to my knowledge it's never been used for anything but this article. There's something
about the scene, however, that always seems to catch this ice angler's eye as he's scrolling through our
collection of images. It is especially eye-catching on a late November day as I eagerly await ice to form
and pave the way for another season of my favorite winter activity.
With one look, it makes me think of the many sounds I've come to cherish: the irregular revving of a two-
stroke engine as another hole is drilled. The scraping of a sled being pulled across the ice. The crunching of the
cleats as they do their best to grip the slick surface. Laughter between friends and relatives as it travels over the
expanse of frozen water. And, yes, even the popping sound of that ice expanding and contracting that is always
sure to result in wobbly knees for the hard-water rookie.
While this photo conveys evidence of such cherished human activities, it also expresses the certain serenity
of winter mornings. This time of year, one surely savors quiet beginnings in the crisp, cold air which has a way
of clearing the mind with each breath. The way sunlight reflects off the ice and snow and alerts the senses. The
way such quiet seems to amplify any sounds that nature serves up – perhaps the honking of geese, the howl of a
coyote or the whistle of the wind.
Most of all, this image marks the beginning of another day at a place I love. It's a place
where young and old race to flagged tip-ups to see what's on the other end of the line. It's
where a mess of panfish or walleye will be harvested with various degrees of luck and skill to
be later shared at the contrasting warmth of a dinner table. In the end, it's just a photo from
one of Nebraska's many places available to enjoy our tradition of pursuing game fish below
the surface, whether on hard water or soft.
Justin Haag
Nov. 30, 2016
Ice Tracks