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Unstuck: Episode Extras With Eva SEVEN DAYS: Why did you decide to make this video? EVA SOLLBERGER: I have covered ice fishing a few times over the past 16 years — on the Waterbury Reservoir with some chefs from Hen of the Wood and during a derby on Lake Memphremagog. Joshua Morse, public information officer with Vermont Fish & Wildlife, contacted me about a smelt clinic at the Waterbury Reservoir. But then Josh worried it might be too disruptive for the anglers to have me there filming with a light. So he put me in touch with Shawn and Zachary, who agreed to take me out for an adventure on the ice. It was extra fun having Fisher along and, yes, his name was well chosen. That kid can catch fish! SD: What was the temperature? ES: It was about 22 degrees when we started off at 3:30 p.m. I filmed this with my iPhone, and it worked for a bit before shutting down due to the cold. I also got some artifacts — blemishes, basically — in a few of the interviews, which I had to edit around. Luckily, Zachary brought a propane heater, which made the tent super toasty and made my iPhone happy. The only things that I couldn’t get warm were my toes. But Zachary saved the day with some disposable foot warmers. I
Stuck in Vermont: Episode 683: Ice Fishing for Smelt
EVA SOLLBERGER
ermont’s rainbow smelt are small forage fish that can be used for bait — or breaded and pan-fried into a delicious dinner. Zachary McNaughton knows where to find them. He publishes educational fishing videos on his YouTube channel, Vermont Master Anglers, including a few videos featuring smelt fishing and how to cook smelt. McNaughton’s father taught him how to fish at a young age, and he is passing that tradition on to his 6-year-old son, Fisher. Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger met up with father, son and Shawn Good, a fish biologist from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, on a frozen lake in Plymouth for a nighttime ice fishing adventure.
Zachary McNaughton and his 6-year-old son, Fisher, getting ready to ice fish in Plymouth
In Search of Smelt
Fishing after dark with three anglers on a frozen lake in Plymouth ordered a pack when I got home and will wear them for future winter adventures. SD: That tent looked cozy. ES: Zachary was a great host and brought all the gear along in a sled. He even included snacks for Fisher and extra lights so I could film. There was just enough room for three holes in the ice and four of us. The ice was wet and slippery, and my fingers were clumsy. I was worried about dropping my phone or body mics into the lake. I kept popping outside to film the light as it changed and night fell. It was so peaceful, and we were the only ones on the ice. There are a few lakes in Plymouth, and Zachary asked me not to specify which one we were on to protect it from overfishing. This spot has a ton of smelt! Zachary had a video monitor that uses sonar to let you see what is swimming beneath the surface. As you can see in the video, the water was thick with thousands of smelt. I wish I had brought along the gear to lower my GoPro into the lake,
because when the green light was on, I may have been able to get underwater video of the smelt party. SD: I love how Zachary talked about fishing being good for mental health. ES: Yes, I am glad more people are talking about mental health and prioritizing it, too. Just being outdoors in the winter was exciting to me, as I am someone who often gets stuck inside during the colder months. And it was really beautiful being out on the open water, surrounded by woods and rolling hills as the sun went down. Walking back to my car by the moonlight was a magical experience. It was definitely worth the two-hour drive from Burlington — even the ride home in the dark.
SMELT SMELL LIKE WATERMELON CANDY,
NOT THE NORMAL FISHY SMELL THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT.
SD: The photos of kids with fish were so cute! ES: I asked Zachary if he had photos of Fisher fishing over the years. Oh, boy, did he deliver. The images tell a story of a family that loves to fish together. I especially
love the snap with three generations of McNaughtons, including Zachary, his son and his father, George T. McNaughton. I also asked Shawn to share photos of his son, Aiden, learning how to fish. Like Zachary, Shawn learned how to fish from his father and passed it on to his only child. These family traditions are so important, and it was a pleasure to document them. SD: Did you smell the smelt? ES: Zachary and Shawn told me that smelt smell like watermelon candy, not the normal fishy smell that you would expect. So, of course I had to give them a sniff for myself. Holding a wiggling fish is not easy, but they were right: It smelled sweet, like spring. Go figure! SD: Did you fish? ES: I did take a turn toward the end of the night. I wasn’t getting any bites, so Zachary advised me to slowly reel up. As I was doing so, a smelt hopped onto my maggot bait for the ride! That was the first fish I ever caught, and it was a total accident. Fisher, aka the Fish Manager, sprang into action to extract the hook and return the smelt to the lake. None of this was caught on film, so you will just have to take my word for it! SD: It’s lucky the ice was thick enough for your excursion. ES: Yes, that was something I was worried about. But Shawn assured me it was safe and even measured the ice thickness, which was about 15 inches. We filmed this back on February 1, before the recent warmer temperatures. Sadly, an angler in Grand Isle died last Thursday after falling through the ice on Lake Champlain. Two other anglers died after breaking through the ice in South Hero on Saturday. Fish & Wildlife is advising everyone to stay off Lake Champlain and to be careful on all bodies of water before walking on them. Shawn said that in previous winters the ice is often thick enough to walk on by Christmas. That was not the case this year, and everyone should be very careful out there. ➆
Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger has been making her award-winning video series, “Stuck in Vermont,” since 2007. New episodes appear on the Seven Days website every other Thursday and air the following night on the WCAX evening news. Sign up at sevendaysvt.com to receive an email alert each time a new one drops. And check these pages every other week for insights on the episodes.
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SEVEN DAYS FEBRUARY 15-22, 2023