Originally Posted by UncleNorby

I remember a few years back (more than a few) in NH, during the Meredith Rotary Icefishing Derby (prizes given for tagged rainbow trout), we met 2 wardens. We had quite a party out there, both in numbers and in liquid refreshment. Each person is allowed 2 lines (we were using tip-ups). Just before the wardens came by, about a third of the group (women and kids) decided to go to a shore-front house and use the bathroom. The rest of us stayed out there, but we had the sense to roll up the lines and remove the bait. We left the lines in the water so the spools would not freeze, but the flags were all still set.

The wardens roll up on their snowmobiles. They make a quick count of the number of guys, then the lines. This one warden starts licking his chops and pulls out his book of tickets. They take this smart-ass tone and ask if we know how many lines per person is legal. We all say, yeah - two. Then they ask all of us to stand by one tip-up and point to your other one. After quite a debate as to what line belongs to which guy, we do that. Then the warden walks to one of the odd lines and says, Now whose is this? I explain it belongs to either a kid or one of the women that went to shore. He didn't believe that one bit, he just knew he had us. Then he told me they were still against the law because the other people were not present. I told him they were not illegal, because they were rolled up and had no bait. Then he says, So you mean to tell me if I pull this line out of the water (at the same time grabbing it and pulling it out, snagging the spool on the ice and badly bending the axle), the line will be rolled up with no bait on the hook?" I said, well, see for yourself. He looked at the spool and his jaw dropped a foot. He then checked two more for good measure. Then he looked inside the shanty we had. There he found a jig-pole with a wet piece of cut-bait. He said, Now how do you explain this? The bait is still wet, so somebody was just using it and had too many lines. I said I brought it in earlier and the bait was covered in snow/ice, and it was thawing because the shanty was warm. The warden's face was getting red, and not from the cold.

Then he checked licenses, all legal. Then he asked if the other folks that were returning had licenses. I replied, What do you think? A new shade of red appeared.

Then he asked if we caught any fish. I said, Yeah, but the ones we caught had these tags in them and we let them go because we figured they were part of a research study. The rest of the guys burst out laughing. This really upset them good, and they started walking to their machines. I asked where I should send the bill for the damaged tip-up. More laughter from the rest of the guys. The one warden kept walking and the other said "sorry about that" and they just got on their machines and rode off.

Whenever that day comes up in conversation, we have a pretty good laugh.