Old photo of clammers on frozen GSB

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BJL

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Found 2 old slides from probably 30 years ago. Some of these guys actually drove cars onto the ice to their spot! Will have them put on disk but until I do, here they are taken from the projector on the wall!
photo113.jpg

FrozenBay.jpg
 
Amazing, especially with the Robert Moses in the background. Hate to think that 30 years ago is considered "old", but I guess to many paople it is. Once again memory to me is history to others, though I have to admit I don't remember ice fishing on GSB. I do remember flounder fishing with my father in Quogue and Shinnecock, sitting in a rented 16' flat-bottom boat from Oscars or Old Man Rogers, wearing Air Force surplus aviation pants and a winter coat and knitted hat. Boy, were we dumb! Thanks for the memory. Hy
 
These guys were out there with chain saws, cutting holes in the ice and clamming. It was an amazing thing to watch....something I'll never forget. I was so happy when I found the slides tonight and I think Cocsto turns slides into disk. Might have to take a ride there tomorrow :)
 
I think it was the winter of 1976/1977 when the ice got so thick that the clammers were driving out on the bay. I remember seeing them driving out onto the ice in pickup trucks.
 
quote:
Originally posted by JohnC

I think it was the winter of 1976/1977 when the ice got so thick that the clammers were driving out on the bay. I remember seeing them driving out onto the ice in pickup trucks.

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John
Did you see them dirving back?
 
You could be right John......it probably was around then.
 
In the 70 there were several years when the Great South bay froze. I even considered getting an ice boat. People drove across the frozen bay to FI. Some cars didnt make it back though. :) In about 1977 even the sound was almost closed by huge ice chunks that looked like the artic when viewed from Smithtown.
 
Don't see much of that any more.. I guess Gore is right. Nice pictures. Those were the days my friend... Now that song will be in my head all day :-)
 
Bruce, that's how all the deer got on F.I....they walked across the bay.
I just checked the slides again and they are dated 1977 John! Damn you're good :) Going over to Costco today so I'll repost them once I have the good copies....should be much clearer (I hope!)
 
I heard a story ( not verified ) that one of the white & red " danger " cans in the Lindenhurst cut is marking some clammer's pickup truck.
 
quote:
John
Did you see them dirving back?
Click to expand...


Andy, I think those guys made it back but there were occasional stories over the years about people driving out on the ice and sinking through. Actually one of the kids in my school died in junior high or early in high school trying to ride his bike across the bay.

From what I remember it was really only that one winter (76/77) that the ice was thick enough that the clammers drove out. There were probably other earlier years but normally the bay by us didn't freeze that thick.

John
 
I remember that some kid drove daddy's new Suburban out on the ice, one way..
 
Zane, any idea what years your pictures were from? (especially the one with the horse!) I wonder how often the guys fell off those planks! Clamming with tongs is hard enough as it is, balancing on a wet plank surrounded by icy water definitely adds to the challenge!
 
John, Zane's pics (I believe) came from the internet. I saw them when I did a search.
 
Supposedly the black and white is off of patchogue. no idea of the year. late 70's is all i can recall on the others. All through the 70's into the 80's we always played hockey on the canal every year. Winter of '80 with the olympic gold medal and the islanders in their heyday hockey was very popular. so i know we had a good freeze that winter.
 
We used to walk and skate on the canals in Massapequa in the 70's & 80's. They'd freeze up long before the bay did!
 
I used to skate on canals.
Caroons lake too!
Parents these days don't allow kids to do that anymore.
Wait, that is us! If we did it, why can't our kids?
Guess we remember all those times, skating, ice cracking under your skates!
Yikes!
 
I used to skate on a lake in Brightwaters (among many) when I was a kid and I remember the fear in my heart when I heard cracking! But those childhood memories are the best.
 
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