School of fishermen
Ice fishing has come a long way since I was a kid hanging out in a shack with my grandfather. For one thing, the shacks are bigger. But the fish, that’s a different story.
By Bruce Gillespie with photography by Harry Nowell
When i first tell my partner greg that I’ve snagged us a mid-winter getaway that just
happens to coincide with Valentine’s Day, he’s thrilled. When I later explain
that it involves three days of ice fishing in Northern Ontario and two nights sleeping in
an ice shack on the frozen bay, his enthusiasm wanes. You see, we aren’t the sort of
guys you’d expect to find ice fishing. We’re both a little squeamish when it
comes to hooking bait, and when the weather turns cold, we’d rather throw a log on
the fire than head outside.
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Yet, as a kid, I’d spent many memorable afternoons ice fishing with my grandfather,
an avid outdoorsman who worked hard to instill a similar passion in his grandsons. It didn’t
quite work in my case — since he died in 1992, I hadn’t picked up a rod.
“What do you know about ice fishing?” asks Greg.
“Um, it’s like riding a bicycle,” I say. “It’ll be an adventure.”
And so, a couple of weeks later, after stocking up on thermal underwear, wool socks and
snow pants, we arrive at Glen Echo Cottages in Callander, Ont., a 15-minute drive from North
Bay, ready to do battle with the elements and the fish.
We’re met by Scott Nelson, who bought the property in the fall with his wife Christine
as a sort of early-retirement project. At 47, he has the charm and looks of a grown-up Bo
Duke, so we’re a bit sheepish when he asks, while loading our bags into the back of
his truck, where our beer is. “Most guys bring more beer than luggage,” he says
with a laugh.
Note to self: real fishermen pack beer, not wine.
As we make our way down the steep shore and out onto the ice, we catch the first glimpse
of our place on the lake. The bright red shack is one of about a dozen planted 60 metres
offshore. Although small, measuring roughly three by six metres, it is fully insulated. With
bunks for six, our ice bungalow features a propane-fired furnace and oven as well as overhead
lights and a TV powered by a car battery.
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