Welcome to Week CXL of ‘Fishing Parkland Shorelines’. Like most of us I am a novice fisherman, loving to fish, but far from an expert. In the following weeks I’ll attempt to give those anglers who love to fish but just don’t have access to a boat, a look at some of the options in the Yorkton area where you can fish from shore, and hopefully catch some fish.
The new year came in rather frosty, so it was good to hunker down and do a few things which are ancillary in nature to the hobby of fishing.
But as is the case with winter weather in Saskatchewan, it tends to something of extremes when you are talking weather, and the past week, while maybe not record-setting warm, was at least darned fine in terms of warmer temperatures.
It was the sort of weather in a Saskatchewan winter where if you are out doing something you are probably just a bear at heart and prefer winter hibernation to any outdoor activity.
In my case, I would not say I am an active, not nightly enthusiastic ice fisherman, but if the weather is nice, and someone with a hut offers me a seat, I’m likely to say yes.
So when I had the chance Thursday to head out with Loen Manastyrski to Lake of the Prairies, the better half and I loaded up the gear and headed east.
It was a good start to the day stopping for coffee at a local drive through and watching as the better half took the corner to the take out window a bit tight, nearly clipping off the side mirror in the process. Now it was before her coffee, so it may have been a low caffeine blood count that caused it, but for the sake of accuracy I thought I best mention it.
It may also have been old-fashioned nerves at work, since she has never been ice fishing, and I do not mean this season, but ever. I tried to assure her that with nearly two-feet of ice you could drive a tank out to the hut without breaking through.
I then may have mentioned they suggest hypothermia and drowning are not among the worst ways to leave this mortal coil, of course I was kidding at that point.
So we hit the valley and immediately notice there is a near village of ice fishing huts laid out in a haphazard pattern across the frozen surface of the lake.
Manastyrski will tell us later he believes interest in ice fishing is growing, and certainly the sheer number of huts would be evidence a lot of people are enjoying the activity.
Now I will digress a bit from the actual trip to note when I was a youngster I don’t recall a lot of huts, or actually any, at least back on Petagan Channel. That may have been because the Channel was rather remote, the truck bouncing over a couple of beaver dams to get there, so the only warm refuge was the cab of the truck, not a cozy ice shack with a wood stove and the main fishing holes conveniently drilled at your feet. (Yes for those old enough to recall them an ice shack does have a resemblance to the outhouses once found out back of every Prairie home).
The ice shack is quite likely at the heart of the interest in ice fishing, and it’s not just because they offer a warm environment, out of a winter wind.
An ice hut is more than a warm refuge. It is a place of friendship and camaraderie.
As an example Saturday, my son, and two gaming buds headed to Regina for some ‘gamer- shopping. The trip was one of joking and what-if talks that happens when four buds get together. Had we been in an ice shack, it would have been the same thing.
So even if the fish don’t bite, you don’t care too much, because you’ve been out with friend.
And as I suggested, you should never leave on a fishing trip without a cribbage board and a deck of cards in case it rains. Well I would bet if you could peek inside every hut on Lake of the Prairies, you would find many with a crib board in the rafters, a little something to do if the fish are sleeping. A cribbage game is something an ice hut is perfect for.
I will say, as I sat in the hut Thursday I started to think what it would cost to build a hut if four, or five of us went together and built one? It would be if nothing else, a gathering place for buds to fry up some kolbassa, throw quips at each other, and maybe catch a few fish too. It is an idea I will have to bring up with the guys.
But back to the actual trip.
Loen and his wife operate Lost Meadows Resort on the Saskatchewan side of the lake, just before the Roblin Bridge. As part of the business, which includes cabins for rental, seasonal and day spots for campers, a store, a pontoon boat in summer, and in winter three ice shacks. It was one of the shacks we headed to.
Loen led us out on the ice, and the better half didn’t go running back to shore, so that was a good thing. He got the fire going in the shack then drilled out four holes inside, plus a line of four more outside, and we were ready to fish.
As part of his store business Loen handles live minnows, allowable bait on the lake which is governed by Manitoba regulations. He said they are a near essential bait in the winter, and I was astounded when he noted he sells tens of thousands each year, more than 40,000 last year.
Once we were rigged up Loen headed back to do some things with his business, but was back just after noon with some ‘kobidogs’. Earlier I mentioned cooking up some sausage is almost as integral to ice fishing as baiting the hook is, and Loen had a cast iron pan and soon had the kobidogs, a cross between kolbasa and a hotdog made by Selkirk Meats in Manitoba, cooking away.
As lunch was cooking, and the lines sat motionless, and I will interject here Loen caught two walleye on the day, I quizzed our host on his business.
A former industrial electrician, he is into this third winter as resort owner.
“The little guy was born and I didn’t want to be running around chasing money anymore. I wanted to stay home, so I bought myself a job,” he related.
It was a natural in terms of his own interests.
“Fishing and hunting has been my life,” he said.
While we think of Lake of the Prairies as a fishing hotspot, Loen said, “In the fall we get some hunting cabin rentals, bird hunters in September, and deer hunters in November.”
And in the winter months Assessipi Ski Hill brings people out of Brandon and Winnipeg who are seeking a place to stay.
In the summer it is fishing that makes the resort roll.
“It’s seven days a week from Mother’s Day until the September long, there’s no days off,” said Loen, adding the three cabins and 15 campsites are booked pretty solid through that time.
The three ice shacks are a way to extend the season, and Loen said interest is good.
“I am hoping to add another one next year,” he said as an indication of demand.
Loen said the lake is great for ice fishing especially in December “when the ice first comes on,” and he pointed at all the cabins and said it was easy to see people like the spot.
Anyone wanting an ice fishing experience can check out www.lostmeadowsresort.com or contact Loen at [email protected] or 204-937-8600
