Ice Out Contest: Update #2

April 16, 2025

Does Canada want American visitors? It’s an unusual question but as of late some guests have been asking. There’s a bunch of stuff in the news these days about peoples’ reactions to tariffs, talk of the 51st state, etc. Boycotts, demonstrations, “elbows up”…. I guess if that’s all you’re seeing I can see why some people might be a bit worried. The simple answer is don’t be….American tourists are welcome as always. NW Ontario has been a destination for anglers from the US for 80 plus years. Border regulations haven’t changed…..neither have peoples’ attitudes to the average American traveler. Your politicians; now that’s a different matter!

Well, theoretically spring is here. It’s minus 5 degrees Celsius this morning and the snow is still piled high. The lake has a couple feet of ice, tight to shore, and the migrating geese are looking depressed. However, there are signs of change. Since the last post we’ve had days of t-shirt weather, followed by snow storms and howling winds. In the past few days we’ve seen running water in the creek, albeit on top of the ice. Here’s a mixed bag of pictures showing conditions and what some of us have been up to……

Getting right to the point……..here’s a photo from yesterday.

…and another.

Up by the culverts the water is beginning to flow.

Tis a winter wonderland.

The ice “pre snowstorm”…….a few days ago. Holes drilled, no bites.

Susanne modelling her new ice fishing rig. Look out spring of 2026!

Conditions are perfect for hauling material over the ice. In this case some 2 x 6’s and gas for the portage lakes.

Adding some strategically placed boards and “slidy bits” will hopefully make launching, and de-launching , easier.

Time will tell…..

The fabled “air winch”. It was doomed to failure from day one, but it did bring some comfort and false hope to Joe and Andy who installed it……

It’s successor…..the “Come Along”. For those days when catching all those fish have left you weak and incapacitated. Fun fact: The original tool of this type was developed by Abraham Maasdam of Deep Creek, Colorado, about 1919, and later commercialized by his son, Felber Maasdam, about 1946. Utilized on Clearwater Lake in 2025 by VBL.

You know spring is late when you have to dig the end of the ramp out of the snow with a shovel……or perhaps I’m just early….

Here seen delivering the crucial boat plug to Otter Lake……..part of the Caribou Lake triathlon.

Here we are on a run down to the big end of the lake, more specifically Prendible Island to visit the old gold mine.

Be careful.

Tube steak over an open flame.

The little cabin at the soapstone quarry (near Prendible Island) has seen better days. Built by a person who obtained the mineral rights to the site. He basically picked up and boated out any remaining pieces of soapstone to be later used for carving up north. This was about 35 years ago. The original soapstone quarry was operated in the late 1920’s and consisted of a pit 28′ wide by 65′ long. The soapstone was used to line furnaces of kraft paper mills and was hauled to shore using a barge…….which later sank somewhere in the big stretch of Eagle Lake.

The walleye season closed on April 15 but we had some luck before it ended.

Three amigos……

Here’s to a great spring, summer, fall coming up. With all the turmoil going on I think it’s good to hold on to some simple enjoyments. Don’t overthink it, we’ll be seeing you soon! Stay tuned for the next update.