Hi folks,
I was hoping someone out there could help give me some information on ice fishing while I am over in Calgary please. We are staying in Okotoks and are just around the corner from a lake that I have been told, people actually cut a hole in the ice and start fishing.
What's the norm please, any contacts or info would be great please.

many thanks,
regards,
Carl

My observations of local ice fishing indicate the following occurs:

Step 1
Man arrives at local frozen lake, unloads beer from vehicle and drinks.

Step 2
Man pitches small tent on lake, or sets up a stool/chair and drinks second beer.

Step 3
Man drills a hole in ice about a foot wide with an auger. Beer quenches his thirst after the physical exercise.

Step 4
Fishing gear arranged and put into action. Beer opened while he awaits for a bite.

Step 5
Once all beer has been consumed it's time to pack up and venture to the pub to defrost.

Personally, I can only see the point in drinking beer. Ice fishing holds no appeal.

You can actually buy special ice fishing type 'sheds' that have a hole in the bottom and they are on runners so you can push them onto the ice

I thought the guys were winding me up when we saw some for sale at an auction! Though I'm not sure what I actually thought this contraption might be used for otherwise

Have you not yet heard of the portable outhouse?

Small shed, hole in bottom. What's your first clue?

Our lake has small 4 berth Caravans on it as ice fishing sheds. The sheds on our lake have to be removed by 15 March, don't know if the ice starts thawing then but was told yesterday that it's the edges of the lake that thaw first aparently the ice rots but stays thick in the middle of the lake

RICH's description of ice fishing is correct as I see it

My OH's dad used to take him ice fishing when he was a kid from his description I think it was some form of torture. Can you imagine being a small kid stuck in a hut on a frozen lake sitting on a square of polystyrene with a couple of drunken rednecks for company (and they never caught any fish)

I didn't even think they were for that Steve

Just came over all blank and said - "What the hell are they for "

The chaps then explained and I said "Yeah, right, like anyones gonna push that into the middle of the ice and fish through the hole in the bottom, you're going to have to get up earlier than that to catch me out "

Then realisation dawned that they were right

Still can't quite see it - thought the idea of fishing was to enjoy the great outdoors - and if its so cold that you need an outhouse, go another day.

Try googling 'chain lakes' not to far from where you're staying, i know they do alot of ice fishing there.

LMAO.......i wonder if this is why my boys never want to go with OH !

You can always use it as a threat in future

In a quick scan of the Maple Leaf I read this as 'Ice Fisting Calgary'. It certainly made me pause.

Did you do a google to see what would come up just in case you needed to participate though?

No. I don't think I want those kind of images in the cache of my work laptop thank you very much!

Well I did it and found someone called Lady Sephrina a dominatrix from Calgary, looked for Steve_P's name under her list of clients but he must be using his other pseudonym