GULL LAKE, Alta. — Cathy Mowat always wanted to ice fish, but wasn’t interested in buying hundreds of dollars of gear to sit on a bucket on a windy lake with no guarantee she would catch a fish.
When she found a website for a luxury ice fishing shack stocked with ice fishing gear, beds, heater, barbecues, indoor toilets, televisions and a fish camera, she organized a women’s fishing day with friends.
“They supply everything. All we needed to do was bring the food and bevvies,” said Mowat of New Norway, Alta.
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“I haven’t caught a fish since Grade 3,” said Mowat, who booked the luxury ice fishing rental shack on Gull Lake with S & P Fishing of Lacombe, Alta.
More than half the clients who book S & P Fishing’s ice fishing rental units are women, or families, said co-owner Hugo Painchaud.
Before, few women wanted to spend the night, or day, in a plywood shack with a wood heater. Since moving to the area from Quebec 10 years ago, Painchaud has spent hours in the summer and winter fishing on the lake, but understands others want more luxuries.
“I sat on a bucket and waited for something to bite for years before moving into a pop-up tent and then recently into the luxury ice fishing cabins,” said Painchud.
Having television and downloaded movies available on the indoor television makes it easier to entertain his children while he gets to fish.
“I enjoy fishing and I have kids so I get it.”
Sue Schurman of Edmonton joined the fishing trip for fun. The last time she fished was when she was about seven years old.
“The last time was with a marshmallow on a branch. This is about the adventure.”
Natalie Axten grew up fishing in France with her family on the Loire River and the canals throughout the country. The family cooked the fish on a barbecue set up along the river.
“We would catch and eat on the banks of the river. It was simple. It was a family affair.”
Since moving to Canada, she fished once in northern Saskatchewan, but was keen to try a new adventure.
“It is a true Canadian experience and I had faith in catching a fish.”
Axten caught a burbot, but the fishing regulations don’t allow keeping the burbot on Gull Lake in February and March.
“It was doing something I had never done before, which was the big drive. In France you don’t fish like that, that’s for sure,” said Axten of Kingman, Alta.
“It is one more fishing experience. It was good food, good company and good fun.”
