With Quebec’s lakes, rivers and ponds beginning to freeze over, fishermen are licking their chops at a chance to get back onto the ice for the winter fishing season.
Tim Wisdom, a 38-year-old East Bolton resident, has been ice fishing for nearly 20 years. An avid hunter and fisherman, Wisdom founded the Eastern Townships Hunting and Fishing Club Facebook group 10 years ago, as a means to connect with like-minded people in the area.
The group now sits just shy of 3,000 members, a mark Wisdom didn’t expect to hit. It’s the largest English-speaking hunting group in Quebec, according to the Townships native. The club is especially useful when it comes to informing others about ice conditions.
“I always make sure people ask in the group to give ice reports,” said Wisdom. “Let’s communicate, let’s help each other out, let’s warn people of dangerous areas, but at the same time I always recommend people check [for] themselves.”
When it comes to ice fishing, Wisdom takes every precaution necessary in order to establish a safe environment. The first step, he explained, is understanding the ice thickness rules. It’s four inches for foot traffic, six to eight inches for ATVs and 12 inches for cars or trucks.
Local fishermen talk safety before start of ice fishing season
By Michael Boriero - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
