When to go fishing in winter

There's plenty of perch under the ice at Petrie Island

... ice fishing, that is.

The tributaries of the Ottawa River are frozen now, more or less. There's a rumour that the Rideau Canal will soon be open for skating, and the ice fishermen will also be getting impatient to practise their sport on the Ottawa River itself.

I came across a website that reports the current depth of the ice on the Ottawa near Petrie Island, a popular ice fishing spot. The ice there is already 10" (25cm) thick in places. This website is run by The Petrie Island Ice Fishermen's Association, PIIFA, an organisation that's been in existence for 10 years now.

It all started back in 2004 with a few ice fishermen sitting in a hut discussing ideas on how to combat the increase of vandalism, thefts and break-ins of that season. A few beers were shared and many ideas were tossed around. In the end, the group decided to start an association of ice fisherman. The main task of the association would be to bring hut owners together, so everyone could get to know each other and become a more tight-knit group for better security.

It has become, as they say, "huge" (and popular). Their website includes a fish catalogue, a page of wood stove recipes, and an Angler's Gallery of the proud fishermen with their catches.

The ice has to be 30cm thick before you are permitted to erect a hut on it. (Any day now.) All fishing huts must be off the ice by March 15th, but that leaves you plenty of time to catch fish till then.

Petrie Island

Fireworks were set off from Petrie Island too, on Canada Day, as I know from someone who lives in Orleans.

Petrie Island beach on a quiet day

3000 years ago Algonquin and Iroquoian peoples probably used this as a fishing area and no doubt the early explorers and fur traders from Europe camped here in the old days. Captain Petrie, a mid 19th century leader of the Cumberland community, had the first road between Ottawa and Montreal constructed in 1850, and gave his name to the island. Before the Carillon dam between Hawkesbury and Montreal in 1962-64, many long, wide, sand beaches existed on the banks of the Ottawa. Petrie Island, still full of sand today, used to have four cottages. A fire in 1900 destroyed over 3000 buildings in Hull and Ottawa and some residents camped here while their homes were being rebuilt. In the 1950’s portion of the Island was used as a rubbish dump. The National Capital Commission purchased the Islands in 1983 for preservation of the wetlands and five years later the Province of Ontario designated it as a significant area of scientific interest: a Class 1 wetlands area. Over 130 different kinds of birds have been spotted here and it's the home of many rare plants as well.

At the eastern end is Stuemer Beach and Stuemer Park, a reference to the Stuemer family who sailed around the world from here (in 1997) and back to here (in 2001) on their boat Northern Magic. When the voyage was over, the mother, Diane, who had been sending regular dispatches to the Ottawa Citizen, reporting on their progress, published these in a book, but sad to say she died shortly afterwards (in 2003).

I see that the Friends of Petrie Island website has been updated, with an impressive list of what recreations are available there, on the Activities page. Go to the Bait and Tackle shop at Ozile's Marina, and you can rent a pedal boat, a kayak or a boat for fishing expeditions.  From the lifeguards' office you could also rent a volleyball net.  Personally I'd avoid this area at weekends to stay clear of the crowds; most of the facilities are open on weekdays too during midsummer and on the beach lifeguards are on duty every day from noon till 7p.m.