Picture perfect

It was a picture perfect day, with the blue-grey overcast winter sky and calm winds which made it possible to hold the zoom lens without shaking. We were past due for a visit to the head of the bay this winter. We’d spent hours there last winter watching a convocation of Bald Eagles make lunch of geese who were unfortunate enough to fall prey to the gathered raptors. 

Along the bay, we paused at a couple of areas where I’ve been meaning to stop all winter. One wharf has a fishing boat tied up for the winter, encased by the ice which has frozen it in place. 

Owners of the Iron Horse are not concerned about her being crushed by the ice. This time next month, she will probably be free of the icy grip on her hull. A fishing vessel left in the winter ice is a rare sight here.

We also stopped at the new swing the city installed last summer which is popular with tourists and residents alike. No one was swinging that day as I aimed for the lighthouse through the swings. 

The expanse of ice which stretches atop the bay looks vast and barren, dwarfing the lighthouse at the entrance to the bay.

A smelt shack sits on the ice near the shoreline, offering shelter and a heat source by the look of the propane tank at the back. Fishers will sit in comfort as they catch smelts in the bay.

It is the only shack in this part of the bay this year, probably due to the unpredictable nature of the weather, going from mild to freezing so quickly. The little shack should be secure for the next week.

Island birding sites are abuzz with news of Bald Eagles nesting already this year. At the head of the bay, we can see that area’s nest across the bay on the opposite shore. 

Sure enough, a pair of mature eagles are in residence atop the nest, scanning the area.

I missed the shot of one taking off but later discovered it having a rest in a nearby tree. 

It didn’t stray far from its mate.

At the mouth of the Wilmot River nearby, a pair of Barrow’s Goldeneyes dived for fish as they enjoyed their island holiday. They are fun to watch among the geese and black ducks as they quickly dive into the depths.

We will return to the area soon!

The village

When the harbour ice freezes smoothly every year, they appear overnight. Avid fishers take their smelt shacks from backyards and garages down to the frozen harbour. Those who enjoy the outdoors in an indoor way, spend their time fishing for smelt.

The shacks provide wind breaks from the elements. 

Some are equipped with stoves which take the smelt fishing experience to another level. 

However all you really need is a hole in the ice and a chair. 

The video shows one such shack and a fisher in a 45 second clip.

When I photographed the cargo vessel, Trinityborg and zoomed in on the vessel, it was interesting to see the smelt shack village on the opposite side of the harbour.

We tried the white flesh fish for the first time last year.

They were delicious. We will visit the fishmonger this week for another meal of the little fish.

                                   Two smelt villages as seen from a  nearby bridge

Island moment

This time of year, when the harbour freezes, the smelt shacks appear on the ice just off-shore in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.

 

They look like tiny sheds or out-houses, driven onto the ice by brave residents, willing to take the chance on the ice with their vehicles. 

 

The goal is to fish for smelt through the ice in the relative comfort of your shack.

The structure, as small as it is, is a great wind break, making it possible to spend more than a few minutes in the cold temperatures. The most luxurious have stoves, 

 

making longer fishing excursions possible. At various places around the harbour, villages of these smelt shacks are usually busy over the weekend.

Last Sunday, we walked by the bay to get a closer look at the shacks. I questioned one man walking back home about one hundred meters away. He'd lit the fire and scraped the ice in front of the shack, making a hockey rink for his kids. They had their day planned.

 

This young man grew up in Summerside, and fished for smelt since his youth. He spears the fish, rather than use a line preferred by some. He fries, bakes or smokes them, but eats them as sushi as well. 

The smelt fishery occurs late fall or through the ice in winter when the fish are at their best. When smelt are spawning, they aren't as tasty and a fishery at that time would affect the stock.

This wonderful tradition is one of the reasons I love our island home. However, you couldn't pay me enough to drive onto that ice.