mar 3 - mar 9, 2022
carillonregina.com | the carillon |
sports & health
13
Ice fishing review Grab a pale and hit the ice
victoria baht s&h writer When you think of the perfect weekend, what does it entail? For some of us, it may involve relaxing on the beach, getting a tan. For others, it may involve a self-care weekend with a Starbucks coffee in one hand and a great book in the other. For some people, a perfect weekend involves going ice fishing with some friends and catching some fresh fish for dinner that night. This week, the Carillon is going to take you through a review and experience of what it is like to go ice fishing in Saskatchewan. I have been going ice fishing for most of my life, which means I have a couple of stories in my mind. What do you imagine when you think of the ice fishing sport? Does it make you think of wearing all the winter gear possible, sitting on a pail over a hole? Basically, that is exactly what the experience is. When you go ice fishing, you want to make sure you have the essentials. For me, this is what it entails: a pair of long johns or leggings and a long sleeve for your base layer, a good standard sweat suit, and an outer layer that
involves boots, ski pants, winter coat, mittens, toque, and some hand/boot warmers. Now that you have enough winter gear to feel like you are walking around like a marshmallow, it is time to go fishing. My family typically fishes in shallow water. We normally try to stay in the range of 20-30 feet deep to catch some walleye. Once you find your spot, you have to get it ready. What is a good way to get the perfect ice fishing hole? The standard way to do it is with an auger. You can go all out and get an electric or gas motor, or can go old fashioned style. Now that you have drilled a hole, what is next? You bring out an ice fishing rod and put some bait on it – a minnow will do the trick. Now turn away, vegans (or if you are squeamish). You can puncture two holes through the spine and back out, or you can go through the spine then slightly near the head (no matter who you ask, though, they will have a different technique – trust me on that). Once you have the bait on the hook, you have to make sure you get deep enough to find some fish. You can do that by letting out your line. Once it gets a bit curly or wavy, then you know you are
at the bottom. Stop letting out the line and reel a bit up. Now you just have to sit until you feel that bite. Once you feel a nibble on your line, tip the rod just a little towards the hole to make sure they suck in all your bait. Then, time to set your hook! Make sure you don’t reel in too fast; that’s what my dad and grandfather always taught me. You should reel a bit, then make sure your line is still tight and with the fish still attached. Once you bring the fish out of the hole, it is time to bring the fish off the hook. For some of us, this may be the worst part; for some of us, it is the best part! You want to grab the top fin with the base of your hand to make sure you have a good grip. That way it cannot squirm away! Now time to take it off the line. You can decide to keep it or put it back in the water. Then you keep going! That is the experience of ice fishing, a pretty classic Saskatchewan sport. Go catch some fish. Go take part in an outdoor sporting activity and tell us all about it next issue. The Carillon would love to hear about it!
Glenna Haug via Unsplash
MILF: Man I love fishing!
Sleeping week (I mean reading week) Don’t tell my professors I slept all week instead of studying amina salah staff writer
Reading week? More like sleeping week! When I was in my first year of university, I genuinely used reading week as an opportunity to read and prepare ahead of the semester. Now, in my final year, I can’t be bothered with this nonsense. My philosophy is that the semester will be busy whether I read ahead or not. I like to use reading week as an opportunity to rest because I know that once classes start again, I will be swamped. It is important for me that I take this time off as a chance to paint, do some yoga, knit, and catch up on all of my favorite shows or re-watch my comfort shows for the 80th time.
I can’t begin to emphasize how important it is to rest. This will aid you in letting your mind, body, soul, and brain rest instead of working overtime on survival mode. Without rest, it is difficult to do anything. Athletes take rest days. Body builders take time to rest after training. Rest is necessary for our survival. I have made sure to get as much sleep as I possibly can and to focus on my health and nourishing my body because I know that when school starts, I will be unable to sleep as much I would normally want to. Reading week has also been a time for me to make hearty, healthy meals and indulge when I want to. Since in-person classes are starting very soon, I have used this time to work on setting healthy habits that
will make the transition to in-person classes easier; one of these habits has been meal prepping. I am the type of person who can eat the same meal for an entire week and still be happy. I don’t like to think about what I will eat or what I need to cook day-to-day. Thus, I like to prepare my meals ahead of time so that I can focus on the important things I need to do. As students, it is very easy for us to forget to nourish our bodies. It is easy to forget to eat or to forget to take our medications and vitamins. However, it is important to figure out a way where you can remember to do the things that are good for your well-being. Reading week for me has been a time for re-establishing those habits in my life so that the semester goes by
seamlessly. I want to build a strong foundation so that I will be able to deal with the difficult things that are coming my way, such as papers, midterms, tests, presentations, and exams. As a result, I have made it an effort to set some rules for myself that will aid me in returning back to in person classes. One thing I have been doing to prepare for the transition to in person classes during reading week has been going on walks. I know, I know. Who one earth would want to go outside in the dead of winter, let alone for a walk?! It is absurd to think about. However, I find that walking is one of the healthiest ways for me to get some exercise in. It is how I get my steps in. Walking allows me to bask in the beautiful scenery, to feel the clean,
crisp air as I walk. It allows me to explore my city and my neighbourhood. Walking reminds me to be mindful of the things that are important to me. It reminds me to take some time every day to take care of myself. All in all, reading week has been a much-needed blessing. I have slept well, eaten well, exercised, and taken care of my mind, soul, and body. For that, I am grateful. It is a privilege for me to be healthy during the pandemic, and that is something that I make sure to never forget. To be alive, healthy, and breathing is a privilege that we must always be grateful for – there are many who wish to be in our shoes.
Shane via Unsplash
This could’ve been us, but we were studying.
