Ice fishing fans urged to wait

Ice fishing fans urged to wait Anglers anxious to plumb the depths of their favourite fishing holes are being advised to sit tight until Old Man Winter blesses area lakes with a generous sheet of ice. "None of the lakes are safe right now, none of them at all," Sgt. Dave Fletcher, of the OPP's Traffic and Marine section, said this week. According to Fletcher, a stretch of mild weather at the end of December caused rapid melting across the region. That's reason enough to stay clear of local water bodies, he warns. Heavy snowfalls only aggravate the situation by insulating what little ice has formed, preventing it from thickening to a safe depth, he said. "It all depends on the weather," he added. Though still early in the season, police have already reported one lake-related death involving a snowmobiler, who died after plunging into open water on Orr Lake. If past years are any indication, others are sure to follow, Fletcher said. "That is a fairly significant contributing factor to snow-machine fatalities every year," he added.01/07/05 00:00:00