With the first ice of the we usually need to remind everyone to have all the safety gear incase something happens.  We will go through some of the things we stock at the store to keep everyone dry and on the right side of the ice.

The first item that should be on everyone safety list is an Ice Chisel.  This tool is important to test the ice as you walk out on the ice.  Also very handy to open up holes early season.  We stock the Eskimo Ice Chisel as seen in the picture.

The second item that should be considered is the Ice Safety Picks.  These are crucial if you ever fell through the ice.  These have a spike that you can use to pull yourself back up onto the ice and to safety.  We stock several kinds and in the picture is ones made by Rapala.

A third item is really nice on early ice as it can me smooth and have no snow cover.  Ice Safety Cleats is a must on smooth ice.  We see customers hurt themselves when it could have been prevented by a simple pair of ice cleats.  There are many brands of ice cleats on the market and we stock a few differnt styles.  The one in the picture are Ice Trekkers and are one of our favorites.

Please remember 10cm or 4" of clear ice to walk on.  Watch out for springs and creek mouths as these places will be thinner ice.  Check out this picture from the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC for a guide to safe ice.