It used to be a traditional winter sight on Prince Edward Island: wooden smelt shacks popping up on the ice in frozen harbours and bays around the Island, then disappearing at the start of spring.
But there aren’t as many of the traditional shacks around these days, and there seem to be a couple of explanations as to where they have gone.
Josh Lea, 49, grew up on the Island and has been fishing smelts since he was a teen. These days, he sets up a pop-up tent on the Hillsborough River near Mount Stewart.
“It’s just a pastime, to be honest with you. It’s just a lot of fun. The kids enjoy getting out and doing it and love to have a feed every now and then,” Lea said. “Nowadays I’m giving them to older people that can’t get out. Once the ice comes, they’re looking forward to that feed of smelts.
