If there was ever any doubt that ice fishermen are a cultured and inventive breed, that was quashed just a few weeks in the past when Vaughn Murray parked an ice-fishing limousine on the Wet River. Positioned close to the Freeway-11 bridge that connects the cities of Baudette, Minnesota, and Wet River, Ontario, the ice-fishing limo is now out there for each day leases and it will likely be parked on the ice for the rest of the season.
The 1994 Lincoln limousine will simply accommodate 4 anglers, and it has all of the creature comforts {that a} devoted ice fisherman requires: an electrical heater, a built-in bar, and 4 10-inch holes within the ground. Murray rents it out for $100 per day (Canadian {dollars}, or $78.32 USD), and that worth contains fishing rods and minnows. Anglers can entry the limo by Murray’s home, because the car is parked roughly 100 yards off his dock. Because it’s on the Canadian aspect of the river, you’ll want a sound Ontario fishing license if you wish to drop a line.
Murray, who’s lived on the Ontario aspect of the Wet for the previous 32 years, says he’s lengthy had his eye on the used limousine that was parked over in his neighbor’s yard. It wasn’t till this fall, after his neighbor bought the place, that he approached the brand new proprietor and the limo got here up in dialog.
“I mentioned, ‘How a lot you need for it?’ and he mentioned, “Get it out of my yard and it’s yours,” Murray explains. “So, I simply drove it over right here. The reverse has gone out however ahead nonetheless works.”
By the point the river had a very good 12 inches of ice constructed up, Murray’s challenge was taking form. He drilled by the ground, used a Sawzall to chop 4 10-inch holes, and dropped some plastic sewer pipe by the holes. Then he plowed a small highway from his dock to the river and parked the four-wheeled shanty out on the ice. He says the limo’s only a brief stroll from his dock, the place he spends a very good chunk of the yr catching walleye.
“You wouldn’t consider it, and I’m not bullshitting you right here. However I’ve in all probability caught 15,000 walleye off my dock within the 32 years years I’ve been right here,” Murray says. “Spring and fall fishing right here is simply loopy.”
Murray then spruced up the place with just a few Elvis Presley posters and a few classic Jim Beam bottles. He put in an electrical heater, which is powered by an extension wire related to his home. (He explains that he normally pre-heats the Lincoln with a propane heater after which makes use of the electrical heater to maintain it heat.)
Within the brief time that he’s had the limo open for enterprise, he’s already had a number of teams reserve the limo for the day. Most of them come from close by, he says, however in latest weeks he’s been getting much more cellphone calls from events in different elements of Canada and the U.S. He refers to his new enterprise as “Fu-ken-eh Limousine Ice Fishing,” however he says pronunciation is essential.
“All you Individuals say it fallacious,” he jokes. “It’s FOO-ken-eh. You shouldn’t be swearing once you pronounce it.”
“We simply can’t consider the way it’s blown up. He’s been on the cellphone all weekend,” says Murray’s spouse, Melanie. “It began out as form of a joke. I used to be like, ‘Yeah, yeah, simply do it to maintain your self busy,’ as a result of winters are fairly lengthy and we haven’t been capable of journey.”
She says they’re now in the midst of constructing an Airbnb on the property. And who is aware of? The Murrays would possibly even discover one other limo and switch Fu-ken-eh right into a full-fledged fishing lodge. North American anglers are at all times on the lookout for the following latest place, and like Murray says, “No person’s each fished out of a limousine earlier than, eh?”
