Lake Winnipeg since its birth 8000 years ago, has been a great provider of fresh water fish. The early Icelandic settlers took advantage of this fact, and continue to fish the lake to this day. The lakes 9000 square miles of water is also known because of its hour glass design for a type of tide. This occurs when high winds move water from the South basin to the North basin and vice versa. The movement with its resulting currents, caused the early fishermen many problems in anchoring their nets. Sometimes the nets were lost, resulting in unnecessary expense in replacement costs. At this point in time, the basic method of anchoring the nets was to find a large boulder or large stone. This could usually be found easily along the shore or in the fields. A rope was then wrapped around the stone. They were then loaded in the flat bottomed skiff and moved to a position on the lake where the nets were to be set. A long rope was now tied to the rope on the stone with the other end tied to the net. A very time consuming and physical process. At the end of the fishing season the nets had to be taken ashore. Rather than trying to lift the anchor off the lake bottom, the rope was simply cut. Of course this meant leaving a long and expensive manilla rope in the water. In order to eliminate this loss of expensive rope, a young fisherman by the name of Tryggvi Jonasson invented an anchor line cutter. This cutter could be submerged to the stone anchor at the bottom of the lake. One snip and the anchor rope was cut free.

The major problem of anchoring the nets with boulders was still there. A solution to the time involved in procuring then transporting the stone anchors had to be found. To this end in 1929, two young brothers named Hannes and Ted Kristjanson then 16 and 14 years of age assisted in the solution. They solicited the services of a local blacksmith named Jakob Sigurgeirson to make their anchor out of steel. This meant the anchor could be used, retrieved and used again. Jacob was up to the task. He was one of four sons of a Lutheran Minister from Iceland. The whole Sigurgeirson clan was inventive and industrious. In later years they operated a Lathe Mill on Hecla Island. They also operated several fishing stations, as well as freight boats on the lake.

It should be noted that ships anchors had been around for a long time. However, they had just 2 hooks. Unsuitable to anchor the nets as the strong currents would move them. Ships used heavy anchor chains to hold their anchors in place. Not a practical solution for fishing. Jacob’s idea was to design an anchor with 4 hooks. This revolutionary idea was so successful it is still used to this day. The Kristjanson Brothers entered into an agreement with Jacob to buy 22 anchors. The cost was to be $2.00 an anchor. A large sum of money in those days. Jacob’s work was very distinctive as he put an extra ring on each anchor shaft. The anchors were divided 12 for Hannes as he was older, and 10 for Ted. Why not divide them equally? Well a fisherman will tell you that every net needs 2 anchors.

The anchors were used successfully by the brothers in their fish business for many years. Through mishap of one nature or another only one anchor remained. On my father’s 80th birthday, May 30 1992, his brother presented him with the last surviving anchor. This made the division equal at long last. The anchor was never used again. Becoming instead a footnote to the passing parade of the Lake Winnipeg fishing industry.

Ken Kristjanson
June 2013