Big sister makes chair for fishing-obsessed brother

Accommodating rod, tackle, net, and a comfy seat, Victoria Lovell’s fishing chair makes the ideal perch for the cottage angler.

The winner of a grade seven chair-design contest at St. Mary’s Academy in Winnipeg, Lovell’s fishy furnishing includes beneath-the-seat tackle storage and broom clips on the back of the chair to hold rod and reel ready for instant use.

“We have a cottage on Lake of the Woods, and my brother, J.P., really enjoys fishing,” said Victoria, 14 at the time. “The idea of having somewhere for him to put his tackle box came to mind. I started thinking about how he could put everything in or on the chair.” (Nine-year-old J.P. “lives and breathes fishing,” according to his mom, Ann. “He sleeps with a Cabela’s catalogue.”)

The heart of the chair is a wooden storage crate Victoria found at a Michaels craft shop. With help from her dad, John, she cut 2x4s for legs and a back support, screwed them in place, and added a ½” plywood lid to the crate, attaching it with cabinet hinges. Plywood slats form the backrest. She finished the chair with two coats of acrylic paint and water-based urethane, to protect it from summer showers. As a final touch, Victoria painted “I ⁄ Fishing” across the seat back.

That gave fish-crazy J.P. “places to put his stuff, so it’s not always in the way,” said -Victoria, who must be one of the nicest big sisters on Lake of the Woods—and maybe on any lake.—Ray Ford

This Great Invention originally ran in Cottage Life June 2009.

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