.SKEENA ANGLE ROB BROWN ESPITE THE fact that in the last two decades it has nol reached what is held to be its target escapement . of square tails, the Dean River is the quintessential steelheading experience for. most of the fishing world. Nat that many years ago the Doctors and their assistants at what was then called the Ministry of the Environment’s Fish and Wildlife Divi- sion Were alerted to troubling symptoms in their patient by the small, but decidedly vocal, provincial steelheading fraternity. The patient - was given a thorough physical exam. The charts were clear: the growth in resident angling pres- sure was slow and steady while the curve map- Ping the invasion of what the Ministry is fond of calling non-resident aliens was steep. In a remarkably short time the professional team came up with a diagnosis and a grim prog- nosis. The efforts of packers and the diminution ‘of steclheading opporiunilies elsewhere were two factors Icading to the dreaded disease called crowding, If something wasn’t done — and done soon! — the Dean would be overrun, To top quality angling, crowds are anathema. The palliative prescribed by the Ministry of En- vironment Team was the Guide Management Policy. To foreigners the new system was a bit- ter pill since it ensured the province's rivers would be classified and a fee schedule set. _' The proposed fees were considerably higher for the alien angler than for the resident fisher, - who had only to pay a loonie over and above his regular license fees for the privilege of fishing a stream deemed to have class oneness. The : _Babine,: Gitnadoix,. Sustut, and the middle.and - — “upper stretches of ‘the: Zythoetz, were given this” first class designation along with the Dean. For non-residents, access to first class streans would be 20 Canuck Bucks while $10 would now buy a day on ‘class two rivers like the ' Kispiox and the Bulkley. With the imposition of these regulatory adjustments came a great howl, principally from American anglers. who had_ fished our best rivers for next to nothing for so long they’d come to expect the country bump- kins living to the North of them would happily go on selling their fishery for little more than it costs to'ride a city bus, Eventually the whining subsided as men who cheerfully parted with thousands of dollars for fishing gear came to the conclusion that the price of a box of beer was not an unreasonable amount to pay for the op- portunity to catch one of the world’s great game fishes on one of the world’s preat steams. Another goal of the new policy was to bring some order to the freshwater guiding industry. To this end managers calculated historic use and set aut rod day quotas for all classified rivers. Thus the managers instituted the new regime expecting that protecting quality angling op- portunities and giving some structure to what was essentially an unregulated and loosely defined: industry would help preserve the natural _ character of riverine ecosystems, Over the last four years the policy has done most of what its creators set out to do, but now it has some history it’s time to review. and amend it, especially since angling pressure on. most of our finest steelhead streams appears to be going through another phase of rapid growth, © ~ It’s time to re-examine the definition of Class: One then reclassify many of our streams, elevat- ing some and bringing others into the fold, The Kispiox, for example, was designated class two largely because it did not fulfill the wilderness requirement of the class one definition. Yet its extraordinary steelhead, pastoral sctling, and ac- cessibility make the Kispiox a first class experi- ence to most of the anglers I know, and their. . -opinion is confirmed by the number of nonresi- dentanglers fishing the river. The original rod day quotas given to guides werc based on-lightweight data. We now have a better account of guiding use. Examining these figures within the context of what we know aboul the health of the fisheries will cnable Managers to make needed adjustments to the ‘quotas, many of which, I expect, will have to be revised downward. It’s also time to institute rigorous criteria and a demanding training program for guides and . their assistants. With the safety of clients resting | on their shoulders, requiring a guide to get a first aid ticket and take an outdoor course in- cluding boating skills secms little to ask, Given the emphasis of the policy on the preservation of high quality fishing op- portunities and the ‘inexorable growth in.” demand for those opportunitics, it is inevitable that some time in the near future all nonresident aliens will require guides, as they do on the top salmon streams in. New Brunswick. In the | mcaatime we residents will be forced to some kind of loltery ‘system similar to that hunters ©: must endure if we want to ‘fish our best streains. It's the price we’ll have to pay for quality. al girls seek financial assist ING: FOR the return, ; Thorntall Grade’ 8-Boys: attempt to stem the: Rainmaker tide: ~ in round robin action at’ Saturday’s volleyball tournament held at Caledonia. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to ‘stop the Prince Rupert juggernaut which took the game 15°5. Ice use fees likely to rise” LOCAL SKATERS can brace themselves for another in- crease next year in the ice rental rates at the Terrace arena.” Councillors: at” Friday’s recreation committee. meeting said it would be better to in- clude small increases this year for both youth and adult users than to let the rates lose ground against inflation. To keep them the same, said finance: committee chairman’ David Hull, would force coun- | cil to jack the fees sharply some day — repeating the public outcry that happened early this year when council tried to impose a steep in- crease. : Hull: suggested. increasing youth ice rentals from $45 an hour to $50, For adult fees, he suggested boosting the present $100 fee. to at least $110 an hour. “4 ‘Even $120 wouldn't be out of hand to be honest,” he said.” Hull said $120 split between two teams isn’t that much. **A proup of 20 of so men probably spend a lot more than that on the beverages after. wards,’” he said. “The political ‘climate ‘is: right now,”’ Hull added, ‘All these: people skating’ are the exact same onés pushing for a $3 million sheet of ice.” | Thornhill representative _ Peggy. Tulseth’ agreed. “T think | _ we should look at increasing "both somewhat,”’ she said. ~ -committee Recreation chairman Rich McDaniel’ said he leans toward, increasing ~ only adult fees, not youth fees. The matter is to be debated further during ongoing city budget deliberations. : Tl IF ICE user. reaction to talk of arena rate hikes is as chippy as olay i in Saturday? 8: Midget hocke game, council is in for a tough ride. Above, a Terrace Totem Ford attacker gets close. attention from a couple of Hazelton players «uring an ill-tempered third Period ; 7 Mary Heres. CALEDONIA SENIOR girls volleyball team is looking for people to come oul and sup- port them this Sunday, That’s when they take on Skeena Broadcasters in an ex- hibition game staged to raise travel money for the team. Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for students and there will be door prizes. Cal coach Jackie Thomsen said Skeena_ Broadcasters will also be run- ning a campaign challenging local businesses to make dona- tions. The game takes place a at the Cal gym beginning at 3 p.m. The money raised will help send the team to Kelowna for a Nov, 11-12 tournament. “Ill give us extra play and Strong -competition,’”’ said Thomsen, noting: the north- west zone playdowns . take place the following weekend. This year’s 15 player squad includes seven: Grade 12s, ‘‘a strong team,”’ she said, To date, they’ve underlined that strength by winning a tournament” in Kitimat. and dropping only one. of four games in Houston. This past weekend they were in Prince Rupert taking on Charles Hayes, ‘Meanwhile the Caledonia _ boys» yolleyballers ‘are - also ahead in the win-loss column so far this season. ‘The. squad finished 2-1 in Kitimat, then followed that with a 3-1 record in Smithers. The boys are also finding more ‘limited - this: season: with fewer’ northw fern” schools. fi eldin g teams, Sports” Scope _ Bantams blitz Prince Rupert — TERRACE INLAND. Ken-' worth Bantams opened. their Tri-City league season by clobbering Prince Rapert i in successive games, Terrace completely ‘out- played their coast city hosts.to record a 17-2 shelling Oct. 14, then provided more. of. the: same the following day, a 15-2 rout, - 0 Next up for the Bantams i isa double header against Kitimat, opponents who are expected to be a lot tougher. TYSA elects new executive AFTER COUNTLESS years _as head of Terrace Youth Soc- cer, Don Highe has passed on the mantel. David Warner will serve as” president this year while Highe has been persuaded to. remain on the executive: as treasurer. | Bev Butjas will continue & as registrar, ‘Val -Belina is secre-. lary and Bob Petras. returns as statistician, : George’ Butjas will handle coach and. player develop- . ment, Rainer Giannella takes. 2 charge: of referees <° while Blaine Kluss and: Frank Bow- “Sher will look after coaches. * Bowsher is also in charge of “ mini-soccer ‘and - “Kluss: is tournament director: ’ Myrna. Davies and. Paulette 2 Kelly “are. responsible for: “equipment and. fields: ‘with. =. uniforms being looked afte oy iA SECTION c ‘MALCOLM BAXTER 638- 7283 their. choice of ‘opponénts. is’