B4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 11, 1999 CHRISTIANA WIENS. SKEENA ANGLE ROB BROWN Skeena summers uly is waning. I’m leaning against a log Slicking out of the jam al the top of Ferguson’s Reach, scanning the tiverscape. The land is scarred from the miniature hurricane that whipped down the valley from Terrace then veered off before reaching the coast. Four wounds are visible from nly vantage point: two are high on the mountains next to White Bottom Creek: there are two more on the ridges east of there. The hedge of mature cottonwoods across the river has been shorn by the wind: snapped in half like pencils. There is one small logging setting across from me. Ragged and reddish brown, it stands out vividly next to the alder-filled cuts made a decade ago which now appear green and soft and look like steeply sloped golf courses. The sky is gray. The river has dropped a foot in the last few days and cleared. I can wade up to my Knees and still see my boots. This is water elcan enough to catch fish with a fly according to Finlay, who liked to cite Ted Rawlins’ Rule. In fact, it was at just this place, next to this log jam — still intact after enduring high waters every Spring and a couple of floods, including a really powerful one this spring — that I first met Finlay, sitting on one of its gray arms, drinking a pop wilh Ches Lipinsky. For ine the log jam has become a monument to adventure and excitement over the last 15 or so years, This was the place my Dutch friend, Patrick Mersey, using a-smali Atlantic salmon fly, hooked his first stecthead, which he thought was: 20 pounds, but was over 30 — much larger than any Pve caught. It was just below the jam, on a day when chinook were rolling steadily as they shouldered their way upstream, that Dionys de Leeuw, toss- ing a Kitimat spoon in a riffle above the spat where Doug Webb and I were fishing our flies with big two-handed Hardy rods, hooked three of those salmon, The first, a good sized fish, came unstuck near shore; the second, obviously a giant, tan arrow straight on a run that, almost all the way across the river, pecling hundreds of yards of monofilament from Dionys’ screaming Silex reel, before it broke free. The third salmon, a 30-pound male, he killed, Frustrated, as I was, at being un- able to pursue one of these big fish to grab a fly, Dong, who had brought his gear rod just in case, knotted on a Kitimat, made a tong throw to mid- stream and promptly fastened on to one. This was also the place where, on a crisp day, fate one November past, Finlay had a large fish boil under his fly. He brougla the line in to check if everything was running smoothly. It wasn’t. The wind had tied the leader around the shank of his Skinny Skunk making a riffling hitch that nade Fin’s Oy wake across the smovth, shallow pool that was there then. While Finlay undid bis Icader, I put up one of those hairy surface flies I use for steelhead, Fin fished through, smoothly now, but the fish didn’t come back until my hairy bee skated over it whereupon it took throwing off a mighty splash, them burned off downstream. My first thought: steelhead, the first one to take a surface fly in the Skeena, but when the ferocity of the struggle dropped precipitously, 1 knew it was something else. It was a bull trout, with a huge head and pike like markings on its flanks. It was over 10 pounds, and I suspect it was looking for the migrant shrews thal one sces swimming these waters in the fall. The sound of jet boat firing up jolts me from this line of reminiscence. [ look at my watch: 8:30. In moments two boats jet by filled with clients from Komahom Lodge, The predominant colour of the passengers is military green. The boats bristle with rods. [ take out my clip board and note the commencement of their fish- ing on the data sheet. I wonder where they might be headed. The whine of the motors disappears as they do, For the purpose of statistical rigour, we're sup- posed to stay at one site. Shames bar is my site, my office far eight hours a day over the next two weeks, Part of a team of 13 people, I’m to collect data: how many fish are hooked; where in the mouth they’re hooked; what species; if they were killed or released, and their condition upon release; what gear type and meth- odology are being employed by the anglers; the water and weather conditions and any other anec- dotal information we feel may be relevant There isn’t much known about the growing sport fishery on the Skeena bars from Ferry Island to Andesite, so whatever we can provide will be important to future decision making. I finish recording the weather and turbidity and wondcr if 1’ll be fated to spend the next six hours alone, when I hear a deep growl behind me, To be continued next week, TERRACE STANDARD Sports spect A Event: B Event: C Event: Under 14: Under 12: Age 13/14: Age 12: Age 11: Age 10: Age 9; Men’s A Event: Men’s B Event: Men’s Consolation: Mep’s Doubles Women’s Singles: Women’s Doubles; Mixed Doubles: Under 14: Senior’s Mile Riverboat Days results Slo-pitch tournament West Point Rentals Back Eddy Pub North Coast Timber (Prince Rupert) Smithers Blue Angels Kitimat JR Santos Rudon Enterprises Ltd. Harbour Air {Prince Rupert) Riverboat Days soccer challenge Terrace Under 14’s, first Terrace Under 13’s, second Bulkley Valley, third Terrace, first Prince Rupert, second Bulkley Valley, third First Annual Soap Box derby Mait Kelly, first Stephen Simmons, first Ryan Fiddler, second Erik Olson, third Brianna Kelly, first Calen Findlay, second Kyle Howard, third Kassandra Beaupre, first Reggie Moffat, second Skyler Howard, third Devin Udsen, first Shylin Daigneault, second Philip Canaday, third Tennis tournament Over 55 Run: Join Dewacht, men’s first Ines Lopez, ladies first Over 55 Walk: Maxine Smallwood, first Delores Kuechle, second 41-55 Run: Maggie Bradley 15-40 Run: - Kim MacDougall Under 15 Run: = Alexander MacDougall Under 15 Walk: C.J. MacDougall Richard Kricg! 6-3, 6-1 Dan Kolai a Jesse Santos 6-2, 6-1 Andrew Brown Bob Tucceri default Roy Vic Richard Krieg!, D. Faria 6-2, 6-1 ‘Dan Kotai;3\Lafontaine |)! Erna Motshilnig -: Melita Bracken E. Motshilnig, M. Bracken 6-0, 6-3 Dee Jennion, Diane Cey Richard Kriegl, Melita Bracken Norm Lee, Diane Cey Barry Minhas +. WHOOPS: The Terrace boys Under 11 team wrestled Prince Rupert for control of the ball at Christy Park Saturday, July 30, Terrace beat teams from Ketchican, Kitimat, Smithers and Prince Rupert to take two age group finals Riverboat weekend. _ Lafontaine lost to Richard Krieg] and Dav jae Pa ok het ay WAY TO REACH FOR IT: Dan Kotai lunges for the ball during the men's doubles finals at the Halliwell tennis courts Sunday afternoon. Kotai and Jeremy we SROSEPAL RINE St id Zaria 6-2, 6-1 in the men’s final. COOL CAT: Prince Rupert's Marey Garrecht of the Breakers Brewers strides home during a game against JR Santos of Kitimat at Riverside field Sunday, Aug. 1. Breakers took a 7-4 lead at the bottom of the third inning but the Brewers eventually lost to give Kitimat the silver medal In the B-event final. ON YOUR MARK: Constable Kurt Grabinsky made these sure future Stock car drivers at Riverboat Days' first ever soapbox derby got off to a fair start. Forty-two races, mast of them aged nine and 10 coastad down Park Avanue toward the Li- brary Sunday marning. Each of the carts will be sto until next year's Riverboat Days tournament. red by their individual sponsor