] d ~Anadian. Country and Western: . bobs. . distress pow around on the lake. Until last year the — place was paradisiacal, they say; fish every-_ . - _ where ja lot of large ones and very litile pres- pure: fo | We stay a ‘day. Before leaving I have a drink ROB — Access takes toll HE TREES get smaller, the tree line is’ closer, the evenings get longer as we pass Meziadin, wind through the valley of the Bell-- Irving. and pass through the Ningunsaw Pass. If it wasn’t 59 wet and cold we could spread the ‘paper out on the picnic table at the campsite and read about. Bosnia, or the latest developments in ~ a pair of | hideous tials, or find out how the Yankees' did against the Reds. During the-day the procession of recreational vehicles carrying pilgtims to Alaska is constant; late in the afternoon it ends leaving the highway to transports and us. We move steadily north past Iskut where only twenty-five years ago its inhabitants moved from place to place on foot or gn horse. This country was isolated then, says Webb, accessible only by plane or by road_ from Alaska. He prospected here then, The scenery is expansive and thick and green, humming with insects, full of animals: on our first evening, before the weather became chur- Hish and started snarling at us, we saw a moose _ wade to its knees to tear plants from the muddy lake bottom, Later a black bear rolled out of the’ thick brush, then slid into the water for a swim. The eagles are still there. So arc the ospreys. One of the bigger birds plucks a trout from just under the surface then flips on its back in mid alr baring its talons to fend off the smaller, noisier bird. Ducks paddle about. The counter- point of songbirds Spreads out over the landscape like soft rain. It’s nice to be back on a favourite lake ‘after the passage of a year, good to find the trout still . abundant, still healthy:and strong, good to find _ the land around the lake still intact. : We don’t stay long, though. If you're in that country, we'd been told more than once, you’ve got to fish Morchuea Lake. More-chew-wa was how they pronounced it. A place of big, exciting. fish, animals that appeal to the boy ina . fisherman, Webb had passed by it once, years _ 880, on his way to Dease Lake to canoe. He |, looked at the place, saw that it was large but not “ag the kind of water that grew big. trout. He liked the fact that you had to carry your boat zt half mile if you wanted to fish. We are dying to get acquainted with Morchuea trout, eager to “show them deer hair dragons, slim-waisted damsel nymphs, . iridescent shrimp, and the -- small half backs that fill our wallets, , We find the road. We find it goes straight to * rough and tumble campsites carved by chain saws out of land right next to the lake. * “Hey, how ya doin’ partner?) a heavy man, _ friendly, surrounded by friends, looking’ like ‘Buddha clad in green work dothes calls out to _us, his voice rolling over the; top of French Ca- music like a forty ~ gallon drum falling off: the back of-a’ pickup | truck and bouncing over sage. Fire, glistens on the glass of bottles covering al] but a corer of plywood table. We wave; We hope the music . “will end soon. We walk/ to the edge of Mor- chuea, to a graveled boat launch framed by lily pads. A poor augerys, fish heads and entrails lie on the bottom. An, eripty. can of insecticide The next noming de troll the edge of the weeds past a sprawling beaver lodge that must be twelve feet high..My rod dips sharply. The reel thumps against the bottom of the boat. After a short, lethargic struggle Thave a fat trout of more than three:pounds in the net. Webb and TL agree itcould be a good morning. An hour later Doug hauls i in a twin. Two hours after that | something big ‘snaps his leader, then it’s over, We can’t catch gother fish. There are very few fish breaking ihe surface. On the way. tack to.shore we meet a ‘couple ‘from Axizona,/She has a boyish bob, wears army clothes, '& t-shirt the colour of cow dung . -and the panisjpf a a paratrooper. Her eyes are far “away, cowermg at a distance after many beat- old, with graying hair. He paddies, he says, while she/fishes. They hope to settle in Alaska “ where is will practise part time, This, they tell us, is their eighth year at Morchues. They are by the road and the number of boats “with Buddha. “It’s dem beaver,’? he tells me. be’ good "agali,” oop Dey. build damg.and trout day get trapped, In. ye de: inter the" *fisin’ - a ao: ee Inv season, coming ing a relay gold, Leading the. assault was Tristan Brown who finaled in all eight of his events, set per- sonal bests in ail but. one and came home with four medals. ““It was definitely his meet,’’. - said coach Mike Carlyle, noting Brown had swum the 1500m Free the first day and been a little sore for the re- mainder of the meet, Brown clipped a half second New champs emerge at Jr. BOTH DEFENDING champions fell mere strokes short of the double at this year’s Skeena Valley Junior Golf Open. In the race for the overall low gross title, Devon Van- Hulle shot a 36-hole 151 to hold off *94 winner Tyler Gib- son by three strokes. Gibson had to settle for top spot in the championship flight with... Mike Vandermeulen, the 93 champ, two back and just a stroke clear of Kitimat’ S David Ven- "man. In the overall low net race, Brian Rigler’s. 137 tally brought him home two clear of last year’s titlist, Scott Rigler. Rigler took the championship flight low net by a:comfortable five strokes from'David Kozier with David Venman of Kitimat third at 146. . ‘A’ flight low gross honours went to Brent Mailloux (182) with Travis Tait edging out Adam Spensley for second in a pack finish that saw four golfers finish within six strokes of each other. Simon Hilcove had four to spare on the ‘A’ low net side . where Willie Sexton beat: out Adin Bennett for the runner- up spot by a single stroke. _ And ia the “B’ Flight Sean Casper took low gross wilh low net going to Matt Ken- nedy. The Junior was the last of this season’s Opens but Skeena Valley golfers still have their club championships to look forward to. _ off his previous best on the way to a silver in the 50m Free, then chopped off a full second in the 100m Free to collect a bronze. Noting Brown will age up. before the next provincial championship, Carlyle said the two personal, medals were a. ‘great bow out’’ from the 11- 12 years division. - His other gongs came in the relay events where. Bluebacks teamed with other members of ‘the Points North squad, Although Points North knew they had a strong 11-12 year. old group, Carlyle admitted - CHIP SHOT. Brian Rigler lays one up close to the pin on his way to the overall - _ low net title at the Skeena Valley Junior Open. Devon VanHulle took the low | grass. coe _ Bluebacks make an impact | - BLUEBACK swimmers put fogether a great finish to an | ‘excellent home from the ‘AAA’ provin- -, cials with eight medals includ- some surprise at the ease with which they took gold in the . ‘medley relay. With fellow Blueback . Bryan Palahicky having swum the breaststroke - leg, anchor Brown © pulled away over: the last 50m to open up a Winning margin of © more than a second, And Bluebacks made up three-quarters of the team in the Free relay, Kyle Nartz and Dylan Evans joining Brown as - they landed a bronze. The final relay medal came ‘in the 13-14 years boys med-: ley, a result Carlyle said Points North. didn’t really ex- = Count down on : YOUTH SOCCER fans are looking forward to tak- ing In some skilled and entertaining play during - «Riverboat. Ivan when the local association stages. tational tournament, 4 Aug 5-6. CA a e's ‘Sport Scope | pect. But with Chris Kerman. ‘and Garth Coxford at the top . -of their stroke and Palahicky, - bumping up an age group, . showing his sprinting skill, the squad came away with: a bronze. -Kerman and ‘Coxford also. picked up individual medals at - the meet. Having just. missed out: ‘on. finals during the short course season, Kerman was expected to turn that around: this: time.. “But we weren’t sure- about:a™ medal, ” Carlyle added. Cont'd on n page BS. ~ Days sporting ‘events: (635-9508), ‘chairers. "There ‘wil a The start tak teak Pollock outguns RCMP _ TERRACE ROD-and Gun member Glenn Pollock: topped the individual honours at this year’s Kermodei Cup. match . held at the Thormbill rifle range." — ; Pollock: finished ‘with’a 536° score; edging out Kitimat af R&G’s Jim Manson by. three points. Prince Rupert RCMP... 0" member Brian Burke settled for third with 529, However, the coastal detachment put together a: ‘winning effort in the steam event, Burke, Russ Ness and Eric Montepetit tallying - 520 to beat out the Kitimat R&G by eight points. : - "The Terrace Rod and Gunners (Pollock, Ed Mortis, Terry " Morris, Mike Lee and Pierre LaRoss) finished fourth: with: the Terrace RCMP (John Daley, Lothar. ‘Bretfeld and: ‘Liz Bretfeld) taking up the rear. 7 a Reedy: to run a xmile ’ THE SENIORS Mile will once sean be highlight of. Riverbidat \ ‘And don’t let the:nanie: foo! you. — ie 8 an event for all, \ The name'simply denotes it’s the local Senior Games group that’s ~ organizing it, You can exiter by paying a'$25 entry fee or going -outand collécting pledges for more than that-figure. Piedge sheets ~ can be picked: up at Northern Healthcare or by phoning: Francis (635-7274), Betty Nordstrom (635-8352) or Bud Kirkaléy . There “are. four age: cltegories from tinder-15: to, over55: with divisions’ for males ‘and females, runners, walkers and wheel be trophies and cash prizes for the winners "plus ai? participants have a chance to Win ini a draw to be held the end of the rice. "There will also be'a $50 ‘collecting the most money it Pledges, ef, ‘Bvelyn nh