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EACHING chiliren to fish

is a pood idea if for no

other reason than it gives

them an opportunity to fas-
ten on lo something wild.

Most kids get started with a worm; nol
a bad idea given the strong appetite fish
of all kinds have for garden tackle. In
fact,.the hunt for the best worm of all,
the elusive night crawler, can be great
sport in itself.

The earthworm makes a dandy leach-
ing tool because it must be threaded,
writhing in silent protest, upon a sharp
hook,

Beginning fisherkids are going to
want to kill their catches. Impaling a
worm is good preparation for the blood
and gore that is sure to follow.

I've found that really small kids aren’t
quite as squeamish as grade schoolers.

Last year I took advantage of the new
regulation for pink salmon in Skeena.
_As I cleaned the catch under the garden

“tap my small daughter, then four years
old, squatted near me fascinated as |

. methodically removed the guts from the
salmon.

A day later our Kiichen was full of.

wonderfully wild, anatomically detailed
+ if not quite correct.-- fish paintings.
-done in vivid watercolour.
Overseeing the first fish caught was
: something I did with all four of my
kids.
_ Ineach case I first asked them if they
wanted it, In each case they did. I
_ Showed them all how to dispatch their
catch with a quick blow to the brain,
then I insisted they kill the next one.
.. There is an important lesson in preda-
: tion“heré, an introduction to life and

death and the natural cycles spinning

“wound all of us. ;

~ Another: worm virlue., ip: it-makes~for.
“Bret. fisting. Kids soon lose Interest
whet” ‘the action is‘‘slow,: But, sadly,

ee

“worm. fishing: is endangered dus to ~

‘ depleted! fish stacks, over crowding and
heathens’ whose flagrant abuse of
‘regulation leads to more stringent rules
‘for the rest of us, .

To combat the dampening effect of
“worm restriction I’ve taken to trolling
. flies from a boat. It’s turned out to be an
“excellent way to keep the interest level
‘up between bites. This is especially so
in’ those wonderfully long spring and
summer svenings when crepuscular
-creatures like dats and beaver and mus-
. cular creatures like bears become ac-

tive.

-_Once a child’s interest in angling is
_aroused and they are old enough to deal

with some of the problems rivers set,”

it’s time to entertain thoughts of hunting
‘fish. .

“Still fishing from shore is too tedious
and inactive, Kids like action They

learn at light speed when the desire to”

learn is present. At this point'a child
must.learn where fish are, how water
runs and how to navigate the runs and

" rifles,
For this reason float fishing Is ideal.
Spoons 3 and spinners are simply too ex-
pensive and too frustrating, With a float

and a rubber worm -- you will be

amazed at how effective these latex

wrigglers are -- a few split shot and.-

foam or balsa float, junior will soon be
finding fish. ’

‘Float fishing requires a fair degree of.

casting skill, especially when done with

]> asingle action casting reel, For this rea-

son it makes a nice intermedlary step to
the next level of the sport, fly fishing,

‘. And you should teach your son or
dager how to fly fish, and if you
“don’t know how, learn with them.

There is a lot of bullwool written’.

. about the mystique, of flyfishing.
Granted, flyfishing, like any crafty art,
is something you never master; Every
day I go to the stream I learn something
new. |

But leaming how to chuck a fly thirty
feet and hook a fish is not a giant deal.
And the whole process his been made
considerably. easier thanks to How-To
videos ‘ covering every aspect: of the
sport from casting to reading the water,

The paraphernalia “of flyfishing -

-waders, rod, reel, line -- can all be had
“for the equivalent cost of a pair of kids’

+ Skis, and: there. is no need to buy day.

- passes, arctan

“In comparison to "most ather sports,
_flyfishing is downright cheap,

The people who will save the natural
“world will be those wito remain ‘at-

“tached to ‘it Flyfishing - angling” in”

” general, for (hat matter -- is a very good:
wey' to make and keep that attachment,

af wt

Bary

WALK, JOG OR RUN

- The Terrace Standard,

Wednesday, May 5 5, 1993 - Page C1

‘Classic’ biggest event of its kind

The countdown is on for the 1993
running of the Kermodel Classic,

But running is not the only way to
complete the lkm, Skm, or 10km
courses,

Walkers and joggers are more than
welcome and in fact organizer Ed
Ansems of the Skeena Valley Runners
club says he'd like to see a lot more of
them coming out this year.

Formerly known as the Spring Run,
the Saturday, May 29 event is now in
its sixteenth year and draws the
largest entry of any such event in the
northwest, he noted.

Last year, approximately 100 young-
sters set out on the 1km while close to
200 students and adults tackled the
5km and 10km courses.

Ansems stressed the Kermodei is
meant to be a family affair with the
emphasis om mass participation and

everyone having a good time.
Aimed at the younger participants,
the lkm starts at 10 am, from the

bandshell in George M. Little
Memerial Park, next to the public li-
brary.

The entry is $3 -- necessary to cover
liability insurance -- but for that there
are ribbons in various age classifica-
tions and spot prizes.

The starting gun for the Skm and
10km goes off at noon on the 4600
block of Lakelse.

The entry fees for under-20
participants in those events is $11.

For those 20 years and older, the
entry varies depending om when they
register. Before May 15, the cost is
$13, after that but prior to race day is
$17 and on the day it will cost $20.

However, Ansems pointed out, all
competitors in the Skm and 10km pet

an attractive ‘T-shirt bearing the
Kermodei emblem (sec logo at right).

There is also an awards banquet at
the Coast Inn of the West that eve-
ning, tickets costing $15.

Turn up at the banquet and you also
have a chance to win one of the many
spot prizes being handed out, includ-
ing a trip for two to Vancouver,

For those who had taken part in the
run last year, Ansems emphasized this
time there would be NO automatic
mail out of entry forms.

Anyone wanting to enjoy the Classic
again should pick up a form at either

All Seasons Sports on Lakelse or the.

Skeena Valley Triathlon office in the
Skeena Mall.

Serious runners should note the
Classic is the third in this season’s six
races that can bring points in the new-
ly introduced Northwest Running

Short on time, long on

-KERMODEICLASSIC -
i

Series, ;

Those wanting to vic for the iltle in
one of the Series’ nine categories and
who missed the earlier races had bet-
ter make sure they’re in the Kermodel
Classic. ‘

That’s because the Series winners
are decided based on the points earned
in the runners’ best four results.

talent

It’s got to be one of the shortest
seasons around.

Having played their first match just 12
days ago, Skeena Jr. Secondary golfers
only have another 10 days before. they
tee off in the zone playoffs.

And the 1993 season did not get off to
ihe best of starts as far as match play ex-
perience was concemed,

Coach Gerry Comerford sald damage
sustained by the greens at the Prince
Rupert golf course this winter meant
temporary greens had to be set up at
every hole.

“*That’s not a good test for them,”
Comerford pointed out.

However, Skeena handled the condi-
‘ions as well as anyone, the Terrace
quartet coming in just a couple of strokes

_| shy of Smithers.

Skeena were looking to reverse ‘that
result this past weekend and j in Smithers’
own back yard.

A win there would provide | a
psychological boost since Smithers have

ditionally been the team to bel in the
ZONES.

Comerford said that’s itkely stil going
to be the case this year, particularly with
Prince Rupert having divided their
potential by building a second high
school.

However, he added, the Skeena crew
has talent. ““They are potentially very
good,”

And that’s good news for Clayton
Lioyd-Jaones over at Caledonia because
those players will be moving up to the
senior schoo] next year. “‘Cal” will
benefit for the next two years, ” Com-
erford said.

But for right now, Skeena golfers will
be concentrating on this Saturday's
home sland; their last chance for match
play against zone rivals before the May
14-15 showdown.

Where the zones will be held is still up
in the air, Comerford said. Originally set

1 for Prince Rupert, the condition of. the

greens there has forced a change af
venue.

Comerford hoped Kitimat would be
selected as the replacement venue. Ex-
plaining the preference, he said the
provincials would be held at the River-
shore club in Kamloops, ‘a long, tough

course’,

Therefore, the northwest zone team,
whoever they might be, necded to get
some practice in on a more challenging
course and the Hirsch Creek facility fit
the bill.

SPRING SHOWERS weren't about to keep local gol-_ and Country Club course on Saturday. Above, Dawn ,

fers from enjoying a circuit of the Skeena Valley Golf Parker putts vut to end her round.

Tee-off time for this Saturday’s match
is 1 p.m. at the Skeena Valley Golf and
Country Club in Thornhill.

Gymnastic club lays off coach

Budget problems have forced the
Peaks Gymnasile club to lay off onc of
ils two coaches.

Scott Hanley, a graduate of Seneca
College in Ontario, was hired last spring
along wilh ex-Peaks gymnast and fellow
Seneca grad Kim Fairless,

A fully certified Level III coach in
men’s and women’s gymnastics, Hanley
is also a Level [V judge.

He was a judge at last month’s Provin-
cial ‘A’ Boys championships in Van-
couver.

Hanley said his work with Peaks in-
cluded developing a pre-competilive pro-
gram and coaching vaull and bars in the
girls’ programs,

However, the club told him in late Feb-'
ruaty they could no longer afford. him
and were laying him off indefinitely, °

Hanley. sald: he had ‘recently. asked
about the possibilities of-geiting back on. th
in the future bul was- told ot ‘doesn’t is

look good.”
th

president Ken Earl said the problem was
the club had not becn able to establish its
planned schools program.

That proposal would have seen slu-
dents reccive. training from Peaks
coaches as.parl of the school’s physical
education program.

. Although the ‘suggested cost of $8 per
child por session was-less than ‘a third

what would be charged. on the Lower

Mainland, Earl said the school . district
decided it coutda’t afford it. -’

low original projections, -

As for the boys program Hanley had ©

been handling; Earl said theré simply
“isn’t enough money to leach it as {l is,"?

- The program had enjoyed: considerable -
- success last year. Recalling only nine
' boys had tegistered for the August sum- «
mer I camp, De oe sald: 23 took. part ‘in.
7 ~ start his own club locally. °

ct, E z t Figure

: “move: on. in. order to. pursue ‘his gym-. 7
declined: shel since, with only four.or-

five boys still in the program.

Coaching of those left was now being
handled by some of the girls who had
come up through the club's programs.

Although (he club boasted its largest
registration ever -- 140 -- last fall, he
polnted out the fall programs were usual
ly more popular,

At this time of year, however, with
compelition from other sports such as
minor ball and soccer, the numbers

: - lended to fall off.”
Therefore, club revenue had fallen be- ‘

Earl sald current club membership was:
down to 100..

-; As for Hanley’ 5 plans now, tlic New-_
foundlander said he Ilkes the ‘Terrace
area and would like to stay. -

He was therefore now looking for work
here. If successful in: that search, he was
also. considering the long-term. ‘pos-

_ Sibility of saving up enough money. to

- JE. not, however, “he would’ have: 10

nastics career, ae