SKEENA, ANGLER |
ROB BROWN

Trout Travels 15
he pickup crunched to a stop on the

shoulder, A transport truck that Kenny
hadn’t noticed roared past narrowly
missing the side view mirror. It
happened so quickly that Kenny was

unsure whether the fleeting image of

the driver shaking his fist was real.

He forgot why he'd pulled off. He
switched off the signal. Doing so made him
recall the flash. Was it what he thought it was?

He backed up gingerly to the approximate spot

where he’d seen it, then climbed out of the car

-.and waited for.a motor home to pass before
‘making his way across the road.

It was cold. Two minutes into the hunt he
considered returning to the camper for a jacket,

‘but what lay at his feet arrested that idea. He

reached down, and picked up a fishing rod, a
decent red; a Hardy 10/10 wearing a matching
Hardy Silex with its handle bent, but otherwise
undamaged, Because its owner had lashed the
two sections together with leather strips, the rod
was still intact.

- Kenny scanned the area. There was no
clue as to how the rod had found its way to the
ditch. He trotted back across the road and
stowed it in the camper before racing for the
warmth of the cab.

Ten minules later he was still chilled as
he passed a sign begging him to leave the
highway for Lytton, “The Hottest Place in
Canada.”

He passed up the Skihist Campground, it
being ‘too early in the afternoon; and*not far
enough from Yale, to stop yet. Wind shook the
truck on the sleep hills.

Kenny’s eyes were drawn time and time
again to the corrugated escarpment of the
Scarred Range. The slanted shafts of the
afternoon sun brilliantly lighted the rusted
yellow rock. His line of sight followed the rock
walls to where the Thompson gnawed at their
footings.

Kenny wouldn't have stopped at Goldpan
either if he hadn't noticed a line of fishermen
working the water there.

He turned off the highway and drove as
close to the river as the road allowed, parked
and watched them. They were fishing bait
suspended by large cork floats.

_ The men huddled in their jackets. Some
wore gloves, others quickly stuck their free
hands into their pockets after casting. Nobody
was playing a fish.

There was no fly friendly water here, but
Kenny couldn't resist the impulse to wet a line.
He made his way back to the camper and
assembled the Hardy.

He didn’t have bait but he had bright
flies, lots of them. After assembling the rod, he
pulled out his winter box and plucked a Polar
Shrimp from its clip. A fake prawn with the
color of roe, il was appropriate.

After knotting it on, he slipped into his

‘Miners and trotted down to where the line was
now only three fishermen long.

It was obvious from the way the second
and third angler from the end eyed the first man
that the preferred position was at the head of the
line.

After a bemused glance at Kenny’s fly,

the last man offered him some roe. His name

was Wally, he said, and in short order Kenny
learned how many kids the man had, their ages,
thal the guy tuned pianos for a living and had

‘ once tuned one for Glenn Gould, who stuck

thumb tacks in the hammers when the work was
done.
Kenny wanted to tell to him about his

find beside the Canyon Highway but the man

talked incessantly,

When the head angler left,
assumed the spot, hesitated momentarily, then
continued where he'd left off.

He cast automatically, almost ignoring
his float. As he leaned close to Kenny to
emphasize a particularly important point, the
big bobber went under then popped up again. On

‘the next cast the float was yanked down again.

The ‘hook dragging across a rock might have
pulled the float down, but it could just as easily
have been a fish. Kenny tried to say something,
but the piano tuner was deeply immersed in the
description of a big fish he’d hooked years ago.

A woman waved from one of the
campsites above them. The wave caught
Wally's eye.

“Gotta go,” he said. He recled in, left’

abruptly, and climbed up the. trail toward his

temporary home.

It was twilight. Kenny was alone. He slid
into the spot..He aped Wally’s last two casts.

“His float went down smartly. He set the hook.

To be continued

Wally '

TERRACE STANDARD |

_. SPORTS.

Bluebacks plunge
into provincial
level swim meets

SENIOR level competitors
with the Blueback swim-
ming club are gelting their
feet wet as they prepare
for age proup provincials
next month.

The swimmers got a
taste of whal the big meet
will be like. when they
took part in the Kamloops
Classic June 7-9.

Kamloops plays host to
the age group provincials
next month so the meet
was a chance for the
swimmers to get accus-
tomed to the pool, said
head coach Mike Carlyle.

Teams from -B.C. and
Alberta raced in the heats
and finals event including
competitors from Edmon-
ton and Calgary clubs.

Carlyle said he is
pleased with the number of
swimmers able to make
second swims, finals or
consolation finals.

“Tt’s a great way for our
younger provincial. swim-
mers to get experience,”
Carlyle said. “Without a
junior provincials meet in
the long course season this
was an opportunity to have
that level of competition
for them.”

The long course season
sees swimmers competing
in 50 metre pools as op-
posed to 25 metre pools
during the short course
season. ,

For the more ‘exper-

ienced ‘provinciallevel-~

swimmers the Kamloops
meet was a great warm up.

Many swimmers put in
solid performances includ-
ing senior swimmer Jenine
Barton, 16, who nabbed a
silver medal in the 400

_ metre IM and a bronze in

the 200 metre butterfly.

Allison Knoedler, 12,
put in an excellent perfor-
mance picking up five me-
dals and making it to the
finals in six of seven
events.

Carlyle said he has high
expectations for the young
swimmer at the provin-
clals.

“Allison was able to
final in a couple events in
the short course season,”
he said.

He’s hoping that suc-
cess will continue at the
long course provincials.

This is Knoedler’s last
year competing in her age
proup.

With her 13th birthday
approaching this fall she
will be competing in the
13-14 age category next
season.

Carlyle said the meet
was a success and all the
swimmer who attended are
commended for thelr effort.

“[’m very happy with
the number of swimmers
who were able to make the
second swim,” Carlyle
said. “It was a very long
meet and quite a chal-
lenge for the swimmers to
compete at a high level
throughout the weekend.”

Development swimmers
also took to the water as
they competed in the
Prince Rupert Wrap-up

meet June 14-15.
As“the: last meet of the ~

season it was quite relaxed
and Carlyle -said all the
Bluebacks showed terrific
team spirit.

Highlights included 100
per cent best times for
Hayley Schmeidel, 11,
and Scott Simpson, 11.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - B9

z Daredevil

WHILE MOST people avoided swelling rivers last week local expert kaya-
ker Shane Spencer tackled the waves under the Old Skeena Bridge late
in the evening June 17. Onlookers watched as the talented and exper-
ienced paddler negotiated tha rapids, JON RODERS PHOTO.

THE UNDER-15 boys rep soccer team took on Quesnel during zone playdowns

‘here June 15-16, SARAH A, ZIMMERMAN PHOTO.

Teams to represent north

TERRACE’S rep soccer
teams have been hard at
wark lately playing zone
playoffs with each team
vying for a spot at the Pro-
vincial Cup.

So far two teams from
Terrace have advanced to
the presligious tournament.

The Under-13 and
Under-16 boys teams are
each making their way to
Surrey for the annual tour-
nament.

The Under-16 boys fi-

nals took place in Terrace
June 8-9 and saw teams
from Prince Rupert, the
Queen Charlottes, Kitimat
and Prince George face
off.

“There were
some quite excellent
games -played that
weekend,” said Terrace
Youth Soccer chairman
Les Sinnott. “There were
some really tight games.”

Three boys teams and
ene girls rep team tock

really

part in northern zone play-
offs June 15-16. -

All the teams -came
close but none advanced
to the Provincial Cup:

The Under-12 boys and
the Under-15 girls teams
both ended their games in
a 3 way times, but each
lost out on a goals for and
against average.

The boys Under-14 and
15 teams each narrowly
last games against Ques-
nel during their playdowns,

Track and field athletes score

SIX TERRACE athletes brought home an
impressive 15 medals from the Spruce
City Invitational Track Meet held in
Prince George June 8 and 9.
Corey George's arm proved steady and
, Strong as he threw his way to two gold
medals in javelin and discus. He aiso
nabbed two bronze medals, one in shot
put ard one in the 800m. Victoria Johnson
also picked up two silver medals and two
bronze in the BOm, 1,500m, shot put and

discns respectively.

Sovin Sihota nabbed a silver medal for

his 400m run and bronze medals in the
100 and 200m events. Jen Haynes picked
up bronze medals for the long and triple

jump events while teammate Brian Lam-

bert came home with a bronze medal in
the 1,500m race.

Jennifer Elkins picked up a silver
medal for her part in the 4X100 m relay
along with runners from Smithers and
Prince George. The meet was the. last of
‘season, five of the club’s athletes have

qualified to go on the B.C. Summer

games, to be held in Nanaimo in August.

‘Junior Babe Ruth Baseball

_ pion Speedee Printers were

Speedee nabs
season finals

WITH THE regular season over,

moved into this year’s league
playoffs. Regular season cham-

clearly the team to beat in this
four-game tournament June 14-
18.

, The Friday night match up
was a classic affair between
Speedec Printers and Kinsmen.
Kinsmen scored three in the
opening stanza, while Speedec
responded with only two in the first. In the second Na-
than Froschit a triple to left-centre field, and later scored
on a passed ball. But that was all Kinsmen would score
as Speedee’s Tanner Noble stuck out the next two bat-
ters. In the bottom of the inning, Speedee scored four
taking a 6-4 lead.

Kinsmen tied the game with two runs in the top of
third, and kept things tied by shutting down
Speedee. Kinsmen scored three more in the fourth in-
ning, holding Speedee to just one run. Heading into the
fifth, Kinsmen had a 9-7 lead.

Both teams changed pitchers in the fifth, which made
a big difference on the game's outcome. Kinsmen ace
Scott Vanderlee was done after four solid innings, but
Speedee’s top pitcher was coming in to earn a win for
his team. Codey Latimer got off to a good start, as Kins-
men went three up three dawn in the inning. Then, capi-
talizing on a couple of errors, Speedee Printers quickly
responded with five runs to take a 12-9 lead after five.

In the last inning, Kinsmen had to score al least four
to keep the game alive. First batter, Sean Davidson, got

AT THE DIAMOND

TYLER NOBLE

“on with a single and stole second and third to move him-
self into scoring position. Dusty Batjer was up next and.

smashed a triple to right-centre field to score Davidson
and put another runner on third. There were none out,
and the tying run was standing in the on-deck circle.

But the next batter popped up ta pitcher Codey Lati-
mer for the first out. Latimer took control by striking out
the next two to end the threat and win the game. The
game was a good one, with the teams close from start to
finish. But Speedee Printers came out on top with a 13-9

. victory to open up the playoffs.

The Saturday morning game between Kinsmen and
Terrace & District Credit Union (TDCU) as Kinsmen
forfelted with only five of thei: players were able to at-
tend the game. The forfeit eliminated Kinsmen from the
playoffs, as T.D.C.U, earned a 7-0, default victory.

The Credit Union returned to the field facing Speedec

dn the June 16 match up, but with Kinsmen alreydy oul

of the picture, the outcome of this game was
meaningless. Both teams would still end up in the Tuesday

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