INSIDE
SPORTS MENU. C2.

__ ROB BROWN

More than fish

SEE FISH roll out of the fast

water below the Camp Run and

glide into its tail. ‘‘Coho?’? I

point to them. Gerry squints.
“Steelhead. When you sec then like that, you
pick up your rod and go fishing,'’ he nods his
head in the direction of the far bank. When
anglers like Gerry talk, J listen.

In minutes I’ve rafted to the far bank and
begun working methodically toward the fish.

Thanks to Art I know the traveling lane, The
water is above my waist and pushing hard, I
lean on the staff to steady myself in the cur-
rent, pushing sixty feet of floating line and a
small, dark fly with a touch of blue into the
wind. A large, square tail sinks out of sight
some fifty feet below the end of the drift

I memorize the spot, marking it against a
wad of tangled roots, and move toward it. A
boi] — nothing. I change to a big surface fly,
to calm down and collect myself, then send it
sailing out on the same trajectory,

It skates. A mouth, a back, a tail, and it dis-
appears.

The fish takes charge: a pair of leaps, a sear-
ing run and it's over.

I’ve been beaten up. Over the next few days
this happens again and again.

Two fish in the Janz Run use stumps to
make a fool of me; one from the Victoria finds
safety under a log pile; another beast pulls me
to the end of a gravel bar and throws the hook

_ On its way to the sea; another overruns my reel
before I can get things under control then
opens what I thought was a strong hook.

“Steelhead that give the race their great
reputation,’’ observes Pete.

I realize why anglers — even accomplished
ones —~ are hard pressed to bring fifty percent
of these animals to the beach,

At the half way point I decide the fish, as
exciting as they, are not the highlight of the
trip,

The gentle wit of Van Egan, his
stories of the Tyee club, of an-
‘gling in the good days on Van-
couver Island in the company of
the likes of Rod Haig-Brown, are
another highlight.

Fishing with Art Lingren, angling scholar,
unofficial historian of B.C. flyfishing, and
master angler is.

Art is amazing: when none of-us can find
fish, he does, with finesse. Art has read ex-
tensively — books and water — learned the
lessons, experimented, refined his technique
to the point where he has few, if any, peers.

I decide he is the one fly fisher I’d least like
to fish behind; but this is not a problem as Art
will insist you fish first, then catch fish behind
you.

The gentle wit of Van Egan, his stories of
the Tyce club, of angling in the good days on
Vancouver Island in the company of the likes
of Rod Haig-Brown, his insights into educa-
tion and the natural world, his company, are
another highlight,

Camping with Peter Broomball; listening to
lucid and eloquently expressed insiphts on the
art of angling, population growth, and the en-
vironment is challenging, inspirational. The
company at camp, it turns out, is the real
highlight of the trip.

The weather gocs from scaring sun, to sun

and wind, to sunny breaks, to overcast and
wind then to light rain. With the expiration of
the boat ban upon the lower river, guides from
Stewarl’s camp appear, their long blue boats
filled with sports,
At five hundred dollars a day the pressure is
on the guides, They respond well, finding Fish
for their clients without stepping on the toes
of our wading boots.

' The rain falls harder, Joe Saysell and his
brother-in-law put their camp on their

shoulders and make the four mile trip to the

Kimsquit airstrip. Wintle bugs out, headed for
the Morice, and later the Thompson. The sky
looks unstable, The ceiling drops.

On-what turns out to be the last glimpse of
sun, Dave ‘Lambroughton, and a party of three
squirt out of the upper river with a large raft
so full of gear we are left to wonder how did
they found room to climb aboard — men in
motion, a whir of activity, “How did they got
through Moose Rapids?” Art wonders.

(to be continued)

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 19, 1994 - C1

ae " SECTION C
~ MALCOLM BAXTER 638-7283

Ice Carnival melts away

THE ICE Carnival, highlight of
the local skating club’s season,
has been axed.

Club spokesman Kim Goodall
explained last week the executive
had decided to cancel the ’95 edi-
tion for lack of volunteer support.

She said the situation the club
faced was a familiar one for a lot
of groups, sporting and other-
wise: the same people doing the
work year after year and
eventually burning out.

The club had called a meeting
and asked all interested in helping
organize the carnival to tum up.

When only three showed apart
from the exccutive, ‘‘that gave us
our answer,’ said Goodall.

The cancellation comes despite
the theme, music and costumes
for Camival ’95 having already
been decided.

That’s only the beginning, how-
ever, Costumes would have to be
made as well as props, crews
found to set up and take down the
props at the arena and the myriad
olher jobs that make for a suc-
cessful extravaganza.

She said it all added up to ap-
proximately 3,000 volunteer
hours in organizing the event,
held every March.

Expecting three volunteers and
the eight-member executive, all
of whom had other
responsibilities, to take on that
load was simply not realistic.

And cancellation has put extra
pressure on the club as far as rais-
ing money is concerned.

The fees paid by members bare-
ly ‘cover the cost of renting the
ice, Goodall pointed out.

With the number of precision
skating teams doubling to two
this year,..it’s. going to cost ap-
proximately $9,000 to keep that
program running, she added.

Then there are all the travel and
accommodation costs associated
with club trips to out of town
meets like this weekend’s
Caribou-North central regionals
in Prince George.

Unlike such events in many

WHERE ARE the volunteers? This pose struck by a young skater for pre-publicity of last season's
Ice Carnival now seems prophetic with a lack of volunteers having forced the Skating Club to can-
cel the event, planned for March of next year. However, It could yet be saved.

other communities, Terrace’s ice
camival made money and that
helped out the club’s overall
financial picture.

With that revenue source gone,

the club will have to work harder -

raising moncy in other ways..

All that said, however, Goodall
said there’s an outside chance the
carnival could even now be

saved.

“If we got the volunteers right

‘now, we could save it,’’ she said,

adding, ‘‘I’m always optimistic,”’
Anyone interested in saving the
event is asked to contact a mem-

_ ber of the ciub executive as soon

as possible.

Fowl invasion at turkey shoot

TRAPSHOOTERS got some un-
expected visitors at their Oct. 9
shoot - a group of plump turkeys.

Tronic, considering the event
was called a Turkey Shoot.

The feathered gate-crashers ob-
viously figured that meant they
were invited and decided to drop
in on the event from a néighbour-
ing property.

They were quickly shepherded
home having provided one of the
most entertaining moments in
what was after all a fun shoot

Approximately two .- dozen
shooters from Terrace, Kitimat
and Hazelton took part in the one-
day affair.

Events included an ‘‘Annic
Oakley” elimination; a ‘‘Slider’’,
in Which shooters moved further
back with each successful shot; a
Buddy Shoot with a blind draw
for partners; and a Pheasant and
Rabbit,

That last involved first trying to
hit a any disc rolling along the

ground (the rabbit), As soon as
that shot rang
**pheasant”’ was launched to pro-
vide the second target.

There was also a children’s
event using .22 rifles and won by
Meghan Janes, 10.

Since the emphasis was on fun,
organizer Debbie VantKruis said

no record was kept of winners of ©

the others.

- The Rod and Gun club is about
to wind up its scason, the finale
being a Trophy Shoot to be held
next month. The date for that has
yet ta be fixed,

Prior to that, local shooters will
be swinging over to Kitimat on
Nov, 5.

Although winter will bring an
end to competition, VantKnuis

said the club will still be busy —

planning how to attract new
members next year and increase
the number of sponsors in hopes
of being able to stage moze com-
petitions.

h Ben ee oe reer an ee :
COMBINING ACCURACY with sartorial elegance was Bill
Eynon of Kitimat (left), one of the two dozen trapshooters who
took part in tha Oct. 9 Turkey Shoot. Gunners took tums launch:
ing the targets in the Pheasant and Rabbit, That’s Jahn McMynn

at right putting In his stint.

out, the