B6 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 16, 1998

CHRISTIANA WIENS _

"SKEENA ANGLER:
ROB BROWN

Go Sng

ritish Salmon fishers like tubes; not

those canvas-covered inner tubes fin-

footed fly fishers use to bob around on

lakes when in cold pursuit of trout, but
small cylinders of plastic, aluminum, tin, brass
which are employed as the foundation for some
decidedly deadly salmon flics.

I first heard abaut tubes some 15 years ago
when rummaging around in book stores, tackle
shops and catalogs, in search of anything that
would help me learn how to control the 15-foot
Hardy salmon rod‘I’d recently purchased, At that
point my frustration level was such that | was
ready to give up the whole idea of fishing the
two-handed fly rod and give my aching arms and
back a rest, but the $500 I’d invested in the pole,
the $200 I’d spent on the reel and line, the very
slim likelihood of resale, forced me to persevere,
I’m glad I did for the chase led me to Hugh
Faulkus’ excellent book on salmon fishing.

Until I was exposed to Faulkus, ] had it in my
brain that the world of British Salmon fishing was
one where the hoi polloi had little room, a sport
where the Queen: Mum, Bonnie Prince Charlie,
along with a squads of Earls, Dukes and their
peers, set out, after tea, for the best beats of the
best rivers accompanied by ghillies. packing the
most expensive equipment made by the House of
Hardy. This, I thought, was the world of the gilt-
lipped gaff, of flies made of bustard, jungle fowl,
heron, and bird-of-paradise, a place where pewter
flasks filled with 60-year-old single malt was
sipped to celebrate the killing of Salmo Salar.

Furthermore, tubes are dressed in the
round; they swim right side up even
when they’re upside down, and, more-
over they can be constructed in such a
way that they glow from within.

Not so, according to the venerable Faulkus,
whose book made it clear that plenty of blokes
went out after salmon too, and many of them, es-
pecially when the summer season had run course,
did so with very simple and effective flies. One of
the favourites was the Stoat’s Tail, nothing more,
it tans out, than a dozen black hairs from the caat
of a stoat, a weasel-like creature found on the
Isles, lashed to a long shanked treble hook. The,
few ‘‘fancy’’ flics shown in the colour plates of
Salmon Fishing were stripped down, hot-rodded
versions of their glittering, overly-embellished
predecessors. But, the dressings that got my crea-
live juices going were the tube flies.

What a brilliant idea these contraptions were!
Here was a way to dress a large fly without being
encumbered with a great gaping book; or, if'a guy
wanted to get his fly down to the stones, he could
tear a leaf from the book of the Brits, and roll a
fly on a brass tube,

Furthermore, tubes are dressed in the round;
they swim right side up even when they’re upside
down, and, moreover they can be constructed in
such a way that they glow from within,

The British fishers use trebles on. their tubes,
which is illegal here, but that problem was easily
solved. I ordered some tubes from England and
waited with the anticipation of a kid at Christmas
until they arrived three wecks laler. To facilitate
dressing them I broke the eye off a 7/0 salmon
hook, mounted the giant thing in my vice and slid
a one-inch, plastic tube over the sanded shank,
Next I atlached black thread and with it bound on
a chunk of Quorescent yarn, After making a butt
section with that, [ ticd on an oval silver rib and a
length of black wool; wound the wool forward,
spiraled the tinsel over it five times, tied off both
then trimmed them, Next, I tied two pieces of
Flashabou on opposite sides, then tied a dozen
polar bear hairs around the tube followed by some
extraneous black hackle fibres.

For a book I snelied 12 inches of 10-pound test
to a slicky-sharp, red Gamakatsu Octopus bait
hook, then threaded the monofilament through the
tube, With this dressing and a half dozen like it, I
went out to the river and caught a dozen newly ar-
rived Chinook over a'span of five days and lost a
dozen more. Since then ve put together tubes
that look like cooked prawns and done equally
well with them. To ape the seductive transtucence
formerly confined to the baits of drift fishers, T
bought aquarium tubing, cut it into short lengths,
dyed them pink and orange, fletched them with
white ai orange polar bear, then decorated them
with limp tinsel.

I built brass tubes too, but even on: the stout
Hardy 15-foot rod they were awkward to’ cast.
Lately I’ve discovered that when’ a fast sinking
line is not gelting a tube down to the. required
depth on cold water days, or.when J want to fish a
fast sinking fly on a floating line, I simply take
one of the heavier metal beads that are sold by the

purveyors of fly tyitig supplies and slide one or

more of.them onto the leader above the tube. Roll
oue of these faux files Up and go" Mbine You'll
enjoy it, Y

Four of the Bulldog’s 10
“goals hit the back ‘of the net

TERRACE STANDARD.

_SPORTS _

COACH OF THE YEAR

And the winner is.. |

THERE WERE nine excellent nominees for
Coach of the Year this year but only one can be
the winner.

The judge has decided, after much anticipa-
tion that the 1998 Coach of the Year award goes
to Uplands Elementary Schoo! teacher, Dighton
Haynes.

Our judge, Terrace’s own rugby enthusiast
and city councillor David Hull, had a tough
choice in a field of worthy coaches. But in the
end, it was Haynes’ years of involvement and
commitment to coaching that put him on top.

Haynes coaches volleyball, track and field,
basketbali aud skiing at Uplands Elementary
School. He also organizes the school’s other
coaching schedules, game and practice schedul-

Local player gets
standing ovation

ANDREW TAIT WAS the captain of the Grande Forks
minor hockey team until an off-ice concussion knocked

him off his game.

Tait went from midget hockey in Terrace to a July, 1997
evaluation camp in Smithers. After getting the nod from
scouts there, he tried out, unsuccessfully, for a junior A

team in Estevan, Saskatchewan.

Unwilling ta give up, Tait then played hockey for less
than two months in Fernie with the Ghostriders before
giving minor hockey one last shot in Grande Forks.

He wasn’t there for long when his patience was rewarded
with being named team captain, ‘I was super surprised
when [ found out I was going to be captain,’’ he said.

Before he left, Tait received the team’s best defencemen
award, won the season’s media favourite title and became
the fan’s favourite. Nobody seemed to care he was having
trouble racking up the goals and hitting forwards in the

comer. So why did he quit?

“The concussion slowed down my reaction time,’’ he

said, “I wasn’t playing like [ knew | could.’’

He found it hard to get out of the way of players even
when he could sce them coming which only Jed,to more. in-
juries. After he got smacked in the neck witl the end of a
hockey stick, Tait couldn't talk for four days and knew he

had to reconsider his hockey career.

“Jt wasn’t fun anymore,’’ he said. “I was dragging
myself out on the ice, ] couldn't even motivate myself
anymore, how could I have motivated my team?’’

But breaking the decision to his teammates was harder
than be expected. During his last game against Beaver Val-
ley, Tait couldn’t believe what be was hearing from

Beaver Valley’s players.

“They were telling me not to quit,’’ he said, “I couldn’t
believe it.’’ Tait persevered anyway and ended the game to

a standing ovation from his fans,

He now works part-time in Terrace and keeps in contact
_ with the Bruins by.scouting young hockey players.

When asked if he misses the game at all, Tait would say
only that said he missed the speed of junior hockey.

Who knows, at .19, Tait could easily take advantage of

his remaining year of junior eligibility yet.

es, and helps teach the school’s older students
how to coach intermural games.

Haynes also coaches an Atom hockey team in
the winter and softball in summer as well as
playing Oldtimers hockey and curling for his
own enjoyment.

Gasping for breath yel? We are. How does
this man find the time?

Judging by the sheer number of nominations
Haynes received from the community, he’s
done all that with grace and leadership.

Congratulations, Dighton Haynes. The Ter-
race Standard, Kermodei Beverages and Mul-
ligan’s Just Kiddin’ are pleased to present you
with a hockey bag stuffed to the gills with
athletic supplies,

‘

638.7283,

But we also can’t forget about the other
nominees for the 1998 Coach of the Year. They
include: Nick Kolias, who coached soccer with ;;
a broken collarbone, Tom Tumer, Steve Cullis,
Gary Turner, Darcy Mallet, Bud Kirkaldy, and
Keith Young.

All of these coaches deserve a round of ap-
plause for their hard work and dedication to‘
coaching and athletics in Terrace. No doubt
there are a lot of other coaches who deserve
recognition out there — even some who've
been nominated more than once. But take heart,
there’s always next year,

Good Tuck to all of Terrace’s nominees for
Coach of the Year and especially to Dighton
Haynes, Terrace’s 1998 Coach of the Year.

Score
Board

"Recreational
hockey |
Tuesday, Dec. &
Chaptet One 5
While Spot 3

All Seasons Lightning 7
Precision Buikders 5.

Sunday, Dec. 6

White Spot 2

Precision Builders 2
\

tion time.

ALL SUITED UP: Terrace Minor Hockey Association Peewee player on the ice at the Terrace Arena,

Bulldogs whip Terrace in

Peewee house league matchup .

team took third place in the
tournament by beating Far- :
west Fuels of Terrace 6-2.

THE TERRACE Rotary
team did their best but just:
‘couldn’t =o win against
Hazelton in the finals of
Peewee house tournament in
‘Terrace Dee, 4-6

Hazelton out-scored the
Rotary team in a-10-4 shoot
out, with three goals in the
first period ‘and another
three in the sécond period.

Marshall

in the third period.
The Buildog’s lead scorer
turned out to be Amede

Skylar Sandhals.
But the Bulldogs turaed
the game up a notch in the

That's Terrace resident: Andrew Tait in his Border
Bruin uniform posing for the camera at the end of last
year’s season. Tait, 19, recently retired from hockey
and returned to Terrace after injuries slowed his reac-

Kata tournament
Dec. 5 ‘
i

Novice A Girls \
1. Mariaane Palahicky
2. Morgan Weinbulg

Novice A Boys \
1. DongSwank }
2. Jeffrey Tuer}
i
Junior Boys Group2 ;
1. Kurt Biagioni .
2. Mark Blagioni :

Novice B Boys (plus girls)
1, Andrew Johnstone |
2. Sarah Palahicky

Juntor Boys Group i
1. Evan Palahicky,
2, Garret Davis

Senlor Boys Group A:
1. Brodie Spence
2. Stephan Fisher \

Senior Girls A a

1. Kyla Temstrom  §
2. Heather Lorenzo | |
Senlor Girls B

1, Shauna Palahicky
2. Alissa Gervais. “}

Senlor Boys B
1. Robert Wickie
2.  Garbriel Varga --

All Around Winmers;

Senior girls oot
_ Shauna Palahicky °\ \

Senior Boys B Grn P
Gabriel VArga 7

Sentor Bays A Grotl .
Cole Stephens ‘

Junior Boys A Grouz

Skeena Cable 13 :
Back Eddy Rallies 5
Thursday, De. 8 ;
| Skeena Cable ca ‘
| Precision Bult iers “g
iP fated ot
i
Oldtiner’s
hockey
A
Wednesday, Dé. 2
Timbermen 4 5
Subway t 5
Northem Okies ‘ 5
SRD Blues a 2

who scored the
first and Jast goal of the
night. Two other players
scored two quick goals cach
to top off the Bulldog’s
scoring spree. The Terrace
Rotary team was behind by
just one goal after 20.
minutes, witha: goal’ each.
from: Jordan Wall

second with three goals at
the net. Terrace responded
with a goal at 12:40 im the
second to make the game 6-
3 after 40 minutes. Ter-
race’s Kristian Gough then
scored again the third period
to’ make the final a dis-
appointing 10-4 finish, ..

“Prince “Rupert's. Safeway :

Farwest Fuels placed fourth.

The exciting 24-game
tourney featured five local
teams who competed
against Peewee teams from

‘ Novice Boys
Prince Rupert, Hazelton, ;
Stewart, Smithers and Feflrey Tumer
Kitimat. The Stewart | NoviceGis
Panthers. won. the. Most "|. Kiisten'Klein ;
Sportsmanlike team award. |

Evan Palahicky

Junior Boys B Group
Terrence Wiege