B4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 9, 1998 4 pape CHRISTIANA WIENS . SKEENA ANGLER. ROB BROWN The debate about bait n 1941 it was unclear whether - Thompson River bound steelhead at- tempted the torturous joumey through the Fraser Canyon. It was unclear, that is, until Hec Field dunked a worm in the waters near Keray Lechtay’s Big Horn Lodge and hooked up with steelhead that pulled like the locomotives run along the rails on the river from where he was fishing. Hec phoned his fishing partner, and be- fore long the two of them were killing their limit of three fish per day: 17 pound fish, on average, that pulled like forty pound salmon. Hec's exploits were reported in Lee Straight’s column in the Vancouver Sun, and soon anglers were making the six hour trip across the farm- land of the Fraser Valley and through the treacherous canyon to the desert river that held so many combative steelhead. Most of the anglers used bait. Some, like Tom Brayshaw and Rod Haig-Brown showed the magnificent fish would succumb to the lure of a fly. So it went Fishermen fished; market fishers fished; na-. tives fished, Not until the seventies did anglers began feeling the pinch of depletion. “Where we thought we had thousands of steelhead, we discovered we had hundreds,” said then director of fisheries, Dr. David Nar- ver. In other rivers throughout the province tighter and tighter regulations were invoked for steelhead. No-kill fisheries appeared, “Bait bans became the: nom... : Fishing steelhead with bait — floata and roe — : "85 B.C. tradition, aid a hell.of.an effective: way to fish. Float fishers were reluctant to give up their bait. The Great Bait Debate began in eamest. Hee Field couldn't have envisioned the furor the simple act of arming a hook with a worm, an egg, or a prawn would incur. As fish migrate upstream their numbers diminish because of netting. As their numbers decrease the importance of each fish increases in inverse proportion; in effect, cach fish gilled in a net, pulled from the river by rod, or killed through natural attrition, passes on the burden of regeneration to those of its race who have survived, The Thompson steelhead that only was one- five thousandth of the population when it enter- ed the brackish water at the mouth of the Fraser, might be one thousandth of his generation by the time winter winds are whipping over the stones at Martel and the Graveyard. In terms of the survival of his kind, his impor- tance has increased dramatically, The push to ban bait on the Thompson originated with the Totem Flyfishers, whose central concerns were the higher mortality asso- ciated with bait use and the possible trans- ference of pathogens in roe. Their concerns were not allayed by the Direc- tor of Fisheries, Mr. Harvey Andrusak who, after listening to them argue that tackle restric- tion were better than people restrictions, and, since 47 bait bans already existed in the Thomp- son area, adding one more ought to be casy, told the Totems that exotic viruses had already in- fected some B.C. fish stocks, and that the pos- sible demise of 100 to 200 hundred Thompson steelhead in a run optimistically put at 2500 were insignificant, With bait use banned every other premier steelhead stream in the province, it is not sur- prising the proponents of its continued use on the Thompson felt threatened. Many, predictab- ly, saw the bait ban initiative as one battle in a war to oullaw any form of fishing other than fiyfishing. Many bait fishers pointed to the fact that the increased mortality associated with bait use was minuscule when compared to habitat . loss and the destructive effect of net fishing on Thompson steelhead, while the anti-bait forces held that every cause of mortality must be dealt with regardless of size. At the end of this Chapter of ihe epic debate over bait, the TRSWG — The Thompson River Steelhead Working Group — with representa- tion from bait fishers and non-balters alike came to a shaky consensus and passed their advice to Director Andrusak, who promptly ruled that bait will be prohibited on the Thompson River above Mantel, that is, above the part of the river that gets almost all the angling pressure from steelheaders. By doing this the ministry has landed very near the status quo and has done little to defuse the debate. Ironically, while the TRSWG was labouring, 800 summer steeliead — fully one-third or the Thompson river’s run for 1996, made their way up the Fraser and slid quietly into the tiny Co- quiballa River, where bait is banned and a fly fishing only is enforced and a catch and release . regulation is mandatory. TERRACE STANDARD PORIS Terrace seniors storm Alberni GETTING OLDER just means getting bet- ter for Terrace’s Seniors games team, The team tock contro! at the games in Port Albemi, winning 13 gold, 9 silver and 12 bronze medals. In athletics, Karl Drahorad won silver in the men’s shot put age 70-74 category. His throw — an clean nine metres. Drahorad also placed fourth in discus and javelin. William Lecleir placed second in the men’s javelin 70-74 age group and Ester Postuk, who couldn't make the photo op- portunity, was another all-star winner get- ting four long jump, shot put, javelin and discus medals, she also Placed third i in the 100 metre run, Patricia Kirkaldy showed her strength by beating out alt competitors for the women’s shot put, javelin and discus 60-64 age group while Maxine Smallwood placed first in the 5000 metre and 10 kilometre walks. Swimmer Marion Duffus won gold in the women’s novice 50 metre freestyle 75-79 age group. She also placed third in the 50 metre breaststroke. Betty Clent took home silver in the women’s novice 25 metre backstroke 60-64 age group but Alie Toop won gold in long jump (60-64 age group), and silver in shot put and discus, Breaststroker, Renate Davis won silver in the women’s 25 metre and 100 metre 60-64 age group. But a real champ was Joe Mandur who took home three gold, a silver and two bronze swimming medals. . ‘I missed the gold by 10 seconds,’’ says Mandur clutching his silver medal, He said he just missed the wall doing a back stroke - but the guy that beat him sure was happy. *‘He had a grin from ear to ear,’’ he said. “He was so happy he beat Joc Mandur.”’ Terrace’s ice curling mixed team took home second with Raymond Flaherty, Gor- don Clent, Otto Linstrom and Norah Jac- ques rounding out the team. Five-pin bowlers won bronze with Evelyn Francis, Eleanora Chambers, Peggy Pelle and Fernand Gagnon making up the team. Douglas Mumford placed third in golf and Carlo Stella placed third in cycling. Betty Demmitt won gold in horseshoes while Ronald Kuechle and Joe Wideman placed third in separate horseshoe events. Hugh and Olga Power even won bronze in bridge. But Robert Bennett won the mixed doubles darts team. The next event for the Seniors games team is at the Happy Gang Centre Saturday, Sept. 12 at 2 p.m. A games representative will also be at the Skeena Mall’s Club’s day Sept. 12 from 10 a.m, to 4 pm. CHECK OUT THE JEWELRY: That's Terrace chess player and electrician Joe Mandur who won two gold, one silver and three branze swimming medals at the B.C. Senior Games in Port Alberni in August. 638-7283: JUST A LITTLE SENIOR PRIDE: Just a few of Ter- race's medal winners posed for the cameras Friday outside the Happy Gang Centre for seniors. Bombers a cheap speed thrill at races BOMBER CLASS cars raake the races more exiting said a speedway Tepresenta- tive. “The new Bomber class __ has proven to be very enter- laining, as news cars keep coming out,’ said Dawn Patterson Thursday. The class, which was added to the Speedway’s schedule in Spring 1998 in- cludes supped up four- cylinder cars including Cheveties, a Mercury Tracer and even a Ford Tempo making it cheap and easy to join. Patterson said in the Speedway’s last regular race of the season Aug. 30, two new cars attacked the track — one of them only being built six days before Sun- day’s race day. The car needed paint but Patterson sald it was race ready, And she says the speed at which engines can be adapt- ed make the sport more al- tractive to wanna-be racers ‘who wanl te [cel a little tace-day’ money to build a car. She said the class has ‘added a lot of enthusiastic ‘members to. the speedway association. ; But vot enough to make the season Tertace’s best ever, says event organizer adrenaline but - don’t have a-lot of time or Ken Legros. Starts, mobiles, of the year, land Tire, Upcoming club’s Terrace took home 34 medals in the annual Seniors event - the zone team including Kitimat and Prince Rupert came in ninth out of 14 Zones competing. Sports Scope Score Board Terrace Speedway Aug. 30, 1998 Ahobby “People just didn’t have a . Trophy G. Klassen | lot of moncy to spend on cx- Heat G. Klassen tra stuff and it rained a Jot,” Main Wes Patterson he said of 1998 ticket prices and attendance at the track. - Bhobby Legros expects about 40° Trophy Phil Truscott drivers to atiend the club’s - Heat Phil Truscott Mud Bogg and Tuff Truck Third Phil Truscott Competition on Sept. 13, He expects some heavy A street duty out of town competi- Trophy Jason King tion but hopes locals will Heat Len McArthur come out and attack some Main | Darcy McKeown all-day mud before the . timed tuff truck competition 8 street Trophy Trevor King - “The pit will be filled in Heat Howie O'Brien and watered down, not dug = Third Joa Botz down tike last year’’ he said. ‘Everyone should be C street able to get through it this Trophy Vicki Johnson year,” he said laughing. Main Vicki Johnson The tough truck competi- tion also features snow- A bomber dune buggies, Trophy Claus Wolnowski Sr. motorbikes in one of the Heat Les Reinhardt speedway’s meanest event Third Kevin Pongracz Gates open for racers at9 B bomber oe a.m. and miles are available Trophy Claus Wolnowski Jr. at Canadian Tire and Cedar- | Heat Dave Reinhardt ‘Main Dave Reinhardt . speedway me events include a Demolition ~C bomber Derby Sept. 20 and the Trophy Tracey Reinhardt Oct, 3 year-end Heat Veronica Paupst Awards Dinner and Dance Third Cindy Dollomore where scason point winners mo will be announced. Sporisors race For Aug. 30 race results Hobby "- Randy Chalttoux see the Scoreboard on this Street Somon Broissolt Bomber Ben Riley page. Slo-pitch TEAMS from Terrace are “invited io a mixed slo-pitch tourney in Prince Rupert Sept. 19-20, The entry fee is $250 per team and all teams must have seven men and three women, For more informa- tion contact Bob Hellyer at 624-5990 or 627-7764. Race day ENTER now for the All Seasons’ Half Marathon ran Sunday, Oct. 4 at Northwest Community College. Runners ‘can enter a five kilometre, 10 kilometre or half marathon race and the entry fee is $20 for adults who preregister, $22 at the door. Get your entry forms at All Seasons’ and late registration slarts at 9:30 race day at the college. He shoots, he scores HOCKEY LEGENDS Guy Lafleur and Tiger Williams will battle Kitimat’s Allstars hockey tcam at Tamitik Arena Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. as part of the Old- timers’ Hockey Challenge. The challenge js part of 60-city North American tour All proceeds for the Old- timers’ Hockey Challenge go . the Kitimat/Terrace Crimestoppers — program. Skating for ‘support HOCKEY HERO Sheldon Kennedy is scheduled to visit the northwest in No- vember. Kennedy is rollerblading across Canada to raise money for the Anaphe sexu- al abuse camp west of Kam- loops and is $11 million short for the camp’s con- struction materials and counselling set up costs, “A benefit dinner and . dance will be held at Prince - Rupert's Elks Hall Sept. 12, to raise money for the camp. Organizers will auction a signed Boston Bruins jersey. : Kennedy played hockey with Detroit, Calgary and Boston before announcing his own sexual abuse as jun- ior hockey player in Swift -Ciirrent. For more informa- tion contact Mary Pat La Boucane in Prince Rupert at 627-4816. F u ' ? s 8 . e a x * BE. % + e ©. » x ® » ae . 2