KEITH FREEMAN

| TERRACE STANDARD | STANDARD

The Terrace Standard, cl, Wednesday, October 4, 2000 - BS

SPORTS”

638-7283

KEENA ANGLER
ROB BROWN

Clore adventures

n warm afternoons and evenings, during that

time of year when summer is starting to stoop

and wither, spiders ride the breezes on solitary
translucent strands; if you look carefully on brilliant
days you can see the slender reflections of their gos-
samer filaments against a clear blue sky. I like to think
that these spider fliers touch down then use their
monofilament gliders as foundation fibre for the omate
webs that fill the woods in Fall. This may not be true, but
it does no harm to think itis.

The spruce in the front yard is decorated with webs
this moming, There are a dozen, maybe more, all of
them heavy with droplets that floated in the fog before
petting entangled.

Istart the truck. The fan blows. An Olympic fanfare,
blares out of the radio speakers. There is little traffic on
a Sunday morning, but the fog is close, so] go slow. Bits
of the Old Bridge's iron bones poke out of the shroud. 1
make the light, There is the hum of rubber against read,
the rattle of tire on board, then a thump, and the hum
again as | climb up the hill to the four way stop.

It's Sunday, ] make good time. Under a film of fog
the river looks like mercury. Between the canyons the
mist spreads out over the valley like smoke. The sun is
on top of it now. On some of the sharp comers it blinds
me. I'm forced to brake and crawl around them. Still, it
takes only half an hour to reach Matsen Creek Canyon
where Art's camper is parked.

Art's wants a fish from the Clore, I tell him I haven't
fished the river in ten years.

--You hear about the guy that drowned in the Clore
earlier this month?

~-No, says Art, --where?

~In the lower Canyon. Somebody named Hepburn
from Prince George, drifting in one of those pontoon
boats. A sad thing. Took days to find him. He was wear-
ing a flotation device. Apparently search and rescue
found il, torn off or something.

--Too bad, Art shakes his head as he looks down on
the Clore.

--T wonder about those flotation devices. I mean, if
you're in serious trouble maybe you don't need some-
thing else to do.

--The river looks more coloured from up here, | tell
Art as we climb up the hill at Four Mile.

We park next to the trail to Gordie Doll's cabin.

I show Art where the hidden door key is.

--In case something happens, I tell him, --there's an
ignition key in the ash tray.

Gordie’s cabin hasn't been used in some time. We fol-
low the trail then splash down down the creck to the
Clore. The sun has burned away the mists. We're sur-
rounded by yellowing trees, green trees, mountains and
glaciers.

The pools above Thomas Creek won't give up fish.
We walk to the canyon, clamber up the wall on river left,

follow a game trail over spongy moss to its head, then.

take a stairway of chiseled rock to the river, where it
takes Art two casts to find a fish.

Tell Art there used to be a few runs just upstream. To
get there we must climb the wall once again, then strug-
gle down through an alder thicket that grabs onto our
rods and staffs before we can cross a swift side channel.

Upstream a new, promising pool beckons, The wade
(o the good side is deep and heavy, We're up to our chest
at one point, leaning hard on the staffs making small
steps, our ears filled with the rapid rear from below, In
all the probing Art finds the slot. --I'll fish the tail, he
says.

I move up to mid run, eat lunch. Art has his second
fish. J slide into the river and work my new bamboo rod,
easily the most relaxing and gentle pole I've fished. A
steelhead grabs my fly and runs for cover. | lean against
the red, gently at first, then with confidence, This fish is
thirty inches, roughly ten pounds, a nice fish on which
to christen a new rod. Art shakes my hand then we fish
on,

The wade back is easier.

We scout around upstream where the Wasp and
Pete's Elbow have all but disappeared, I spend some
time trying to find a fish in the remains of a beautiful ron
where, on one October day, I watched a couple of steel-
head snatch Ken Popovitch's little Mickey Finn, and
where, late one November, Gil Cobb and I rose stcel-
head to skating flies as snow fell on us. Too fast and
without cover now, the pool is almost unrecognizable.

Art returns and we make our way downstream. I'm
tired and hot. The thought of climbing the bluff and
wrestling with the alder again has ne appeal. The water
is heavier, deepet, and definitely faster farther down-
stream in (he channel. I pick a spot and strike out bold-
ly, stabbing (he staff to discem the contours of the bot-
tom. I'm waist deep; I'm chest deep. I reach out with the
staff, narrowly focused on the wade alone,

~ Continued next week...

Special Olympics set
for new season here

IT LOOKS like Terrace
will have some strong
special olympians in the
pools and bowling lanes
of town again this year.
B.C. Special Olympics
— Terrace coordinator Jo
Buck says she expects
about 40 people will par-
take in this year’s events.
Some of those events
will bring together special
olympians from places
like Houston and Smi-
thers for swimming and
bowling tournaments.
“We're also possibly
looking at some curling

this winter,” Buck said,
adding that much depends
on whether the volunteer
power needed pans oul.

Buck said that she got
involved in special olym-
pics here ten years ago
when there was a desper-
ate need for volunteers.

“There still is a need,”
she said. “But it’s not as
bad, I'd say it’s probably
50 per cent better.”

This year marks the
20th anniversary of the
special olympics in B.C.,
and next year’s summer
games are slated for July

in Prince George.

Buck said that’s a step
forward since it’s the first
games being. held in
Northern B.C.

Centres like Kitimat
and Smithers are starting
to altract participation
fram special olympians
now too she added.

“A lot of people are
under the misconception
that the special olympics
ure just some big tourna-
ment,” she said. “We get
together every week dur-
ing the Season on a prac-
tice basis.”

Buck added that with-
oul the many volunteers
who donate their time, the
special olympics just
woukln’t happen.

““Most athletes don’t
have their own transporta-
tion,” she said,

Registration for this
year’s special olympics
program in Terrace for
both athletes and volun-
teers will be at the Skeena
Mall on Friday, Oct. 13
from 7 - 8:30 p.m. The
registration fee is $35.
For more information call
Jo Buck at 635-7936,

THE ACTION was fast and furious especially in the Jock's Pipers end of the field. Super BM’s Nillon Prati-
canta scored five goals as his team knocked off the Pipers 9-3 to capture the Terrace Men's Soccer title.

super BM rolls over Jock’s Pipers

SPURRED ON by Nilton
Praticante’s five goals,
Super BM successfully de-
fended it’s title as cham-
pions of Terrace Senior
Men’s Soccer.

Jock’s Pipers, who
placed third in regular sea-
son play fell 9-3 to Super
BM at Thornhill Primary
field Sept. 24.

Play was tight until

early in the second half,
with Super BM holding a
3-2 lead.

Then Praticanle proved
a-continual nuisance to the
Jocks Piper keeper, scor-

ing a seemingly endless
stream of goals to power
his team to viclory.

Last year, Super. BM
defeated Alcan FC 2-0. to
capture the saccer crown,

Jo Buck

Sports
menu

To get your gama, evant
or meeting added ta the
Terrace Standard Sports
Menu or Sports Scopa,
fax us at 638-8432, or
you can e-mail us at
standard@kermoade net
alin: Sparis

Thursday, Oct. 5
“Terrace Badminton
Club Thornhill Jr. Sec-
ondary Gym 8-10 p.m,
$4 drop-in fee Players
16 plus only. Also on
Tue. evening.

Call Diane 635-3564
Friday, Oct. 13

ve BC Special Clympics
Registration for all ath-
letes and volunteers,
Skeena Mall fram 7 -
8:30 p.m. Reg. Fee $35,
Call Jo at 635-7936 for
more infa.

Friday, Oct. 20

“All Season's Half
Marathon 5/10/21k race.
Part of the Northwest
series points races. Call
Jack at 638-0751

What a shot!

ANOTHER HOLE in one
was recorded at the Skee-
na Valley Golf and Coun-
try Club this week,

Rick Letawski aced the
180 yard second hole on
Sept. 27 with a six iron.

Last week, Ron Nixon
aced the fourth hole at the
club.

Curling to
kick off soon

- By KEITH MELANSON

WITH ANOTHER curling

" season fast approaching,
‘the ice at the club is in

and final touches are being
made.

All leagues will be
starting up the weck of
Oct. 10th.

The club, as in past
years, will have Oct. 4-6
as open house in the even-
ings. The club will offer
instruction free of charge
for any new curlers starling
oul.

The Terrace Curling
Club also offers a half
price for new curlers who
join a league this season.
The club is presently tak-
ing entries for all leagues.

Individual or team en-
\rices can be made by
phoning the rink at 635-
5583. The club will make
every effort to place indi-
viduals wanting to curl on

-@ team,

The curling clu
busy schedule of bonspiels
starting off with the Ice-
breaker Open which is a

_ Mixed three event spicl,

The cost to enter is $60
per team entry. This spiel
is-staled for the Nov. 10-12
weekend. Entries can be
made al-the curling club,