Bd - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 3 1999 CHRISTIANA WIENS _ TERRACE STANDARD ~ 638-7283 - SKEENA’ANGLER ROB BROWN Spring steps few times this week the air had a spring to it. On Monday I grabbed an armload of rads from the shed, filled half the trunk with them, then returned for waders and snowshoes and staffs and raincoats and vests and boxes of flies to occupy the rest of the trunk space. All the time I thought about where we might go, Rob Hart and I, two middle-aged men with the luxury of a Monday off. Having a Monday off isa luxury indeed. In our industrious, white, waspish world, Monday is the day when middle-aged men wear out; a day of heart attacks and nervous col- lapses; a day of first slides down slippery slopes to depressive troughs. But a week without a mur- derous Monday is a week when Friday comes a day sooner; a short week with a spring in its step and a gentler rhythm. We could go to the Kalum, I thought. I hadn’t been through Royville past the old cabin, Upper Leanto, and the Fire Pot to Grieve’s Pool for couple of winters. There was also the possibility of fishing the lower river, but that idea wasn’t as appealing as it once was, Now there are fishermen working every run and riffle. Even flyfishers with their tight-fitting neoprene waders and felt boots are drifting the lower reaches in their little float- ing boats, Winter fishing without some access to quiet and unfished fish hasn’t much to recom- Tend it. The Copper could be fished but the pressure there is even worse than the Kalum. The Lakelse is all but devoid of fish, but I knew parts of the Skeena were opening up because I’d snow-shoed into the Radio Run on Saturday. The snow was rotten. Each step sank six inches, Without the shoes I would have been up to my waist. _We borrowed another pair of shoes from Dionys De Lleeuw stopping in process to admire his Grand Canyon suite of oils, realized on boards in blazing browns and oranges separated by sage purples and blues: hot paintings in a cold season, With the borrowed shoes added to the trunk load, we rode Highway 16 with Pawsome the dog begrudgingly in the back and aggressively trying to ittsinvate herself into the front. We passed the Kalum and the Zymacord then, before we knew it, Amesbury, the Shames and Exstew, I have lots of memories to fasten onto these places, Rob is new here so I guided as we glided through the flimsy light of this grey day, pointing to where we'd put in the canoe to make the mouth of the Gitnadoix River; to the spot where we'd caught lots of trout late in the fall; to the ramparts we’d seen goats stuck to in the spring, As usual, | bad trouble with the valleys on the far side of the Skeena, I’ve been to ali of them over the ycars but 1 can never get them straight. “Scotia... no Windsor... no, that’s not right,”’ and 50 it went. By the time we were nearing tidewater the dog was straddling the gearshift and Rob’s lap. They both struggled to get comfortable. I started to think of Kloiya Creek and fish and chips in Rupert, Soon we were on the shore of the water- filled stump ranch that is Diana Lake, There was mush on the surface and dark black stumps reach- ing out of the dark water. We slid off the road onto tracked snow, then make our way over the rough road to the dam, | wondered if the stream guardian was still there. The last time I was here Finlay was alive and with me. We were surprised to find the guardian living in a makeshift shack set inside a concrete bunker that’s part of the dam works. He invited us in. Soon he and Finlay were kibitzing like a com- edy team that bad experienced the same hard times on the road, which, in effect they had. The bunker was still there, but now there was garden fumiture and a satellite dish. Now the old guy could have Oprah beside him, keeping him company in his cluttered apartment high above the fish way and the tail race of the dam built in the middle of the wettest part of coastal North America, couch, emerged from the shadow. “Don’t get up,”’ I ordered. ‘‘Any fish?’’ he asked, ‘Haven't fished yet. You seen any?” “Don’t get down there anymore,” he said, “Too old, now.” Tt was clear he was at the end of winter and no remembered Finlay and our conversation two years ago, then thought better of it. On the way back Rob spotted a cloud of gulls hovering over the grey water, white against the grey sky and a backdrop of grey pteen mountains. They were far out in the brackish water. They were dipping from time to time. They were after oolichan. In a week they will all be in the river will be spring. I knocked and looked in. He rose from the ~ hope of spring anymore. 1 thought of asking if le: along with eagles.and seals and sea a lions, and it” Seniors rocket to the top That's Kevin Gillanders blocking a Kitimat pass at’ Caledonia’ n week. The Kermodes won 80-59 and advance to the provincialé in mid-March. one finals ‘last THE CALEDONIA senior boys basketball won the zone playoffs 80-59 in Ter- race last week, to the cheers of parents and fans, But the game Kitimat was a lot closer than they expected, “They totally wanted it,’’ said point guard, Christian Desierto. ‘‘They're a better team than they were last week.” Though the intense game tired him, Desierto couldn’t hide his enthusiasm for the provincials on March 9. “Ym excited,’ said Desierto. “It’s my first year,”’ Several other team mem- bers, can draw on last year’s provincials when the team finished fourteenth. Simmons expecis to finish in the top 10. He said one of the challenges of the zone final was a mental one. **We have a habit of playing to the other team’s level,” he said. The Kermodes find’ out how they seed in the provin- cials as other zones com- plete their playoffs, Coach Cam MacKay ex- pecis to enter in the bottom four. And that means the Kermodes will play one of B.C,.’s top four teams in their first game, “We're in deep,’? MacK- ay said. “No matter what, we're in trouble,’’ But MacKay knows his team can play better than they did last week, But unlike his players, MacKay: ‘has ‘his eye-on- the] prize. “‘We’ré going’ down to win,” he said. Juniors win zone championships THE SKEENA junior girls make big plays at the right times and won the North Central Junior Girls Basketball Championships Feb. 20-21. The girls now join the Skeena boys in advancing to the provincial championships in March. Entering the home tournament third in the zone, Skeena went undefeated in the round robin play. They started off ihe tournament by beating zone leaders Hazelton Secondary 45-42 in overtime after Skeena’s Leah Malo sank a foul shot in the final seconds of regulation play. Next they beat Charles Hays 46-43 and then faced Nisga’a in the semi-finals. In the last eight minutes of the game Skeena outscored Nisga’a 18-7 to win the game 38-34 and advance to the finals. There, they faced Hazelton who had battled their way to the top of the other draw. Skeena started the final game fast and held a seven-point lead after two quarters, By the end of the third quarter, Skeena lead by 20 points and cruised to a 65-36 win. All Star selections were Kim Azak (Nisga’a), Erin Wright (Prince Rupert Secondary), Sarah Franks (Charles Hays) and Skeena’s Kelly Haugland and Pam Gavronsky. Hazelton’s Tamara Stoney won tournament MVP, Westam Pacifie goaltender Gil Rego directs players during an intense final game against Super BM. Despite Rego's efforts, Western Pacific lost the game 4-3. Super BM win playoffs THEY WERE at the top of their league for two con- secutive futsal seasons, and each time they were denied the men’s playoff title. So when Super BM stepped out onto the gym floor at Caledonia on Mon- day, Feb, .21, they wanted the win, bad, Their rivals? Westem Pa- cific, the very same team who had stolen the summer soccer title from them last September. The number two team in the league. Super BM and Westem. Pacific played a close game to .a cheering crowd at Caledonia, with lots of end to end nishes and close goals. But in the end Super BM were able win the title 4-3, thanks to. much help. froin the ‘playoff MVP, George. De Stephan Garnander won the «© Medeiros, Teammate best defensive player and Tony Ribero walked off with the best keeper award, Top scorer during regular season play went to high school student Corey Trogi and Northern Kaight was nominated the most sports- manilike. team, who lost 5-2 to the Internationals in the playoff rounds, Other playoff action saw. Canadian Tire beat Forestry 3-2 in a shootout. Western Pacific beat Canadian Tire 5-1 and Super BM beat the Internationals 8-2. The soccer association holds its first planning meet- ing the upcoming outdoor season on March 15, at 7:00 p.m. at the Terrace Public Library. Anyone interested in playing — this should attend. The Annual General meeting is schedul- ed for March 29. Co-ed drop in soccer con- tinues Mondays from 9-10 p.m. at Caledonia . Senior Secondary until Mar. 8 and at Thornhill Elementary on Thursdays from 7-9 p.m un- til spring. Final 1998/1 999 league standings Team GF GA GPWL T Pts Super BM 106 35 20161 3 48 “W. Pacific 66 51 209 7 4 31 _.., Forestry. 62 68 209 9 2 29 cess Interntals, © 67 TZ. 20.7 12222 ee, _- N, Knight 67.124 206.13 12:19 «. Cdn. Tire (540 72..20-5. 1.4. Ad. oo summer against Sports Scope Mini-basketball THE TERRACE Nisga’a Tribal Council local sports and recreation department is hosting two mini-basketball tournaments March 26-28 at Caledonia high school. Ten teams in each of the wider-12 9 and = wnder-10 mixed toumaments are ex- pected from across the northwest and trophies and medals will be awarded. The council has set up four organizational meetings on March 4, 11, 18 and 25 to discuss entry fees and schedules. To register, or volunteer call the local of- fice at 635-4422, Belly dancing SHAPE your stomach and slim your hips by enrolling in belly dancing lessons at Uplands Elementary school this spring. Belly dancing offers an entire body workout in a fun and social atmosphere, You don’t have to be coordinated or physically fit to start ci- ther. Registration for spring lessons starts soon, call Pamela Hoekstra at 638- 0305 for more information, _ Shames report ALL RUNS are groomed and in excejlent shape at Shames this week. The hill has a base of 321 centimeters of snow at mid- “mountain “meters at the lodge. ane Skating THE TERRACE Skating Club is planning an ice - camival called, ‘‘“A Musical Time Warp” March 25 at 7 p.m. Their guest skater i is none other than Kristen Avis, the Canadian Novice Ladies Champion. Tickets are available at Sight and: Sound, All Sea- sons, Central Flowers and Effective Fitness, Score Board SRD Blues 1 Novice house league Sunday, Feb. 21 R-49 Construction 10 . Terrace Elks 6 Long's Logging 5 ae : ‘koa Office Solutions 4 Recreation league Tuesday, Feb, 23 Tuesday, Feb. 16 Chapter One 3 Precision Builders 4 Back Eddy Bullies = 5 All Seasons 2 White Spot 1 White Spot i Skeena Cable 7 Chapter One Aeros = 4 Saturday, Feb, 20 Sunday, Feb, 14 All Season’s 4 Chapter One Aeros = 2 Back Eddy 4 All Lightning 1 Chapter One 2 White Spot 6 Precision Builders 2 Back Eddy Bullies 8 Thursday, Feb. 18 Saturday, Feb, 13 SkeenaCable 6 - 6 — Skeena Cable 7 Back Eddy 3 Presision Builders = 5 White Spot 0 All Seasons 7 Oldtimer’s League Sunday, Feb. mu Subway 5 . SRD Blues 4 —_ Timbermen 10 Timbermen 6 = ; ' ‘Wednesday, Feb. 10 Subway 3 SRD Blues... - 7 Northem Okies 6 Subway 47 Wednesday, Feb. 17 Northem Okies 2 Terrace Minor Hocke y Atom division , Sunday, Feb.21 Copperside Fools 2 Kinsmen 2 Saturday, Feb. 20 ‘The Bargain Shop 4 a All West Trading = 2 and ; -285:-- -centi-,:-~ |.