SKEENA.ANGL ROB BROWN Holidaze hen we left Terrace in mid August the sun was shining. As we pulled out of the swampy spot where the driveway should be we cast a fond farewell glance homeward to our recently plumbed, soon to be roofed, estate where the yard was piled high with shingles, plywood, and other roofing essentials. It was warmer in Smithers, even warmer in Prince George, warmer still in 100 Mile House, and positively blistering by the time we arrived in Kamloops a day later. Of course, Kamloops is always hot and parched in the summer. It’s the desert, after all, and that’s what deserts should be. Salmon Arm isn’t a desert; Salmon Arm is a green strip between the Thompson River country and the Okanagan--at least it was until this year. This year it was mostly brown and withered. But for a tuck stroke it would have been scorched black. The flames of the forest fire that consumed Mount Ida and very nearly ate Salmon Arm were three stories high when it nished the town like a raging grizzly chasing out thousands of residents who were fortunate, in the end, that the wind turned the charge into a bluff. When we rolled into town, tires humming on the hot pavement, the beast was back in the hills still angry, still smoldering, but under control. What a difference an average increase of a de- gree makes! The Coquihalla, a sweet little steel- ww head stream rattling through damp canyons wh “2 ‘when Tom Brayshaw and Bill’ Cunliffe fished “its clear pools was a trickle when we looked down upon it from the super highway. If there was a place deep enough to hide a fish, I couldn’t see it. The Fraser, normally still gray and large was low and blue as we made the de- scent from Hope to the farm belt, and then into the sprawling urbs of the lower mainland. The heat in Vancouver clung to us; so did the filthy air. The distances were dirty and barely discernible. We looked at the smog two blocks away while people the same distance from us could look to the smog where we stood. After a week we were more than eager to go. The return trip was hot, but not as hot. Kam- loops was bearable, even without air condition- ing in the car. At Prince George it was if we crossed a line into cooler climes. Smithers was on the verge of frost in the morning. As we rode homeward along Highway 16, we were en- veloped by the green wet landscape, In Terrace the main road was still tom up and the shingles were still in the yard. Apparently our part of the North Coast was the only part of the province to escape the withering heat. As soon as everything was unpacked —- which took a day — [ rounded up my daughter Cait, ordered her to put on her gum boots and rain- coat, and we set out for the Skecna below Ter- race to do some fishing, For her birthday I’d bought her a beginner’s flyfishing outfit assembled by the Sage Rod Company. The graphite rod is seven feet nine inches long. It’s balanced with a double tapered floating line and a budget reel which accom- modates the tine and a hundred yards of back- ing. All of this comes with a lifetime guarantce and cost me about one hundred and thirty dol- Jars. The rod is light and has just the right amount of flex, With it Cait has caught some tiny trout, which she enjoyed, but with salmon in the river there was a distinct possibility of hooking some larger prey. The channel al Andasite Creek was plugged with chum salmon, toothy with broad calico Strips on their flanks, We found a small creek, nearby that was full of pinks, We walked*to’ spot just above the nearest pool where I slid a black and white Corkie onto Cait’s leader fastened it in place by slipping a toothpick into the hole in it then tied on a small egg pattern dressed on a stout hook to her tippet. That done, I gave her a quick demonstration of how to fish an cgg, flipping the line upstream at a steep angle then gathering it in as it bounces back down, Cait is dexterous and quick to master physical problems. In minutes she was fishing well. Alter only a few casts a big sea trout sucked in her egg and bolted Skeenaward. Her eyes were saucers. Her face was a picture of excitement and sheer delight. With my coaching we wiestied the fish to shore: a sixteen inch slivery sea trout which we killed for supper. Over the next two hours we hooked ‘seven more fish very much like the first. All of them were spectacular in one way or another, We watched the salmon thrash, checked out bear tracks and were thankful to be back where things were wet and green and bursting with life, COLD BUT DRY: Kevin Cail, 7, finds solace and dry — space under his umbrella. Cail watched a family , compete member in the novice WATCH THOSE CHIPS FLY: That's Andy Lambert carving a one-inch slice in the novice bucking compe- All loggers were told to take extra safety tition. precautions in the soggy downpour. And the winners arée.... NOVICE EVENTS Bucking stock saw — Nick Palagian Underhand lag chop — George Steward Single hand bucking — Jamie Giberson Obstacle pole bucking — Clayton Scott Axe throw — John Walker, Sarah Mooney Chokerman's race — George Steward _ Stihl sports challenge — Darren Dean ° Overall winner: George Steward 15+ points TERRACE STANDARD competition. ~ Ladies nall driving — Andrea Alton ‘Open bucking - Greg Karran HEY GEORGE: That'd be the winner of the novice category loggers sports division. George Steward toak home cash for winning the-underhand log com- petition and won the chokerman'’s race and overall competition against competitors twice his age. ing competition. Above: Jchn Walker gets a bull's eye in the novice axe throw. OPEN EVENTS Local powersaw bucking — Nick Palaglan Double hand bucking — ~ Jamle Giberson, Underhand log chop — Greg Karran “Darren Dean Axe Throw — Matt Mooney Jill and Jill bucking - — Sandra Lauendorf, Chokermans's race — Scott Lees Mary Lou Starrett Single hand bucking — Matt Mooney pole falling — Greg Karran dack and Jill crosscut — John Walker pale climbing — Shaun Luken ‘log burling — Clayton Scott . Overall Winner: Obstacle pole bucking — Greg Karran Brad Luaghlin 28 points 638-7283 CROSS-CUT STRONGMAN: Jamie Giberson attacks the standing log in a t-shirt in the pouring rain Sunday morning. Giberson placed first in the single hand buck-