By Chris Gadsden

After covering the annual Boxing Day Steelhead Derby for the Chilliwack Progress for the past number of years I once again decided to participate in it. I had only entered it twice before, the last time well over 10 years ago when I was fortunate enough to land a fish and win a prize.

Fellow anglers often asked me why I did not enter the derby any more as I am such an avid steelhead angler. In jest I said, “I always cover it for Progress Sports Editor Dale Corey and I did not want to have to write about myself if I won.” It was hard enough writing the story back in the year 2000 when my son Gordon took home the top prize.

So this year, as Gordon could not enter the derby, I was invited by his fishing partner CEJ Mussell, of the famous Bronc riding Mussell family of Chilliwack, to fish the derby with him. I accepted rather reluctantly as it is tough getting up after a day of celebrating Christmas and having a large evening dinner. Besides, I had agreed to help derby chairman Gwyn Joiner starting at 6 a.m. selling tickets and registering derby anglers at the Chilliwack Fish and Game Club House.

My morning got off to a bad start as my alarm that I had set for 5 am went off at 3 a.m. The alarm that brought an end to a deep sleep also put me in the bad books with my usually very understanding wife, Maxine. Then to top it off I could not get back to sleep, as I was afraid I would then sleep in. Maybe people are right when they say steelhead fishers are crazy to leave a warm bed at an unearthly hour, only to go stand in a cold river, in the rain, freezing temperatures and snow to catch nothing but a cold. How could I fish very effectively on about 4 hours sleep, I said to myself as I made a quick breakfast.

The thought of phoning CEJ to cancel out briefly crossed my mind, but was quickly erased by the thought of having a chance at the coveted Ferguson Furnell trophy that has been awarded since 1938 for the Kingfish. What an honour it would be to also hold that trophy that been won and held by some of the top steelheaders the last 60 plus years.

As I made my way to the Club House on Chilliwack Lake Road I ran into a bit of snow along the way. Snow and steelheading go hand and hand as these prized winter steelhead run for most of the winter months. The snow also makes for a picture-like setting along the river for us anglers while at the same time seeking out one of nature’s finest game fish.

As I slip through the front doors of the clubhouse right at 6 a.m., I am greeted by several anglers who are waiting to have their derby tickets punched at 6:30. This derby rule is in effect in order to give everyone an equal amount of time to head to his or her secret fishing spots on the river. Fishers are known to wait several hours in the dark at their favourite run to get the first cast in hope some steelhead have moved in during the night. Maybe we fishers are a little crazy.

Several anglers are already enjoying a fisherman breakfast prepared in the kitchen by club members Bill and Connie Wimpney who started cooking at 5 a.m. Talk about dedication. The aroma of the bacon and eggs combined with freshly brewed coffee made my mouth water. Derby chair Gwyn Joiner has me start selling derby tickets, no time even for a coffee, as the growing number of anglers start to arrive some to buy tickets at $15 each. Others seem to arrive early just to trade fishing stories and mingle with friends.

Frank Tinion, the club’s caretaker, gratefully slips in beside me to help sell tickets and start to punch out the derby tickets at the table as my watch reaches the starting time of 6:30. Some of the anxious anglers immediately head for their vehicles even though first light is still at least one hour away.

I am relieved of my duties by Clive Edwards shortly after 7 and have a visit with some of the seasoned anglers in the dinning hall, more interested in enjoying a leisurely breakfast than rushing to their fishing area it seemed.

I leave the clubhouse for my vehicle and am greeted by a blast of cold air before getting into my truck, oh for that warm bed. I head to the spot where I was to meet CEJ and his Grandfather Cec Salmon. I had picked this starting spot as I had landed one steelhead and broke off another in this area a few days before the derby, so we felt fairly confident of finding another steelhead there.

CEJ and Cec greeted me with a ‘nothing yet’ remark, but daylight was just breaking over snow-covered Mount Cheam.

We fished this run for some time before CEJ headed up river and me downstream leaving Cec alone to the “hot spot”.

I started fishing some riffles a couple of hundred yards below Cec. The fairly coloured water caused by the recent rains will see steelhead lay in 2 feet of water of these riffles as the steelhead feel fairly safe there under the shroud of darkness. At the top end of one of the riffles my float disappears in a hurry and as I set the hook I feel and see the tell-tale flash of a good-size steelhead. As my excitement begins to build, the fish dashes to the middle of the river heading downstream and then reverses direction and heads up stream. Just as I start to wonder if I got a derby contender on, my line goes slack. A sinking feeling enters my chest as I wind in nothing but my float as my 12 pound test main line has parted giving the steelhead his freedom.

As I retie up my gear with my still trembling hands I wonder how big that steelhead actually was.

I move down a bit after the retie and on my first cast at another riffle, float down again. I cannot believe it, and do not set the hook too well. The steelhead boils to the top before tossing the hook. More dejected feelings as I put on a fresh bait of roe to the now bare hook. Here it is derby day and I have blown 2 chances for a fish . On the next cast my float again slips out of sight. I am ready this time and set the hook properly as the steelhead, like the first one, heads for the middle of the river heading downstream in a hurry in the fast current.

I follow in hot pursuit as the line screams off my 30-year old Avon Supreme center pin reel. I scramble over a log jam in an attempt to catch up to this fish that has around 50 yards of line taken off the drum of my reel. As I reach the other side of the logjam out of breath with the all the excitement I once again am greeted by a slack line feeling. As I reel in I find the fish has gained his freedom by just fighting clear of the hook. I felt a little better as at least the fish did not break off.

Well here it is the premier day for catching a steelhead and I have lost 3. What will I tell CEJ, Cec and others? Will they believe me, or will they think I am telling fish tales I wonder as I now head back up river to meet CEJ. On relating my tales of woe to my fishing partner I do not get that much sympathy as I relate my bad luck story a few times over the next 2 hours of our fruitless attempt at finding another fish.

As I head back to the clubhouse at 12 to help man the weigh scales for the last couple of hours left in the derby I know I would be faced by many questions from fellow anglers how I did. Each time I related the story to them I start to feel a little better as I hear stories of other anglers who also had lost fish.

When I reached the clubhouse 6 fish had been weighted in and I had the pleasure of weighing in 5 more for the lucky anglers during my shift at the scales. The 357 derby contestants had entered a total of 11 hatchery fish at the derby deadline.

After the prize presentations I shot my pictures of the derby winner Wayne Lillos posing with the Ferguson Furnell trophy along with his mother Vi and with his 12 pound, 9 ounce Kingfish. I then interviewed them for the main derby story for Tuesday’s Chilliwack Progress, which was a real delight to do, as they were both great people. How often can you get a story of a derby winner who is fishing with his 87-year-old mother and beat out 355 other anglers at the same time?

Maybe it was just as well I lost those 3 steelhead, one that could have been a possible derby winner. Wayne and Vi’s story made for better writing for me and hopefully a more interesting story for Chilliwack Progress readers. I really would not have liked to try to write a story about myself winning the derby.

On the other hand who knows, I may be back trying for that Kingfish come derby time next Boxing Day and then maybe Dale will be writing the story. I can see the headline and cut line now. Save lots of space Rick.