his bait and gear flew past his ear

Lew 2006 holds trophy he won for jr. (16 and under) in about 1954

Lew January 2008

Jim Willis......... Lew Chater........ Derby 1955?

Growing up in Chilliwack.........1966

From 1938 until about 1967 the Vedder River Boxing Day Steelhead Derby was held at the Vedder Crossing Pavilion...it was a walking derby until about 1964 and then the use of cars was introduced because of the larger numbers of entrants. To win the Kingfish is a big deal...just to weigh a fish in is a big deal.....

The day before Christmas and Lew and I were out on the Vedder River having a good look at some of the fishing holes so we would know where to go on Derby Day......The annual Boxing Day Steelhead derby was being held in two days.....The river had been high and on a freshet, but it had turned colder and was now clearing up to almost perfect conditions. We had an excellent day and barbed five steelies ending the day with three nice fish, two of which came out of the area we pegged for derby day. At the end of the day we found choice water to go to on derby morning and were really confident if we got there at daylight our chances of weighing a fish in were really good...... So along comes derby morning , always an exciting time ....the entrants waiting at the store for the gun to go off just before daylight....lots of holiday best wishes and hi how are ya.... as most all our fishing aquaintances were there and visits with people not seen since last derby day.....It was a beautiful windless winter morning with a light snow falling. Hey there's Floyd and Ed ......friends that I had met when I worked in Vancouver for 4 years.....they are fishing pals and we had fished together many times......but Lew and I are teamed and ready and anxious to go to our preplanned fishing hole. Hi Floyed....Ed .....Merry Xmas etc. etc....Floyd says....hey, you guys.... where are you going?....gulp...uhh uhh....well we are goin down below I guess....eh Lew...down below.........Yeah I guess.......Well ,we'll go with you guys cuz we don't know where to go
..... Oh yeah...uummmm.....I look at Lew.......his eyes are just little slits....ummmmm....he blows air with pointy down lips...uuhhuh...We will follow you down......ya, swell.....so BANG the gun goes and we run to our cars and everyone is peeling out to get to their spots...I can't remember what was said in the car, we were thinking about position to say anything much. We knew we had just had our chances cut in half but what the heck..... So we drive down about a 3/4 mile and a short walk to the river.....Lew and I were bait fishing and ready to go....it was just a matter of get there and start casting and we did.......I went to the top end of this very short but fishy looking run and had a bite right away ....like a small fish might bite.....dipped the float then spit the bait out......buck fever started in and I made another short cast.......nothing this time but I heard a yelp and looked at Lew as he pulled up and his bait and gear flew past his ear and tangled in the bush behind him.....oh gawd Gus ...one just buried it and I missed him........
Just then Floyd arrived and he said ...hey this is a good looking spot ....then he cast out to where Lew was drifting .......his float went into the slot, then took a dive...."fish on".......a beaut nailed his spin and glow........wow.....can ya beat that......any steelhead fisherman can understand the "hey he is my friend but I hate him" feeling .....way to go says Ed ....ya whoopee......Lew is retrieving his hook out of the tree while doing a slow burn.....We move out of his way and watch him land a beautiful big buck Steelhead....Hey nothin to it , Floyd rushes off to weigh the fish in ...that is the name of the game ....weigh em in as soon as possible.....gee, that lucky nice guy.......Ed then joins in .......15 minutes go by....we are all watching our floats like radar...then....Eds pulls and he is into one.....what ...way to go Ed....So we reel in and watch Ed land a doe about 11 lbs....Away he goes to the weigh in with his prize......Now we are alone and I ask Lew if he is having any fun yet......we are talking to our floats by now.......Oh, here comes Floyd back......17 lbs 8 oz he sez...he is smilin...he is just smilin.........so how you guys doin.....I just passed "Toots"( Ed's nickname).....he had a nice one eh......o ya sure was.......Floyd makes a cast between us.....Jeez that's the biggest one so far, but there is lots of time ye.....his float just disappears in the current.....what....yep, he has another one on.......same story ....a darb about 12 lbs.......way to go Floyd.....I look at Lew and wonder if I look as frumpy as he does right now.......now Floyd has taken his second fish to the weigh in and the action is over but we stay with it and end our day with nothing landed.....the competition is over and we watch Floyd accept his trophy for the Kingfish.....quite an accomplishment.....and Ed picked up 4th or 5th heaviest......it was a day Lew and I talked about for many years..and still do.The best laid plans.........