by Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

FORT SIMPSON (Apr 17/98) - So, if you want to see a gleam in the eye of your average Deh Cho male, you should mention sports -- golfing, or, yikes...sex -- right?

Wrong. Try fishing.

Local anglers are already gearing up for this year's season. And, most of them can hardly wait. All one has to do is mention the sport in recent weeks to get an angler going.

"I haven't fly-fished since I was 10 and I'm dying to get back into it," says Fort Simpson's Chad Skolseg, who recently took possession of a new fly rod, reel, line and flies. "I'm going to the Redknife River first. Then, I want to try (the) Rabbitskin River with my fly rod."

Skolseg is also busy organizing a June trip -- under discussion since last fall -- to the legendary Moose River in the Trout Lake area. Anglers say that this river contains some of the North's largest fish.

Lifelong Fort Simpson resident Dave McCowan is also ready to get at the fishing. Though he moved to take a new job in Whitehorse, Yukon, one of the first items he packed was his fishing gear.

There's no way he's going to pass up the chance to land a salmon in the Yukon waters.

"The important thing is hitting them when the run is on," he says.

He also took time to mention his favorite Deh Cho fishing spots.

"Rabbitskin (River) has been pretty good to Chad (Skolseg) and I," he says.

When he returns from Whitehorse for a visit, the pike and pickerel should still be there to greet him.

Fort Simpson's Rick LeBeuf is another stricken by fishing fever.

"I'm starting to stare at my tackle box and I have my kid's lines all ready," he says. "I can't wait until Redknife (River) opens up and the same for the Moose River."

"The best fishing I've ever done is at Moose River."

Like Skolseg, LeBeuf is particularly looking forward to some more fly-fishing memories to come from this spring and summer.

And in the North there is little doubt he will get them -- if, that is, the big ones don't get away.