Memories...			...On The Morice
			by Debi Osborne

Each bend in the Morice River holds another memory. At 11-Mile, a 43-pound spring salmon gives a grinning fisherman a run he will never forget, while at Strawberry Point, steelhead heading up river to spawn are drawn into deep, secret pools to rest for the night. The river is a virtual "fish-freeway" and local guides can tell you the Morice river is recognized world-wide. Fly fishermen that can't speak a word of English stand chest deep in the frigid green waters beside others, some casting from jet or pontoon boats, some standing dry on the shore. This same river once transported Father A.G. Morice and his native guides on an exploration of the area.

A moment to remember for Archie Smith photo courtesy of Ray Makowichuk

From approximately 1885-1903, this Catholic missionary, explorer and map maker was said to be one of the first white men to explore some of Houston's surrounding area. In recognition, there is a lake, river, mountain and town (Moricetown, west of Smithers) named after him. Further downstream, near my all-time favorite fishing hole called The Forks, the Morice meets up with the smaller and less acclaimed Bulkley River. Basically a creek, this river is narrow enough in places to jump across.

Flyfishing and casting at Strawberry Point

To this day, it remains a thorn in a few hip waders that maps drawn by government cartographers in Victoria named the resulting combined river the Bulkley and not the Morice. Described as both a vain and egotistical man, Father Morice might also have had something to say about that. Unfortunately, he was transferred to Manitoba in 1903, where he died in 1938.