'Trout king of Sask.': 2 men who died in crash remembered as passionate anglers
Just hours after being awarded Angler of the Year at a Saskatchewan fishing tournament, Steve Taylor and his friend Cody Strass died in a crash near Watson.
Dallas Kirkpatrick is also a longtime tournament walleye fisherman. He said Taylor and Strass died on their way back from the Last Mountain Fall Walleye Classic.
“I think what you'll find when you ask anybody else from the fishing community about Steve is that he was just a very humble and likable guy,” said Kirkpatrick.
“Cody was pretty much unanimously considered the trout king of Saskatchewan,” he added.
“He was always very outgoing, and he'd never walk away from a conversation, especially about fishing. He lived for fishing – It was his passion, his job, and everything in between.”
Melfort RCMP responded to the crash at 12:30 a.m. on Sunday on Highway 6, about 10 kilometres north of Watson, according to a news release.
Investigators determined a minivan collided with a truck towing a boat on a trailer.
The two men in the truck, a 35-year-old man from Pickerel Lake and a 42-year-old man from Melfort, were pronounced dead on scene. The driver of the minivan, a 43-year-old man from Spalding, also died.
A GoFundMe has been created to support Taylor’s wife and four children. As of Monday afternoon, it’s raised about half of its $50,000 goal.
“The days, weeks and months ahead are going to be met with many challenges as they begin to navigate life with Steve no longer here,” wrote Christie Parker, the organizer of the fundraiser.
Kirkpatrick said he works for Angler’s Atlas and MyCatch, which hosts Walleye Wars, a tournament series across Canada. Taylor and Strass were also avid supporters of that tournament, he said.
Walleye Wars, unlike many other tournaments, is based on length instead of weight – an idea Kirkpatrick pitched to other top anglers in Saskatchewan, including Taylor.
“Whenever we had detractors or people saying something negative about the tournaments because they either didn't like the format or how the events were being run, Steve was always one of the first people to send me a personal message offering his support and words of encouragement,” he said.
RCMP say a traffic reconstructionist is investigating the crash.
Do you have a story idea or news tip? Email us.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.