KEEFE REPORTS... SO FAR... THIS SEASON'S BEEN A BUST. ((NAT OF RIVER)) BY THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY... JIM MCPHERSON TYPICALLY HAS HIS 20 SMELT CAMPS OUT ON THE CATHANCE RIVER.... 34-41 USUALLY BY THIS TIME OF YEAR WE'VE GOT CAMPS ON AND ARE PRETTY MUCH RUNNING FULL CAPACITY AT THIS POINT IN TIME WITH THE PANDEMIC, HE WAS EVEN EXPECTING A BOOST IN BUSINESS THIS SEASON. 2:05-2:23 IT IS AN OUTDOOR ACTIVITY AND IT'S EASY TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING AND I THOUGHT YOU KNOW THIS LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT BE A GOOD YEAR WHICH I THINK IT WOULD IF WE HAD SOME ICE BUT NO ICE SO I CAN'T PUT THE CAMPS ON SO I JUST SIT HERE AND WAIT, HOPE WE GET ICE 3:26-3:28 WELL IT'S HURTING EVERYBODY DAVID DAVID SKELTON OWNS THE BOWDOINHAM COUNTRY STORE... JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM JIM'S SMELT CAMPS... HIS BUSINESS... ALONG WITH OTHERS IN TOWN... ARE FEELING THE LOSS OF WITNER VISITORS. 53-1:13 IF THERE'S ICE ON THE RIVER WE'LL HAVE FOLKS COMING IN THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY NIGHTS USUALLY GROUPS OF 4 GUYS SOMETIMES 6 8 GUYS UH YOU KNOW THEY MIGHT RENT 2 CABINS OR WHAT NOT 2 FISHING SHACKS SO THEY'RE COMING IN BUYING BEER SANDWICHES, CIGARETTES. STUFF YOU FISH WITH. DAVID AT THIS RATE, JIM'S CROSSING HIS FINGERS FOR A TWO OR THREE WEEK SEASON... HIS CUSTOMERS ARE ANXIOUS TO GET OUT AND FISH... ((NAT OF PHONE)) SOME CALLING EVERY WEEK TO GET AN IDEA OF WHEN THE ICE MIGHT BE READY... 1:10-1:18 WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY CONDITIONS THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO PUT CAMPS ON. ANY ICE THAT WE GET DURING THE NIGHT THE DAY TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN SO WARM IT JUST DISSIPATES. JIM JIM'S BEEN IN THE BUSINESS FOR 45 YEARS... AND HE KNOWS WELL THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THE WEATHER, ALL YOU CAN
Warmer winter weather is making this year's smelting season a bust
Owners of smelt camps along Maine rivers are feeling the pinch with fewer visitors.
Updated: 6:45 PM EST Jan 16, 2021
By the middle of January, Jim McPherson typically has his 20 smelt camps out on the Cathance River.“Usually, by this time of year, we’ve got camps on and are pretty much running full capacity at this point in time,” said McPherson, who owns Jim’s Smelt Camps in Bowdoinham.With the pandemic, he was even expecting a boost in business this season.“It is an outdoor activity and it’s easy to follow the guidelines for social distancing and I thought, you know, this looks like it might be a good year. Which, I think it would if we had some ice, but no ice, so I can’t put the camps on, so I just sit here and wait. Hope we get ice,” McPherson said.“Well it’s hurting everybody,” said David Skelton, who owns the Bowdoinham Country Store just down the road from McPherson’s place. He, along with the other businesses in town, are feeling the loss of winter visitors.“If there’s ice on the river we’ll have folks coming in Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights. Usually groups of four guys, sometimes six, eight guys. You know they might rent two cabins or what not, two fishing shacks, so they’re coming in, buying beer, sandwiches, cigarettes. Stuff you fish with,” Skelton said.At the rate this winter’s going, McPherson’s crossing his fingers for a two- or three-week season.His customers are anxious to get out and fish, with some calling every week to get an idea of when the ice might be ready.“We haven’t had any conditions that would allow us to put camps on. Any ice that we get during the night, the day temperatures have been so warm it just dissipates,” McPherson said.But having been in the smelting business for 45 years now, he knows well that when it comes to the weather, all you can do is sit back and wait.
BOWDOINHAM, Maine — By the middle of January, Jim McPherson typically has his 20 smelt camps out on the Cathance River.
“Usually, by this time of year, we’ve got camps on and are pretty much running full capacity at this point in time,” said McPherson, who owns Jim’s Smelt Camps in Bowdoinham.
With the pandemic, he was even expecting a boost in business this season.
“It is an outdoor activity and it’s easy to follow the guidelines for social distancing and I thought, you know, this looks like it might be a good year. Which, I think it would if we had some ice, but no ice, so I can’t put the camps on, so I just sit here and wait. Hope we get ice,” McPherson said.
“Well it’s hurting everybody,” said David Skelton, who owns the Bowdoinham Country Store just down the road from McPherson’s place.
He, along with the other businesses in town, are feeling the loss of winter visitors.
“If there’s ice on the river we’ll have folks coming in Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights. Usually groups of four guys, sometimes six, eight guys. You know they might rent two cabins or what not, two fishing shacks, so they’re coming in, buying beer, sandwiches, cigarettes. Stuff you fish with,” Skelton said.
At the rate this winter’s going, McPherson’s crossing his fingers for a two- or three-week season.
His customers are anxious to get out and fish, with some calling every week to get an idea of when the ice might be ready.
“We haven’t had any conditions that would allow us to put camps on. Any ice that we get during the night, the day temperatures have been so warm it just dissipates,” McPherson said.
But having been in the smelting business for 45 years now, he knows well that when it comes to the weather, all you can do is sit back and wait.