Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, November 24, 1994                   TAG: 9411260016
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: HOLIDAY 
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SKI RESORT CALLS UP THE BIG GUNS

``We have been spoiled the past two years, when we have opened really early,'' said Chris Canfield, a Snowshoe spokesman.

Snow-making crews began their assault on the mountain at midnight Monday and have been producing snow every hour temperatures were below freezing. The current crew consists of 20 members and 35 guns.

``We are mainly concentrating our snow-making efforts on opening trails such as Skidder, Crosscut, Gandy Dancer and Powder Monkey,'' said Eddie Galford, the resort's director of operations. Plans call for having the beginner slope Skidder open today, with Crosscut, Gander Dancer and Powder Monkey coming on line Saturday. That arrangement will give skiers a variety of trails from the top to the bottom of the mountain.

Snowshoe traditionally is the first resort in the Southeast to open, but warm weather spoiled those plans.

``You can do all your marketing and other things, but you still are in Mother Nature's hands,'' Canfield said.

TURKEY AT NAGS HEAD: Anglers along the Outer Banks of North Carolina today may have to eat turkey - or even crow. The big bluefish that draw hundreds of surf and pier fishermen to the area each year remain scarce.

``It's mostly dogfish, skate and spotted hakes,'' said one tackle shop operator.

The water really hasn't settled since Hurricane Gordon's visit last week. The best report that fishermen are hearing as they arrive in the area is a catch of three blues in the 16- to 17-pound class this week near Ramp 23.

DUDLEY DOES RIGHT: David Dudley of Lynchburg is going into next week's Bassmaster Georgia Eastern Invitational ranked ahead of established pros David Fritts, Jim Bitter and Guy H. Eaker.

Fishing the B.A.S.S. circuit for the first time, Dudley is ranked fourth in the Eastern division. Following the Georgia contest, to be held on Lake Lanier, the division has one event left before the BASS Masters Classic. That one is the Virginia Invitational, April 27-29 at Kerr Lake.

The top five qualifiers in the Eastern division and the best 25 in the Top 100 division earn a berth in the Classic.

THE HEAT IS ON: Deer hunters in high-country areas such as Bath, Highland and Grayson counties were beginning to get pretty cold. Some threatened to go home. Then, the ban on fire, which included campfires and camp stoves, was lifted.

Monday's rain dampened the woods enough to prompt officials to lift the ban, but federal and state forest officials remain a bit nervous. It still is dry in some areas. But hunters at last can have fire enough to cook Thanksgiving Day dinner.

DON'T QUIT YET: Bill Klein is thankful he hasn't hung up his trout tackle for the season. While fishing Lake Moomaw recently, Klein landed an 8.2-pound brown trout, one of the largest of the season.

Moomaw is down 16 feet and falling, but may be ready to lavish anglers with some of the best trout action of the year.

Also low is Claytor Lake, but fishing interest remains high and catches of striped bass, catfish and black bass have been good.

Stripers also are being boated in the upper reaches of Kerr Lake. At Smith Mountain Lake, Joe Wells got a 25-pounder. The pattern there is to cast surface lures for stripers at daylight and to use bait in the afternoon.

The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has announced it will not stock trout again until the two-week Western deer season is over. That means no stockings this week or next.