BY MATTHEW STONE

Staff Writer

As Gary Hamilton sees it, two forces prevented a strong rush on gear in the days leading up to the New Year's Day start of Maine's ice fishing season.

A weak economy has left many without work and, as a result, the cash to stock up on new ice-fishing gear. And inconsistent weather conditions have kept many large lakes from freezing over.

Hamilton, owner of Neilson's Sporting Goods in Farmingdale, said ice fishing-related business so far this season is falling behind numbers from last year, when winter conditions set in earlier in the season and stayed. Economic conditions were also more favorable.

"A lot of people don't have jobs around here," Hamilton said.

With little cash on hand, he said, ice anglers are making do with the equipment they have, rather than stocking up on new items.

"Guys are tuning their old (ice augers) up instead of buying new ones," he said.

In Palmyra, Moosehead Trail Trading Post owner Jim Spraggins said he hopes the right weather sets in to spur additional business. The few days before New Year's Day, Spraggins said, had "only been average."

"A lot depends on weather," he said.

If fewer Maine residents and tourists take to the state's lakes this ice fishing season, the economic consequences would be felt.

In 2006, 131,000 anglers traveled to Maine from outside the state, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The survey did not distinguish between ice fishing and other types of angling.

The out-of-town anglers spent, on average, $952 on equipment, lodging, food and other costs while in Maine. The total economic impact was nearly $125 million, according to the survey.

Anglers from Maine -- approximately 351,000 of them -- spent more than $132 million on fishing-related expenses in 2006, an average of $604 per angler.

On the Kennebec River, smelt camp-rental businesses are preparing for those looking to take to the ice.

"The phone's ringing off the hook," Joey Doody, of Worthing's Smelt Camps in Randolph, said Wednesday. "Right now, we've got about 16, 17 shacks out. I could rent 200 if I had them."

So far, smelt-camp renters -- including those reserving camps in advance -- have hailed from across Maine and throughout New England, Doody said.

"We're hoping as long as the ice conditions stay good, as long as we get no mid-season warm-ups, we'll stay pretty busy," he said.

Matthew Stone -- 623-3811, ext. 435

mstone@centralmaine.com