Thank you all for this thread. It gave me plenty to think about. All great names and good men behind them, great men actually. I had to look up John Olin, wow what a powerhouse. I'll be researching the rest as well. This is a mighty wonderful site to learn American History on a personal level.

I appreciate this thread as well because I'm about a mile from the Potomac and I have fished the entire river, for years. I'm familiar with the areas that have been discussed and I'm also familiar with about every creek along the river. I enjoy learning about the history of the river and it is just that, steeped in some serious history going back to Colonial times. Tidal fishing (for Bass) is a whole different ball-game as compared to ponds/lakes. Here's my tip for anyone fishing along the Potomac. Go to the back of the creeks…ALL the way back. Find yourself the skinniest water (6" deep) that's also full of grass which makes the water gin clear. After you catch the two or three 5/6 lber's out of the area, you can enjoy the rest of the day catching 2-3lber's until your arm gets sore. All on an outgoing tide, of course. Be sure to leave the area before low tide or be prepared to await the next incoming tide b/c your boat's going to be stuck in the mud.

Although it's blurry, here's a snapshot of a nasty ol' SnakeHead I caught when they first showed-up in the river several yrs ago. This was one of only a few caught at that time and as the picture shows..it's a pretty big one. Caught him on a jig.

Kansas enjoys the boat as well. It's hard to keep him in it. It's a pain in the ass.

..and, there he goes : |

This is my first post on the PGCA forum. I appreciate very much the info given on this thread as I was privileged to be able to spend an hour with BoWhoop (I) before it was sent from Savannah, GA to Julia's auction to be sold. The shells are only secondary in interest to the gun itself, for me. I have looked for a box of the original loads myself, and have not been able to locate any. This is not an original, even tho' it looks like it. Twenty-three of the shells in it are original, tho'. I do, however, have an original full box of the 1 5/8 oz. Luballoy loads.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...p/IMG_0099.jpg

Maybe someday. Thanks for the info, Bill.

SRH

I was recounting the appearance of the Bartholomew case of shells at the Southern SxS about 8 - 9 years ago, to some gents when the subject came up at the recent Northeast SxS at Hausmann's. I had a chance to buy the sealed case of 20 boxes for a relative pittance, as did several other Foxers who were there and also by proxy (me) to a northern collector/dealer I'd called from the tent to confer but he declined too. The gent who had them for sale knew what they were and he was also at this year's Northeast. All told, just goes to show how interest in something and value of same can escalate exponentially over just a few years. Bill was astute in recognizing and tracking down the Bartholomew case of Super-X''s when he did it right after that year's Southern.