Christmas. It's a time of good will, friendship, warm feelings and the reoccuring question, "What to give the sportsperson in the family?"

For the person with everything, there's nothing left to buy, and to the person with nothing, there's everything to buy - but what?A little help maybe? Here are a few of the hot-selling items this year.

For the fisherman from Angler's Inn:

The Buck's Bag pontoon boat is the newest thing in personal fishing crafts. Where most pontoon boats are made for calm or slow moving water, this one is designed for lakes and rivers. The design of the pontoons makes it a much safer water craft. It features oars and oar locks, seat, frame and two pontoons. Ideal for places like the Green River. The price tag is $700.

Fly fishing is very popular this year. In response, manufactures have introduced a full range of equipment. Where fly fishing equipment was once considered "expensive," it now falls into the reasonable range. Packages come with rod, reel, backing and #loating flyline. Rods range#rom 7-foot up to 9-foot. The difference in prices is generally reflected in the rod. Better rods are typically lighter and easier to cast. For the beginners and novice anglers, less expensive equipment is fine. Outfits, with high quality graphite rods, range in price from $50 to $300.

The newest items on the market for fly fishermen is a locally produced video, "FlyTy for Windows." The video bridges the gap between the old way - books - and the new rage - computers. It features a step-by-step computer-aided fly typing program. The video shows basic tying techniques, shows step-by-step procedures for tying 20 flies and 120 recipes, and shows photographs of aquatic insects, among other things. Cost of the video is $49.

Fishing vests are and always will be a hot items. The most popular being the Columbia Henry's Fork. It features 25 pockets of different sizes, comes in five colors and in sizes from small to triple-extra large. Cost is $64.99.

In the way of outdoor equipment from REI:

Polartec 200 Fleece clothing. It's light weight, comfortable, warm, fuzzy and made from milk and soda jugs, or post consumer recycled polyester. A zipper jacket is $60 and pull-on pants are $55.

The Katadyn Mini-Filter. This is a cleanable, ceramic water filter that can purify up to 2,000 gallons of water, removing particulates up to .02 microns. This filter pump is only 7 inches long and weighs 8.2 ounces. It costs $150.

Watches. The Avocet, alpine or skier's watch, will measure the rate of decent of a climber or ski run. It is also stopwatch, altimeter, barometer and a watch. It has an elastic band to fit on the outside of a jacket and large buttons for ease of operation, even with gloves on. It's priced at $120. The Casio Digital Compass Watch gives a digital readout on bearings, has a lighted dial, and is a stopwatch and watch. It's priced at $110.

Snowshoes. This one is a surprise. Popular models range from those for small kids to the large 36-inch, high-end models made of lightweight aircraft aluminum for maximum flotation on the snow. Kids models start at around $75 and the adults go up to $258. There is also a model called the 10K, which fits onto running shoes and is intended for the person who wants to enjoy year-round running. Cost is $210.

Hotronic Boot Warmer System consists of a small plate that goes under the ball of the foot and is heated by a rechargeable battery. One charge, and the battery can be recharged up to 1,000 times, will give 8 hours of warmth. Controls can actually regulate the temperature. Popular with alpine and cross country skiers. Cost is $140.

In the way of fitness equipment from Upper Limit:

The Spirit 225 treadmill is a fully programmable treadmill that offers a variable deck - from zero to 15 percent incline and zero to 10 miles per hour - and a 18-by-52-inch surface. The price tag is $1,995.

The Quantum stepper by Bodyguard. This, too, is a fully programmable system featuring electronic magnetic resistance. The price tag is $1,695.

For the golfer from Caddyshack Golf Shop:

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The Callaway Big Bertha was once thought to be a gimmick. Now the big-headed clubs is the rage. It remains one of the most popular items in golf shops. The larger club heads add to the confidence level, which translates into better hits and longer distance. Once available only in the No. 1 wood, they now come in the 1, Deuce, 3, 4, 5, Heaven Wood and Divine Nine Clubs start at $150 for steel and $230 for graphite.

And there's more. The King Cobra irons are a hot items. These, too, have the larger club heads. Again, the theory being that the enlarged hitting area makes it easier to get the ball up and into the air, thus boosting the confidence level, thus improving the game. A set runs from $429 to $579.

The newest thing in golf balls comes from Titleist. Last year, for a test, the Professional was available only in the three-ball sleeves. This year the golf ball, with the new Elastomer cover, are available by the dozen. The main feature is a more durable surface, with no loss of distance or spin. Where golf balls with the Balata cover were easily cut after nine holes, the Elastomer can easily be played for two to three rounds, which ultimately, not accounting for lost golf balls, offsetting the higher cost. A dozen golf balls sells for $36.75.

This is just a few of the many possibilities. At this point, it's a start to a possible end to shopping madness.

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