The illegal killing of big catfish in the James River has touched a nerve with Richmonders and prompted the posting of no-poaching signs. Three signs went up late last month, and two more are planned, said Ralph White, manager of the city’s James River Park. White and others say people have been targeting the big catfish with homemade spears, spear guns, nets and gear resembling small grappling hooks.

This column was originally going to be about noodling, the mostly insane practice of angling for catfish with one’s hand popular in parts of the country where people often have more all-terrain vehi cles than teeth. I was all set to go noodling (what does that say about my sanity - or total teeth?). I’d even lined up someone, local catfishing guide Mike Ostrander, who could show me where a few cats might hide. We would dive, find the beasts and hope to wrestle them to the surface. Then we’d snap a few pictures before letting them swim away.

A man was rescued from the James River and taken to the hospital yesterday after he swung from a rope swing and disappeared beneath the surface in Richmond, authorities said. The man was underwater for 30 to 40 seconds before a friend pulled him up and performed CPR, said Richmond fire Lt. Shawn L. Jones. The incident occurred shortly before 5 p.m. in the area of Tredegar and South Fifth streets downtown.

Catfish get caught in isolated pools when river levels drop, leading this year to a rash of people illegally taking the fish with spear guns, homemade spears, nets and gear resembling small grappling hooks.

There is nothing quite like grabbing your mask and snorkel, plunging into the refreshing James River and coming face to face with a huge catfish.

Quick tips for snorkeling in the James River

Authorities plan to resume their search today for a boater who went missing in the James River in Charles City County. A 58-year-old man was thrown from the johnboat he was operating yesterday about 6 p.m. when it hit something underwater about 200 to 300 yards upstream from a pier at Lawrence Lewis Jr. Park, said Julia Dixon, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

The building heights recommended by Richmond’s new downtown master plan aren’t the only obstacles to a proposed high-rise along the James River. Before the Echo Harbour development can be considered by the City Council, the Department of Community Development is requiring the developers to provide new and revised technical plans and studies on various aspects of the project.

Castaway Sporting Goods (804 706-9100) reports the action isn’t slowing, but the people are. Saltwater fishing has really turned on. Spot action is hot, and bloodworms are the bait of choice. Different types of jigs and live bait work well for flounder. The freshwater bite is slow, partially because of the hot weather. The people who are going are catching fish. The river is producing a lot of bass. The last qualifier for the year is Aug. 22 at Osborne Landing, and The Classic will be held Sept. 19.

Nearly 400 years ago, the first legislature of Virginia met in Jamestown, helping to determine the colony’s government and laws as settlers adjusted to life in the New World.  Attending that meeting, as the representative of the Citie of Henricus, was Thomas Dowse, who will be the focus of a living-history program Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Henricus Historical Park.

The James River begins behind Charlie Gibson’s house. That would be in northern Botetourt County, beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains, about 240 miles west of Richmond as the river flows and about three hours by car. There, the pristine Cowpasture River joins the far-from-pristine Jackson River to create the James. In Hampton Roads, where the James ends, the mighty river is flat and 5 miles wide. In Richmond, it is full of boulders and roaring rapids. A short walk behind Gibson’s house, it is a rippling mountain stream, lined by sycamores and mimosas and serenaded on a recent morning by song sparrows.

A private businessman with a public role has created a new forum for shaping public access and private development on Richmond’s riverfront. Elliott M. Harrigan, a Richmond businessman and chairman of the board of commissioners at the Richmond Redevelopment & Housing Authority, engaged a New York-based nonprofit venture for a 90-minute presentation last week on how to create public places that will draw people to attractions along the James River.

Francie Reed and a group of friends and neighbors from Goochland County have a walking group they call the Walkie Talkies because they like to talk while they walk. They took their show on the water yesterday, paddling their kayaks down the James River in support of the second annual Runoff Rundown, an event aimed at raising awareness and appreciation of the river. They modified their name for the occasion, calling themselves the Kayaki Yakkers.

The body of a 16-year-old boy who disappeared while swimming in the James River was discovered about 12:15 p.m. today, officials said.