Summer doldrums: hot, calm and even the fish seem to take a break — it may be not the best time for the angler, although there are good arguments to the contrary.

To start with, the forecast for the weekend is ideal for a voyage offshore and, while the inner bottom and deeper reef areas offer some diversions, the veteran will continue to concentrate on Bermuda’s Edge and the off-lying banks.

Not that such a strategy is necessarily the best course of action. Much of the smaller game is at peak and more likely to please than certain other species. Yellowtail snappers, blackfin tuna, bonita, amberjack and barracuda will all please, although these are usually found in the company of the large tiger sharks that are a dominant feature of many of the preferred fishing grounds at this time of the year.

Probably the biggest disappointment this season has been the lack of school-sized yellowfin or Allison tuna. Most summers in Bermuda are characterised by boats running out to the Banks, dropping the hook and proceeding to take on what might be the most challenging light-tackle species on earth. “On earth” is fitting because the species is found through all the tropical and subtropical latitudes in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. About the only warm place where it is not found is the Mediterranean Sea.

It was the ability to lure such fish into the chum line that really helped to put Bermuda on the angling map during the 1950s and 1960s. That was also when the blackfin tuna earned its deserved reputation. Between the two-and-a-bit variety from wahoo and the small-game species, by the mid-1970s the Island was synonymous with great light-tackle angling.

In more recent years, the commercial fishery has also found value in this species, which was helped immensely by the sudden interest and growth in the sushi industry. Although the market prefers the larger fish, local fishermen generally had no problem moving quantities of school-sized and middleweight yellowfins. The problem seems to be that this year, for whatever reason, the fish simply have not been there in the numbers usually expected. What August usually brings are the larger fish, which seem to be better exploited while trolling. This poses another conundrum.

Trolling the edge of the drop-offs has the advantage of being a preferred method for taking wahoo and the occasional tuna. The problem is that the wahoo are pretty thin on the ground, as it were, when the water is so warm and, often, so calm. Trolling is also consumptive of fuel. The large tuna are usually found out in the deeper areas, but that is also home to the billfish and there are enough of those around to make them a more likely encounter than a tuna.

Just such an outcome was experienced by Capt Alan Card’s Challenger this week, when a day of working the deep water resulted in four blue marlin raised and two released. One was estimated at 300lbs and the other, a larger fish, was thought to be close to 900lbs. Other boats have logged similar experiences.

It is generally thought that as the season wears on, the blue marlin get smaller, but, while there is some truth to this, it does not mean that there are not any big fish around. What probably happens is the result of a combination of events.

First off, the blue marlin probably spawns on the July full moon or thereabouts. Figure that a full moon in late June would have the same effect. Large fish caught in June and July have regularly been shown to be carrying full roes that are ready for spawning. Given that these organs can account for 10 per cent or so of the total weight, this is what makes a large female fish weigh even more.

By the time August rolls around, the fish are probably back to their normal weight and the males (always smaller fish) lose interest in spawning and concentrate on feeding. In all likelihood, the males are more numerous and probably become more active. This would account for the belief that there is an influx of smaller blue marlin during the late summer. These are more suited to the tackle used my most local anglers and probably will be the desired target of boats taking part in the Bermuda Marlin Release Tournament next week. Details can be found at tackle shops or from Trevor Gillis at Temperature Control Ltd.

Full credit must go the Bermuda Anglers Club, which is being so proactive in promoting the participation of youth in the sport of angling. On August 24, it is organising the third annual Bermuda Anglers Club Junior Fishing Tournament. Unlike many events, this is not limited to members, but is open to all boys and girls aged 16 years and younger.

There are categories for boys and girls, and for boat and shore fishing. All species are eligible, with the exception of legally protected species, billfish and sharks. Fishing starts, rain or shine, at 8.30am and the weigh-in will be at the Flagpole on Front Street from 3pm to 5pm. All participants will receive a T-shirt to commemorate their participation in this popular community event.

Entry forms are available online at the club’s website, www.bermudaanglersclub.com, or at Flybridge Tackle. All told, a positive move to encourage the younger set to find satisfaction in Tight Lines!!!