Spring is definitely here and if you don’t believe it, despite the chilly mornings, just look at some of Nature’s more apparent signs. These are close to home and really do not require a trip offshore, although such a voyage seems to offer rewards of its own.

Just this past week or so, a commercial fisherman netted a really large school of jacks off one of the islands in the Great Sound. A sure sign that the winter is giving way to summer because spring is short-lived here in Bermuda and the transition period is often so short as to remain almost unnoticed. Similarly, there are increasing numbers of reports of knots of fry and other baitfish being seen along the shoreline; a further indication that it is high time to get ready to go fishing again.

The offshore is a little more cryptic because most of the commercial operators, who are the prime sources of information, are preoccupied with eking the last few lobsters of the season out of their traps and then returning the traps to shore. That doesn’t leave much time for probing the more subtle points and turns of the Banks and Edge. What little trolling or chumming has been done has been remarkably slow although there are signs that things may start to happen quite suddenly. In the interim, there is no shortage of migrating whales which provide visual entertainment on a leviathan scale.

Also an indication that the season is upon us is the release of this year’s Bermuda Game Fishing Associations calendar of tournaments. This provides a guide to the months ahead and is especially notable for a couple of reasons.

First off, the omission of the International Light Tackle Tournament (ILTT) is not a glaring error. This year was meant to be the 50th such tournament and thus a landmark year. In an effort to make it a real success, the organising club, Bermuda Anglers Club, has decided to postpone it for one year to allow for a really grand celebration. The ILTT has a historic past, originating as a government-sponsored competition between anglers from Bermuda and anglers from Bahamas.

The Bermuda Flyfishing Invitational was previously named the Brien-Pallot Tournament and thought, by some, to be an arcane organisation. In fact, it is in its twelfth year. It was originally borne out of an ESPN fishing episode. It has anglers from 11 states and at least three other countries. To date, it has produced 19 International Game Fishing Association world records, four of which are held by Bermudian Cindy Mitchell.

While all the other events are similar to previous years, it is worth noting that the Bermuda Fishing Clubs Annual Tournament has a tentative alternate date. If it is actually required, the organisers will decide when it will be fished nearer the time. Otherwise, feel free to plan the summer and include all the best opportunities for garnering a bit of silverware along with the Tight Lines!!!

• For the full 2015 tournament schedule, click on the PDF under “Related Media”.