It rather looks like there won’t be much fishing this weekend. Although it has taken a bit longer than usual to get into this “winter mode” there should be that sequence of a few days’ blow, then a dropping out of the breeze as the wind shifts to the north.

There should then be a period of calm that will last anything up to about 36 hours before it starts to puff intermittently out of the east and gains strength as it moves around the compass culminating in a full-fledged winter gale.

On any given day that you can safely get offshore, if you are bent on a game fish then it has to be trolling for wahoo. The Edge is a good bet, although there will be fish just about everywhere. Not so much concentrated in areas but spread out over pretty much the entire bottom. This makes it less than economical to go wahoo fishing so, many commercial operators are making repairs on their boats and relying on lobsters and other less-than-game species.

A quick troll along the drop-off and a single wahoo should provide as much fish as any amateur could want, but there is another species that is largely ignored. Certainly by sportsmen, but a fish that will satisfy most people’s need for some fresh fish.

These are the turbots that inhabit the channel waters. They will respond to chumming and will take almost any form of cut bait. Most that anglers encounter are about a foot or so in length and will yield up to a pound or so, if the fish is gilled and gutted and skinned. If filleted, the “one pound of fish works out at approximately one-third of a pound of fillet” rule holds. Although the fillets are of excellent quality, many see this as a prime fish for boiling and incorporating into stews or chowders.

Truth to be told, they are not turbots at all. They are triggerfish, a couple of species of that ilk occur here. The queen trigger is the vividly-hued version that is sometimes seen over the reefs. There is a colourful, albeit black triggerfish, that inhabits areas along the South Shore, and there is another oceanic triggerfish that can attain some pretty impressive sizes. These are often a nuisance when fishing offshore because they will kill live robins without actually taking the bait.

The common reef species that locals call the turbot is the grey triggerfish. These can be very numerous over reef areas and in the channels. Although they are often caught on lines destined for other bottom fish such as barbers or coneys, triggerfish will come to the surface, and it is not unusual to see small schools feeding in a chum slick.

Occasionally numbers of them will be seen hanging around a bit of floating debris, even clumps of seaweed. On such occasions, they will usually respond to a bit of chum in the water or a dangled baited hook.

The true turbot is a flatfish, something like a sole or halibut. While there is some rough similarity in shape even though the local version swims upright, the clue may come from the high quality white meat that is common to both species. An old West Indian name for the same fish is said to be ‘all white” or something similar, referring to the colour of the flesh.

Many fishermen frown on these fish because they are so hard to clean with a tough leathery-like exterior that makes skinning them preferable to filleting, unless you really want to spend your time sharpening your knife.

The secret here is that, if examined under a powerful magnifying glass or a microscope, the triggerfish’s skin is made up of scales that overlap and resemble a suit of medieval armour. This makes it feel like sandpaper to the bare hand.

Those who know how to skin the turbot can have that skin off in no time flat and there is a knack to doing it. Learn from an experienced commercial fisherman who can take that brown grey unsightly fish and turn it into a beautiful slab of pure white meat in about 20 seconds. It isn’t so hard to do once you learn how to do it correctly.

You will need to be careful because they also sport a pair of front teeth that would do a rat or beaver proud.

Large, sharp and strong enough to sever some fish hooks, they are serious business. If they get a hold of you, you will know about it.

Just because they look dead may not mean that they are and you certainly would not be the first to come afoul of these chompers. Guaranteed, they will change your interpretation of Tight Lines!