LULLED into a false sense of spring, the wintry blast should have brought us back to reality. Although it has had little effect on the loquats, oleanders and other indicators of the warm season being upon us, the little change in the weather at the beginning of the week has meant that the fishing has been largely untested. The situation is likely to remain that way as the Good Friday holiday is upon us.

Superstitions aside, the likelihood is that bad weather will ensure that no one heads offshore and the holiday delights such as fish-cakes and kites will probably prove to be enough of a diversion for most of us. The Easter festivities should also ensure that most of us remain shore-bound for the balance of the weekend, meaning that by the time most of us are in a position to consider going fishing, the month may be thinking of exiting like a lion. Can April be far away? Certain older citizens may recall the days when the proper meal on a Good Friday was a baked red snapper. There are probably a few who stick to that routine and will now be scouring roadside vendors and supermarkets in search of the perfect fish. This may not be as simple as it should be.

Now, there are some quirks to this. First off, the "red snapper" here at Bermuda is not the red snapper that is found in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. That would be the real red snapper also known as the northern red snapper along with a plethora of other names. It is a very important food fish and supports a commercial fishery, particularly in the Gulf.

"Red" snapper is a name you really have to be careful with. The proper red snapper is an important game and commercial species that is strictly regulated in US waters. It vaguely resembles a lane or silk snapper although it gets considerably larger. There is some dispute as to whether the species actually occurs here and conventional knowledge says that it does not even though the official scientific range is, like so many other species found here, from Massachusetts south.

Watch out for what the sushi merchants call red snapper. It is very seldom the true red snapper and it is unlikely to be any sort of snapper at all. It is usually tilapia, a fresh water species that is ideally suited for aquaculture operations. Go figure how the names get to stick on such things. Consumer advocates such as The Consumerist (web site: http://consumerist.com) have quite a bit to say about such things and reckon that it is a cheap substitute for the real thing.

To return to Bermuda, in the old days, the pursuit of the deep water snappers was a speciality. Using five or six hooks on a regular bottom rig, the fishing would be conducted just inside of the drop-off in 70¿100 fathoms. The lines stretched a lot in those days and it was hard to feel the nibbles, so this was a lot of work. But, like everything else, putting in the effort would pay off with the "red" snappers; probably the same species that got the deepwater longline fishing going in the 1980's.

Those who remember this sort of thing will recall that this was a bit of a "boom and bust" operation with spectacular catches that attracted way more effort than the fishery could realistically support. After a few seasons, catches started to dwindle and interest gradually shifted away. The deep slope species are probably in reasonable shape now and would probably support a limited fishery for anyone interested in gearing up and putting in the effort. How long it will last is anybody's guess but it has been left alone for a while now.

Now for the other Easter tradition: kites. These too have a fishing connection. A few local boats routinely use their kites to get baits out into the chum slick and keep them near the surface of the water. In some places, the kites are also used to liven up trolling. The boat's forward motion provides the breeze necessary to keep the kite up and puts the bait well clear of the wake. Again, the bait is usually intended to be kept near the surface.

The most popular bait locally are live robins but there is a bit of an art to taking a dead flying fish and rigging it up to have its pectoral fins (wings) extended. When fished from a kite it seemingly skips across the surface and often suckers in large tunas intent on feeding on flying fish. Something else which is seldom used locally is a rigged squid. Done right this mimics a flying squid, something else that tunas like to inhale. At the right time of the year there can be countless schools of flying squid around the Banks and the tuna often follow these schools around, crashing into them and feeding away.

Fishing kites come in different sizes and weights with some being designed for ultra light winds with others more heavy-duty for use in fresher conditions. Do pay attention to the manufacturer's markings and do follow the instructions. When they tell you to set the bridle on the marks indicated, they are being totally serious. If the kite is matched to the conditions and the instructions are followed, it will soar on up, way more easily that even the plastic "bird" kites that so many no-traditionalists use these days. The technique has been around for a long time but they do get results and are a useful thing to have in the overall armoury. Some days the fish won't hit anything that isn't skipping along the surface. On such a day, a kite is invaluable.

Looking ahead, the season will start to take shape any time now. The water is warm enough to support any of the summertime species and although the present temperature is not optimum for some, it certainly falls in their accepted ranges. The warming trend will continue even if we are subjected to a few more cold fronts and North Atlantic depressions. It won't be long before the real warm water lovers will make their way into the local arena and crash some bait intended for a wahoo or tuna. While this refers to blue marlin, there are probably some white marlin out there already. Although we tend to think of whites as enjoying the same temperatures and conditions as blues, they do, in fact, prefer things a little cooler and there are more likely to be encountered on continental shelves. While we lack the latter here, dragging a lure, particularly a brightly-coloured one could have you matching ability with an aerialist on Tight lines!!!