The entire concept of going fishing for pleasure at this time of the year is pretty much out of people's minds. The commercial operators can and do take advantage of anything that remotely resembles a good day and, for next eight weeks or so, at least they have their lobster traps to fall back on. As far as sport fishing goes, the participation level is approaching zero even though it is possible to enjoy a successful day afloat.

The problem, of course, is which day of the week the good weather coincides with. Perhaps a bit like the fox and the sour grapes, there is some consolation in comfortably sitting at work watching the trees bend and the showers thrashing on through. It all comes a bit unstuck when a Sunday morning dawns sunny and calm but it is too late to make preparations for an offshore excursion.

Those able to manage a trip offshore have been rewarded with some action from wahoo and yellowfin tuna. Almost all of these have fallen victim to trolled lures and baits simply because the conditions for chumming have been pretty diabolical. Even when the sea surface is relatively calm, the tides (actually currents) are confused and likely to be anything but conducive to establishing a chum line.

The wahoo have been of reasonable size with a few larger fish mixed in for good measure. One of the most noticeable things is that when a wahoo is hooked in the winter it puts up a better performance than it would in the summer. How much of this is a myth is uncertain. After all, if you catch a fish in the winter, there is no way that you can catch the same fish again in the summer. Even if you did tag and release it, when you caught it again six months later (talk about orchestrating an experiment!), it would be that much larger and more experienced. Sort of like thinking that you are the same at 30 years of age as you were when you were six years old.

In any case, there is this belief that wahoo put up a better battle in the cooler water. The physiological evidence would suggest otherwise; fish are cold-blooded and even though some species like tunas have special adaptations that provide them with some advantages, the bottom line is that they should be less active in cooler conditions. There may be other factors that influence the fish's activity and, then again, it may be an active imagination on the part of the angler. During the winter the fishing does tend to be slower than in peak season and a strike probably occurs more unexpectedly, goading the angler into frenzied activity. At such time, anything so welcome will inevitably play on one's mind. Regardless of the overall performance, a fresh wahoo in the boat in February is a welcome sight.

The Allisons are mostly mid-sized fish and there seem to be some smaller schoolies around as well. So far, they have not been particularly numerous but this might be more a result of the fishing techniques and tackle being employed. The absence of any obvious bait on the surface makes it difficult to "match the hatch" and to carry baits or lures that resemble what the natural prey is likely to be. This means that what is being presented may not be the fish's first choice and it might well pass up the offering, preferring to concentrate on some other bait species.

The lack of effort and a general malaise among the angling community has most of us resorting to fishing magazines and television programmes for piscatorial entertainment. At least that way, we can vicariously fish even though the pantry will have nothing to show for our "efforts".

Of note in some recently released IGFA world records is a new 20-lb test mark for gray snapper which was set in Port Mansfield, Texas. This is not a place any of us would associate with the gray snapper that we know to be a tropical species. In most cases if asked where a record snapper would come from, the stock answer would be Florida or the Caribbean. Actually, Bermuda has produced its share of respectable snappers but very few of them have been caught on sporting tackle. Most of us know that the gray dogs are wily customers at the best of times and when it is a matter of trying to catch one, there are no holds barred.

Given the size that gray snappers achieve here leads one to think that it is probably possible to set a few records here but this is likely to take some concerted effort. There is another problematical issue. Some of the really large gray snappers that have been caught here over the years were probably not gray snappers at all. The cubera snapper which does attain large sizes (over 100 pounds) throughout its range is not abundant here by any means but a few have been recorded. The trick is that it pretty much takes a fish expert to tell the difference between a large gray and a small to medium -sized cubera. In addition to having to catch a potential record gray on sporting tackle which is hard enough, there will be the added task of getting a positive identification as to the species to discount the possibility of IGFA thinking that it may be a cubera. Anything to complicate the angler's life.

On another note, those who have qualified as IGFA observers; and there are twenty-odd here in Bermuda, have invitations to travel to one of three tournaments over the next few months. Notices have been sent out by the Punta Cana White Marlin Tournament in the Dominican Republic (17-22 May), the Cap Cana Billfish Shootout (formerly the La Guairá, Venezuela Billfish Shootout) (1-6 June) and the Virgin Islands Game Fish Club July Tournament (22-26 July). These are great opportunities to fish some of the finer venues in the world for merely the cost of getting there. Most observer packages include accommodation, transfers and hosting for parties and banquets. Anyone interested in taking part can e-mail the observer coordinator at Bob.Malerba@IGFTO.com .

If there are any other individuals interested in obtaining the qualifications to be an IGFA observer, they should contact IGFA. If there are sufficient here in Bermuda, there is the likelihood that IGFA will send an instructor to conduct a course that will result in certification. It is several years now since a course has been held here. The other alternative is to attend a course at IGFA headquarters in Florida. They are held fairly egualrly and additional information can be found on the IGFA website (www.igfa.org) under GO FISH. If nothing else, this may, at least, provide you with the illusion of Tight lines!!!