ALK about a hot marlin bite! First off, we have Capt. Allen DeSilva's DeMako catching two granders within a week. The first fish which was, by all accounts, larger than the second, which was released alive while the second fish went down and died. That resulted in its being boated and it eventually tipped the scales at 1,048 pounds.

In between these giant fish, DeMako has scored several other blue marlin releases as well as turning loose a bunch of white marlin.

The huge fleet associated with the 100th Newport?Bermuda race means that berthing space is at a premium and until the sailboats start to depart there won't be much in the way of room for foreign sportfishing boats.

Needless to say, there are quite a few of these looking to take part in what is shaping up to be one of the best July marlin seasons ever here.

The wahoo have eased up considerably now and while trolling will produce a few fish, the best bet is to spot a 'hoo cruising through the chum and then enticing it to bite. Basically, it is hard to justify burning a lot of fuel trolling unless the target is billfish.

There are some hefty tuna that will take trolls but the real trolling emphasis will be on blue marlin for the next month or so.The yellowfin tuna are not as prevalent as they normally are although this could be a result of them maintaining a low profile from the billfish.

The Bermuda Anglers ILTT is currently under way and, thus far, catches are not what is usually expected. Tidal conditions and bait concentrations can also make a big difference, as can location.

Each of these factors seem to influence the other and it can often be a guessing game trying to find the tuna. Of course, this can change in the twinkling of an eye and by the time this week is over, everyone will have a pretty good idea of the best areas to go for Allisons.

Much less sought after in recent years than a couple of decades ago, there are some nice blackfin tuna to be had. These tend to hang up a bit shallower than the yellowfin even though it is no rare thing to have them occur together in a chum slick.

The south-eastern side of Challenger has produced some respectable tuna of both species and, as the summer progresses, Argus Bank inevitably comes into its own. About the best way to organise that sort of trip is to include a nice long drag over the deep geared for billfish with a similar return trip planned.

Chumming on Argus should get some tuna up and there will be plenty of smaller game in the form of rainbow runners, mackerel and jacks. Happily, it is a little early for the barracuda to set up shop but, even then, it won't be too much longer before they start to show up in numbers.

interesting pursuit that is being conducted at present by a renowned angler, who will remain nameless, is a search for a record horse-eye jack. Not to be confused with the horse-eye bonita (Almaco jack) this species is known locally as a "steelhead jack".

What is for sure is that they do attain a very large size here in Bermuda where they are generally treated with disdain. Most of the records worldwide are held by fish in the 20 to 25-pound bracket but some of the lunkers found locally will better the 30-pound mark.

Prime places for this powerful small game fish include the site of Argus Tower, the deeper reef areas and strange places like the camber in Dockyard. They can and do feed at night, so moonlit evenings are a good time to go looking for this species. Calm conditions are preferred as they often feed on garfish and other surface-dwelling bait species.

Chumming on the Banks also often produces steelheads and it can be worth paying attention to the size of the fish and the line test on which it is caught. There are plenty of potential world records for species that are largely ignored by locals but which are sought after elsewhere.

Another species that is producing some really nice specimens at the moment is the yellowtail snapper. With the IGFA only having recognised this species a few years ago, the world marks were fairly small fish until the DuVals launched an assault on them two years ago here in Bermuda and significantly raised the benchmark on most line classes to the nine or ten-pound range.

Strange though it may seem, there are a number of long-standing Bermuda records that outweigh the current world records by far, so it is only logical to assume that there are some yellowtails out there that will make a mockery of the existing world records.

Looking ahead a couple of weeks, Sunday July 2 sees one of the bigger local tournaments, the Bermuda Regiment's Warrant Officers and Sergeant's Mess 53rd (believe it or not!) annual fishing tournament. There is a $30 entry fee and the deadline for entries is Thursday, June 29. Entry forms are available from Warwick Camp, tackle shops and a number of sporting clubs around the Island. Late entries with the appropriate late fee will be accepted at Warwick Camp on Friday, June 30.

Also that day sees the start of the big money billfish tournaments with the captain's meeting of the Bermuda Blast. This particular event is timed to coincide with the Blue Marlin World Cup which is fished world-wide on July 4. Once again Bermuda is the hot favourite to produce the winner, not surprising given the events of the last couple of weeks.

Those who prefer to fish vicariously may well be interested in reading Linda Greenlaw's latest book, . In her earlier writing, in she described the profits and perils of high seas longlining and then in she described the life of an inshore lobster fisherman.

In she uses the setting of a popular waterfront bar frequented by fishermen to bring to life the apparently true, but seemingly a mite tall, tales that are so characteristic of those who spend their lives on the water.

This new volume which is eminently readable is a series of anecdotes that range from the humorous to the poignant. In between chapters, she does mini-chapters that explain things such as nautical terminology and the origin of various expressions used by sailors and fishermen.

Tight lines!!!