Little doubt about it, we are in the throes of winter. Windy and wet not to mention a mite on the chilly side. Not exactly the sort of thing that has anyone running down to the boat, casting it off the moorings and tearing out to the Bank in search of action.There is some doubt as to whether or not the yellowfin are still out there. The odds are that they are but there really isn’t anyone doing much looking for them. On the odd good day, it comes down to either an early move and a day drifting, working the bottom; or a troll along the edge, in the hopes of snagging a wahoo or two.The poor weather has kept most of the fleet home and, despite the best press, sport fishing is pretty much at its lowest point from mid-January until mid-February. After that things can pick up unexpectedly quickly and a whole different picture can be painted. In the meantime, it looks a lot like canned tuna or frozen fish for most of us.There is a solution to the knotty problem of a lack of fresh fish. At first blush it may not seem the most tasteful of options but, with a bit of courage, the object of the exercise may be achieved.A small but acceptably sized fish with a firm white fillet, just what most people want. This is a species that is readily available off the shore which negates the necessity for travelling offshore in what will probably be adverse conditions. All that is required is some warm clothing and maybe some rain gear and a bit of patience. There should be no question that you will catch fish.The fish in question is the almost ubiquitous silver porgy. Better known by its official common name “bream” as well as several other less than complimentary monikers, this fish is a genuine member of the porgy family.Those who are squeamish might not fancy bream fillets but they are firm and very white and the chances that you have had it before are good and high because a bag of local mixed fillet could contain just about any fish that was large enough to filet.What makes the bream a good candidate for the present conditions is that it is a species that spawns inshore (near the land) rather than offshore and; this is the remarkable bit, it is a winter spawner. Contrast that with the fact that most other fish species spawn between the spring and autumn.The effect of this unlikely lifestyle means that despite windy, wet and gloomy conditions, there will be plenty of bream in the harbours and bays. They can be caught off jetties and bridges. On light line they give a fair account of themselves but they do not attain the weight needed to even suggest that they could be considered “game” fish. Interestingly enough, although the IGFA holds all-tackle records for virtually any recognised fish species, there is no mention of the silver porgy (bream); so maybe therein lies an opportunity.The average bream in local waters is somewhere in the neighbourhood of about a pound although they can get considerably larger. That means there will be about five ounces of fillet on each fish, if they are cleaned properly. That is respectable enough, certainly no less than you would get off a barber.Nasty thoughts of what a bream might have eaten should not cross the mind. After all, that delectable crustacean, the lobster, is a master scavenger and can and will eat anything living dead or in between. The silver porgy may even be a bit more selective in its feeding choices. Certainly the ones that have spent much of their lives on the reefs will have had to have adapted to feeding on those smaller organisms that inhabit those areas.The silver porgy is found pretty much in all the warmer waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and a question has been raised as to the validity of the scientific classification of the Bermuda silver porgy with the suggestion that it may in fact be a species separate (or maybe a subspecies) of the rest of the Atlantic silver porgies.Should you decide to try and find out more about this species, you should know that there is an European fresh water fish that goes by the same name. It really doesn’t look anything like the Bermuda bream and, in fact, is not even in the same family of fish. It is more closely related to the carp and goldfish than anything else.Another species that is locally available and which is closely related but nowhere near as desirable a species also comes inshore in numbers in the winter months. This is the pinfish. It does resemble the porgy but lacks the bright silver colouration and exhibits coloured stripes along the body. It too will readily take a baited line and, given its relatively tiny size, puts up a good fight on light tackle. The problem with the pinfish is that the fillets are so bony as to frustrate just about anyone who tries to clean them. They simply are not worth the trouble. Having said that, they can be fun to catch on light spinning gear. Their availability and lack of fussiness make them an ideal species to use to teach children how to fish. Best of all, you just toss them back in after catching them because you have no intention of cleaning them.Any interest in blue water species will entail a trip to more southern climes. The Miami Boat Show offers the promise of distraction and an opportunity to meet and converse with some of the “names” in big game fishing. New gear, tackle and techniques will be on display and that might be an attractive option for those with the time, money and inclination.Another useful exercise is to use this “down” time to take rods and reels apart, repair and clean them up. Remember to lubricate them properly. Failure to do so could end in tears in a few months’ time. The real go-getters might even take the opportunity to change line. Most of us will probably just procrastinate, though.You may not have noticed it but the days are getting longer again. It doesn’t get dark quite as early now as it did just a few weeks ago. The sun is on its way (as if the sun goes anywhere) back from the Tropic of Capricorn, some 22 and a half degrees south of the Equator. Spring is on its way and with it will come opportunities for Tight lines!!!!