T’was the night before Christmas and the mere thought of venturing out onto the briny is likely to meet with disaster as there are so many landlubbery chores to be done.There are shops that have yet to be visited, last minute items to be picked up and the often-present need for a celebratory beverage or two with friend and even foes.The real procrastinators or those who follow time-honoured traditions may even have the task of erecting the Christmas tree ahead of them.For most of us, fish probably has not figured in most of our diets as of late and, over the next few days, it is unlikely to do so.Our tradition of stuffed turkey has come from the British traditional holiday dinner. Not that turkeys ever inhabited the wilds of Merrie Olde England. As featured in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the main course for the special day would have been goose. It was only after the North America really came into the picture and the domestic turkey found favour with Europeans that turkey gradually found its way on to the Christmas platter.In Bermuda that other holiday standard is ham, and that probably has a lot to do with being a preserved food that did not require refrigeration.There are still some Bermudians who remember the days when electric appliances were not the norm and fish were kept in live wells or fish ponds, simply because once that were dead the flesh would deteriorate rapidly and be no good to anyone.Another Bermuda touch was cassava pie, another food that had its origins in the West Indies since the plant is native to South America. It doesn’t take too much imagination to see the early traders bringing that Caribbean staple north to Bermuda where locals learned to grow and process it. The connection to Christmas probably went back to it was late in the year that it was harvested and was an available ingredient at the festive time of year.Except perhaps for lobster, seafood is not part of the Bermuda Christmas tradition. Various fish once featured in Good Friday and Easter festivities but these never really extended to Christmas. Perhaps the generally unreliable December weather would keep fishermen home. As with most traditions, this all occurred long ago, back in the days of sail before the arrival of internal combustion engines which really was not all that long ago.Some other cultures have embraced seafood in their holiday traditions. In Italy, particularly in the southern part of that Mediterranean nation, it is customary to enjoy at least seven different sea foods on Christmas Eve. These may consist of anchovies, calamari, octopus, oysters, shrimp and whatever else can be procured. Again, it was probably the ready availability of such comestibles that led to the practice being adopted. A long way from any source of turkey, that is for sure! The tradition has made it across the Atlantic where some Italian-American families still honour it, along with the more American turkey Christmas Day feast.People from a land-locked location, formerly known as Czechoslovakia before breaking up into three nations, have a carp as the centrepiece of their Christmas meal. While not exactly sea food it is fish and part of the eastern European tradition.While many dream of a white Christmas; something most of the world will never see, local anglers and commercial fishermen alike are seeing what appears to be a brown Christmas. The amount of seaweed that is on the inner bottom, offshore and clogging just about every harbour and bay is nothing short of astounding!Although most everybody knows that the weed is what comes in from the Sargasso Sea when we have a predominantly easterly wind, the present influx seems to be largely independent of that phenomenon. And certainly, once it arrives it looks like staying before sinking and dying or washing up on a beach where it will die and eventually rot imparting that often unpleasant fragrance that people generally associate with the seaside.The vast amount of the weed is causing fishermen some difficulty. For those working with their lobster traps up in the shallow reef areas the thick mats prevent being able to see the reefs. Not only does this make it harder to find the traps but the very real danger of striking a reef is greatly increased. And to make matters worse, the tidal range has been extreme for the last couple of weeks with some sea rods waving clear of the water at low tide.Throw in the blanket of weed that covers everything up and things become problematic.Offshore, trolling is also a nightmare as it is almost impossible to avoid the mats of seaweed. It gets caught up on trolled lines and it only takes a single clump to either pop a downrigger or outrigger clip. When the weed is thick, clearing the lines can be a never-ending task. And all the while that the lure is masked by weed, it isn’t fishing so that is another drawback that will make for wasted effort.But the holiday break gives most of us a long weekend and the true joy of the Boxing Day rest from hustle and bustle, knowing that there is still a day off ahead. With any luck the forecast weather over the holiday weekend will see the wind and ocean currents move the seaweed out of our immediate vicinity, leaving an opportunity to venture forth. Most recent reports have it that there are a few yellowfin tuna out there and although chumming conditions may be les than ideal, they are usually willing to take a trolled offering. Rigged garfish often work well with the colour red often providing a bit of an edge.There are always a few wahoo around and these can be anything from a 12-pound lizard up to a 50 pound or better specimen. While other forms of fishing all enjoy some success with this species, trolling is the ideal tactic.All the usual rigged baits will pay off on their day and the trick is to try and cover as much water as possible because the fish will tend to be scattered. For some reason, they often display a pattern of feeding at certain times when the activity will be fast, followed by long periods of no action at all. The best strategy is to reap the benefits of the feeding period and then realise when things have gone quiet and then consider heading for home because it might be some hours until the next burst of activity.Happily, after a winter blow, the weather often drops out dramatically leaving a gorgeously sunny, calm day that is ideal for relaxing, even if the action leaves something to be desired. With the holiday period upon us, it might well be your last chance of the year to wet a line; once of course, all the Christmas hustle and bustle is accounted for.So when all the hectic activity is said and done later tonight and the church bells ring and the choirs sing, everyone should be snug in their bed ready for Santa. Who knows what he will bring and as his sleigh sails out of sight, you may hear him call out “Merry Christmas to all and Tight lines!!!