ALL the heady excitement that was widely distributed over the television and the internet, with the latter carrying the usual amount of misinformation, have probably combined to keep swimmers out of the summer water. Michael Barnes' hefty tiger shark was indeed a large fish and tigers are included on the "man-eater" list even though this particular fish was found to have been feeding on a turtle and assorted junk that made its way into the shark's domain. Doesn't that television feature "Shark Week" really do it for you?

Let's try and balance out some of the fiction with a few facts. The shark in question was not caught off Spanish Point ¿ at least, not in the sense that most people take "off" to mean. The capture was made some distance (miles) offshore out where not many ever have occasion to enter the water. So that great fear may be dismissed, at least up to a point.

Tiger sharks are actually reef sharks which are often encountered during the hours of darkness over just about any reef areas. While one might think that this would have snokellers panicking, the fact of the matter is that tigers are rarely seen during daylight in shallow water areas. Try night fishing and the reverse is true. The mystery seems to be that no one really knows where they disappear to during the day. Any shark line set at night even quite close to shore is likely to hook a tiger or two, yet the same done during the day will prove unproductive.

Where they are often seen during the day is along the drop-off of Bermuda's Edge and around the offshore banks. August is prime time out there for tigers and many of them are full-size. Usually, their food of choice on the offshore grounds is any yellowfin tuna that has been hooked but this year pickings must be a bit slim simply because the tuna aren't present in the numbers that are normally expected.

While the fish on display last week was large, by any standard, tigers reach huge dimensions with references such as Wikipedia claiming them to get to 2000 pounds. Certainly some of those seen on the Banks resemble small submarines, so maybe that figure isn't ridiculous after all.

Because of their size and their reputation, tigers are the target of so-called "monster fishermen" with the eastern cost of North America home to many. Here, and elsewhere, sharks are considered to have little sporting value and are actively avoided.

While tigers aren't the culprit, in the Virgin Islands, the bull sharks provide incredible nuisance value. When there is a run in the spring of middle to large size yellowfin, it can often be impossible to catch a fish intact. Bermuda-based marlin fishermen would not believe how often a blue marlin, hooked for just seconds, is attacked by these aggressive sharks that seem to be around in good numbers, given the frequency of attacks. Down there, you won't find anyone swimming along the North Drop.

For the avoidance of naysayers, large tigers have been seen in the Sound, even in winter. Those old enough to remember the Sportsman's Shop on Reid Street should remember the picture of a big shark that was caught off Two Rock Passage ¿ enter Mr. Tiger. So, as always when entering a territory that is alien to land-dwellers, a bit of caution is in order. Not to be confused with panic or stupidity. History speaks for itself: shark attacks are rare in Bermuda's clear, well-lit waters. Just don't try pushing the envelope.

Back at home, the fishing is in its usual summer malaise. There are still plenty of billfish around: Capt. Alan Card's Challenger had a double blue marlin catch on Sunday and other boats report similar successes. Expect this happy situation to continue for a few more weeks.

The wahoo continue to please and this is the surprising bit. Just regular trolling will get results and it is even occasionally possible to get into double figures ¿ and this is August!

Chumming provides lots of small game with blackfin tuna, rainbow runners, mackerel, robins and jacks volunteering to offer a pull. Ambers and bonitas are starting to come into their own and it might well be worth directing some effort toward those species.

The yellowfin continue to keep a low profile even though trollers have had some action from larger specimens. So far, there has not been a noted concentration of yellowfin, so they must be classed as occasionals for those trolling for marlin or wahoo. Live-baiting in the deep might round up a few Allisons but is that really worth the effort? Not to worry, a couple more weeks will see Mother Nature orchestrate a change in programme and the 2008 season will enter its final phase. The short message here is: don't miss out!

There was a recent report in The Times (London) on an unusual find in Wales. A tourist enjoying the seaside at Saundersfoot, Wales found a blue marlin washed up on the beach. By all accounts, blue marlin have not been recorded from British waters, so the question is how the fish got there. While the information is a bit sketchy, the carcass weighed 450 pounds and was about nine and a half feet long. A photograph showed it to be in reasonable condition. Given these clues, there is the making of a mystery. The size of the fish is compatible with the size of blue that is normally released by local sportfishing boats. Could it be that a hooked fish that was subsequently released lacked the strength to forcibly swim in the direction that it wanted and was forced to follow the ocean currents, many of which tend to be trans-Atlantic and northward. This would be consistent with the movement of the Gulf Stream that brings moderate weather to southern Ireland and the British Isles.

A weakening fish might find itself in water far colder than its normal range and might then succumb, to be at the mercy of the tides with an eventual arrival on the beach as the final indignation.

In addition, if a fish were strong enough, it would have done whatever was necessary to stay in the waters that were in its normal temperature range and which offered prey consistent with a marlin's normal diet. A trip into the cooler temperate waters of the northern Atlantic just doesn't sound logical. The lack of normal prey and perhaps an inability to catch anything would also contribute the demise of the fish.

If the marlin were to have died soon after release, it would probably have sunk to the bottom or turned into food for some of the sharks that are notorious in tropical or subtropical waters. The idea of an intact carcass turning up 3,000 miles away just has to raise questions. Not least of which has to do with the outcome of releasing fsih that have been caught by sportsmen.

The final rub is that such a fish, in the normal course of things, would fetch as much as $8,000 dollars on the fishmonger's slab in Britain where the species is considered something of a delicacy.

On a less profound note, this Sunday Bermuda's youth gets a chance to show what they are capable of. The Flybridge Tackle Junior Tournament is slated to run regardless of weather with the weigh-in taking place at the Flagpole, Front Street. All that is needed is to sign-up by Saturday and then have the luck that is needed whenever trying for some Tight lines!!!