"SUMMERTIME and the living's easy" or so the song goes and, at the moment, so's the fishing. Calm seas, gentle breezes and bright sunshine are a perfect formula for a sortie out on the briny in search of action and right now is just about as good at time as any.

Wahoo are the dominant species offshore. For the most part, they are of good size with 35-45 pound specimens being the norm. There are enough larger fish to make life interesting and, just lately, the smaller 15-25 pound fish are starting to put in an appearance. The commercial fleet are easing off their efforts because the market is glutted and there is a limit to the freezer space available. This should not preclude the amateur from trying to catch their share of the good fortune and put a little something away for those hot summer months when the wahoo ease off to the point of disappearance.

For the first time in a while, some yellowfin tuna are appearing. The south-eastern corner of Challenger Bank seems to have shown the most and it is to be hoped that more will take up residence in the local area. The fish that have been caught appear to be on the move and most have fallen for live baits. As numbers increase and the water warms up, they should slip into a mode that will see them feeding in chum slicks and that is where the light-tackle anglers can really strut their stuff. Commercial haulers, more interested in results than sport, will also be putting in the effort and that will prove to be a tell-tale to clever anglers.

Chumming up on the Banks or on those parts of Bermuda's Edge where seasonal restrictions have not come into place, should see some nice smaller game fish. It is a little early for trophy amberjack but it is always worth sending a live bait down to see who might be home. Other jacks, mackerel, rainbow runners, barracuda and shark all provide diversions; some more welcome than others. Plenty of potential there for the use of a spinning rod and surface popping lures. These provide a good bit of excitement when even a small fish latches on and the appropriate spinning gear allows you tog get the most out of a weight-challenged game fish.

And now, finally, all the way into June, it's marlin time! The season's first blue was caught earlier this week. The fish, which was released, was estimated to be in the 350-pound range. It was caught, as they so often are, on the run between Challenger bank and Bermuda's Edge.

Where there is one, no doubt there are many, probably some a lot bigger, so now is the time to start carrying gear suited to these great gladiators of the sea. Dragging unsuitable tackle over the deep water will almost certainly result in a breakaway that usually spells the demise of the fish which is condemned to hauling a piece of line through the depths. Amazing as it may seem, since it sounds like such a minor handicap ¿ a bit of nylon monofilament attached to several hundred pounds of fish ¿ it will take its toll and that pretty surely weakens the fish to the point that it cannot catch food and starves, then becomes prey for others or simply sinks, exhausted into the deep.

Nearer the land, over the reefs, there is action to be had albeit lacking most of the great gamesters. Bottom bouncing will produce coneys, barbers and hinds while chumming will bring up just about anything. Anyone looking for a bit of bigger action might want to fish the deeper reefs. These are close to the Edge in places and, every so often, blackfin tuna and even wahoo will move into as shallow as 15 fathoms.

Do not neglect the inshore fishery. There are plenty of bonefish, barracuda and palometa (pompano) to be had right off the sandy beaches. In harbours and bays, there are grey snappers, yellowtails and a variety of turbots and grunts willing to please. Occasionally a school of jacks or mackerel may splash their way through and they will hit a carefully presented lure or spoon.

Last Sunday saw the season's first major competition fished. This year's Bacardi Tournament was a resounding success, going off on its planned original date. The weather was excellent by any measure and the fish cooperated, at least according to the boats that came to the weigh-in.

There were over 60 boats entered and 22 arrived at the Dockyard weighstation. In case anyone wonders, about one-third of the entry seems to be about right. Most tournaments show similar results. The reasons are many including: some boats end up not fishing; others don't catch anything and a sad few catch something but don't think that it is good enough to weigh in. Every once in a while you'll hear the "I shoulda" lament.

Those that did come to the weigh-in brought 108 fish, almost all of which were wahoo. The wahoo, over 90 of them, weighed from 15.6 to 63.4 pounds; ten of which failed to make the minimum weight of 20 pounds.

There were just two blackfin tuna, neither of which made the minimum weight. Surprisingly, there were two barracuda, both of which qualified. There were five bonitas (Almaco jack) brought to the scales but only two of these could make the minimum weight. The yellowfin tuna staged a minor comeback with six fish weighed in. They were mostly school-sized fish but there were two that cleared the fifty-pound mark, including Scott Barnes' 69.3 pound Allison that was the tournament's largest fish.

Capt. James Robinson's Wound Up, wound up taking honours with an impressive haul of 11 wahoo, two of which were over 60 pounds. A party of six combined their efforts to reap this harvest.

Some of the women impressed with their catches. Andrew Card's Reel Action came in with a boatload of 14 eligible fish caught by his female crew of two. Kathryn Garcia had six wahoo and Elizabeth Martin had eight. The tournament's scoring system limits anglers to their five best fish and this gave Elizabeth the edge. Another woman, Elizabeth Mundt, also managed four wahoo, two of which were over 50 pounds. There is no way these lady anglers take a back seat to the men.

Looking ahead, there should be plenty of good fishing in store over the next few weeks. This weekend Blue Waters Anglers Club fish their "in house" tournament and during the week the Brien/Pallot Fly fishing tournament takes place. The latter is an annual event that involves very few locals and generates little publicity but which has been successful in promoting the Island's fishing on tackle that very few local anglers even bother to try out. Maybe now that the yellowfin are starting to show up, there will be some potential for records. Even if they aren't quite big enough, doubtless they will provide some Tight lines!!!