After roaring in like a lion, can we expect the last week or so of March to depart in a meek, lamb-like fashion? And then can summer be far behind? Then it will be time to fish and, all too often, that too will be a memory. This occurs mostly because of our procrastination and then we blame for time flying by. Get the boat and gear ready, fishing time is at hand. Believe it!

Even though it may not seem like it, the days are getting longer and the temperature is on the rise. Although the air temperature can warm up faster than the sea water, it is also subject to more flexibility. Once the vast volume of water that is the ocean has warmed up or lost a degree, it takes either a lot more energy input or loss to change that temperature.

The sea temperature reported by the media comes from near shore waters that may or may not be subjected to mixing and the extent to which that occurs can often have a significant effect on the resulting temperature reported.

Rest assured, though, better days are coming. The sun with its solar energy input is what dictates the seasons and with winter coming to an abrupt end this weekend, we can look forward to spring having sprung, as it were.

Although we all learned it in school, most of us have forgotten what the equinoxes and solstices are. We do remember that the earth revolves around the sun on a time scale that is pretty much what we call a year. What is less obvious is that the orbit is not "flat" in the sense that earth's position relative to the sun is fixed. The angle changes pretty much continuously and that is what gives us our seasons.

The two extremes are the solstices, summer and winter, when the sun is directly over either the northernmost or southernmost point before starting to reverse its direction. The northern limit is the Tropic of Cancer (or Northern Tropic), about 23°North latitude. For purists, there are a few minutes and seconds associated with this latitude and, to really confound laymen, it is also subject to change. For our purposes though, the sun only gets as far north as the Bahamas (in this part of the world) before starting to head south again. The summer solstice takes place around the 21st June each year (again subject to variation which can shift the day).

Now, the equinox occurs when the sun is directly over the equator, roughly the midpoint in its north-south travels. Of course, the sun isn't actually going anywhere; it is the shift in the orientation of planet earth that creates this illusion. Not surprising that ancient man had delusions as to what was really going on!

The vernal or spring equinox is when the sun is directly over the equator as it moves northward from its southernmost position over the Tropic of Capricorn (aka the Southern Tropic).

This year the actual vernal equinox occurs on Saturday the 20th March at precisely 2.32 p.m. (Bermuda Daylight Saving Time). Again, based on various calculations, the day can be different from year to year. From that time this weekend, we have about three months during which the sun will become more intense and focus more on the northern hemisphere. Then it will seemingly start its southward retreat, bringing winter back into the picture.

We don't think about it and lots of books and media programmes ignore the fact that if it wasn't for this pattern of events, the Southern Hemisphere would be a pretty inhospitable place, never having a warm season. We do tend to look at things in a one-sided fashion.

So, spring starts this weekend. This probably means more to fashionistas and gardeners than most but Mother Nature has long since signalled this change to the seas around us.

One of the most obvious signs has been the passage or migration of whales through the local area. Just about every fisherman who has ventured offshore in the last couple of weeks has reported seeing whales and there was that curious incident of a juvenile whale washing into Ely's Harbour.

All whales are protected within the Bermuda Exclusive Economic Zone (200-mile limit) and while we get various species of whale and dolphin throughout the year, it is the seasonal migration of the humpback whale that is most consistent. After wintering in the Caribbean where the females bear their young, it is time to move north to the rich feeding grounds off the northeast United States and Maritime Canada.

Decades ago and back into history, it was this phenomenon that made Bermuda whaling a viable industry. Much decried by modern conservationists and the green theme, whaling was once a vital part of the fabric of life in old Bermuda and was pretty much essential to certain aspects of our survival. Today, we have no reason to interfere with whales other than to take advantage of their passage for whale-watching and other leisure-linked activities.

It is also unlikely that the whales have anything to do with the fishing. They are not stopping here, largely because there isn't enough in the way of food to keep thee leviathans satisfied. They do not eat fish, so are no threat to our target species, but they may well be an indicator as to offshore conditions which, in turn, affect the fishes' movements.

After a long, tempestuous winter, fishermen are finally getting offshore and starting to get a hold on the present situation. So far, there hasn't been any big rush to get at schools of wahoo and tuna but, on a more positive note, there has been some bait activity. One would like to think that the presence of bait will eventually lead to the presence of predators and then the fishing can begin.

For the most part, the commercial operators are enjoying a last gasp fling at the spiny lobsters. Remember that the 31st March is the last day of the season. After that date, even possession of a lobster is a violation of the law, so be guided accordingly.

Fishermen working the bottom have had success with coneys and bonitos, both of which make for good fillets and the larger ones can be steaked up or prepared whole. With Good Friday in the offing, there are some, old-timers in particular, who reminisce about traditional Easter dishes when, in the days before airplanes and refrigerated containers, Bermuda produced most of its own food. Fruit and vegetables were grown. There was some livestock but a lot of what was consumed was the product of Tight lines!!!