Well, maybe it is a better kept secret than thought. It is probably not for anything intentional but merely the consequence of circumstances that largely slip past the public’s eye unrequited.

Originally noticed many years ago by a visiting angler in the Bermuda International Light Tackle Tournament (ILTT), the observation failed to take hold. The background is this. While the person in question was a regular participant in the vaunted ILTT, which was generally held in early July, he had occasion to return to the island one year in September and was astounded by how much better the fishing was. He pointed this out and wondered why more was not made of this fact. Not surprisingly, it fell on deaf ears. Having said that, there was more than a ring of truth to his comment.

The question must be: why so? The answer’s manifold. Commercial fishermen have the added distraction of lobsters; a high value seasonal product the pursuit of which is undertaken by many. Tourism is sliding into its shoulder season where the numbers dwindle and the demographic changes substantially: more golfers than anglers. Visiting sportfishing boats have departed for the safer havens and lucrative tournaments of the US East Coast and Caribbean. Finally, local anglers have pretty much done with tournaments and are more concerned with winterising their craft as well as turning their interests to more mundane pursuits as the summer becomes a memory and school and work again moves into high gear. And lastly, but by no means least, the weather often has more than just a bit to say about proceedings. Once September arrives, the tropical season is near peak and conditions can easily deteriorate sufficiently to remove any maritime interests from even the saltiest minds.

Basically, effort drops off so much that the offshore successes receive little interest and tend to be lost amid the humdrum of daily life. Gone is the summer enthusiasm and the ability to plan a sojourn afloat in advance. Now is when the best laid weekend plans can be dashed by the passage of a cold front or the onset of an early winter gale; not to mention those named things that all too often roar up from the south.

But to return to the situation. The fishing is nothing short of excellent. Part of this is due to the change of seasons. While it is not as clearly marked here as it is in more temperate locales, it is occurring. What this means is that while conditions generally remain fairly warm here, farther north they are starting to cool off, and day length is shortening. This tells the birds, whales, and other migratory species like wahoo and tuna that it is time to head in the opposite direction — back to more equatorial regions and to do this before things turn too cold. This means that they will be passing through Bermuda’s latitude again. Migrating is hungry business as it takes energy to undertake a long distance move. This helps to liven up the ocean. Consider also the fact that many fish spawn during the summer and now the larvae and juveniles have become bait or food for larger fish.

Right now, there are schools of tuna offshore churning the waters around the Banks as they feed on whatever it is that they drive up towards the surface and gorge themselves on. Anglers fishing last weekend’s wahoo tournament proved that the wahoo were available in good numbers and that the size was markedly better than the usual summer average. Several of the fish weighed-in bettered the 50lb mark and many of the fish were over 35lb, quality wahoo by any standard.

Judging by the tales of lost fish, lines broken and hooks pulled the wahoo are numerous and willing to please. According to some, they are not yet as numerous or as large as they will be when the autumnal run really gets under way. Some pundits maintain that as the run continues as it often does into October, the fish will be larger. That will remain to be seen but suffice it to say that the wahoo fishing is good, damn good.

The Reel Lax, a foreign boat that has remained here for some weeks, continues to have anything up to four shots a day at blue marlin and has released fish daily on a pretty consistent basis. Just because a fleet isn’t out looking for them does not mean that the marlin have departed yet.

Patches of seaweed are also to be found and some of these are accompanied by dolphinfish or mahimahi. Perhaps the lack of strong meteorological phenomena to the south has resulted in a reduction in flotsam for it is this sort of material that often brings in numbers of these highly desirable, colourful game fish.

So, maybe it is a bit of a secret in that no one really puts in the effort nor advertises the outcome at this time of the year. Certainly, little is heard from the sporting point of view. That the fish are there is never in doubt, but it takes anglers going to wet lines to get those Tight Lines!!!