SUB-TROPICAL storm, gale or whatever, it sure put paid to any illusion of a weekend afloat, inshore or offshore. And, sadly, that heralds the conclusion of the 2004 angling season. From now on, it's a bit of a hit or miss as to whether or not the conditions at the weekend will be conducive to the angler.

There will still be fairly frequent opportunities for those who have the luxury of just dropping everything mid-week and taking advantage of one of the fine calm days that will grace the island from time to time. At least, that is what the professionals do, successfully eking out another couple of months of fishing and making a living.

Unfortunately, for most of us this is just something that we simply can not do. So, we look forward to the long-term weather forecasts with a sense of hope that maybe we can manage an excursion offshore.

Wahoo remain available although the numbers are dropping off fairly sharply at present. This is to be expected although, happily, they remain available all through the year with some nice fish having been caught in the winter months. At least one line class world record was a Bermuda wahoo caught in late December and there are lots of individuals who have stories about decent fish caught during the "off" season.

Yellowfin tuna continue to please but, again, these are proving to be somewhat sporadic. Part of the overall problem is that with the weather the way it is, it is hard for anyone, even the pros, to get in a few consecutive days to establish the fish's whereabouts. Such conditions also keep things from settling to the point that some reliable judgements can be made.

Barracuda continue to put in an appearance in chum slicks but their hey-day is also just about over. The same holds true for some of the other summer visitors such as the dolphin and rainbow runner. While they probably won't completely disappear as they did years ago when winters were cooler (but that is a whole other story), they will certainly be less in evidence between now and next spring.

Don't completely discount a late season billfish attack but with the numbers of these fish greatly off in this clime and with effort approaching zero, it would be a chance encounter indeed that would lead to an amateur catching a blue or white. Sailfish or spearfish, maybe but even then those have never been anything more than incidental catches at any time.

On the plus side of things, there is still plenty of small game about and don't be surprised if some really large mackerel (little tunny) show up.

When hooked initially, there is little to distinguish their battle from that of a blackfin tuna and there is usually an expression of wonderment on the face of an angler who brings a 22-pound mackerel to the boat. Something else which will alter the way the fishing is done over the next few months is the shift in emphasis from the sporting aspect to the "fresh fish" point of view. Whereas in the summer, the thinking is that there is always next week to go out and catch something, after October the thought process is more on how to stock up on fish whenever I can get out.

To this end, there is something to be said for putting in a couple of hours bottom bouncing on the Bank. While the fishing is nothing like it was years ago, there are still enough hinds and coneys to put at least a bit of colour into the fish box, Ambers and bonitas add a bit of variety and provide some sport en route to the kitchen. For the lucky few, a monkey (flag) rockfish may please.

The latter tend to favour the area close to the actual drop-off and may be caught in water somewhat deeper than that covered by most drift fishermen.

They also have a tendency to strike at baits fished six or eight feet above the bottom, leaving one to think that they don't actually live in the rocks but hover over the bottom structure, much like a cruising school of jacks.

Top choice for a bait is a single anchovy.

When working the bottom, it is worth recognising that the sporting is pretty much out of the game and that rigs should be chosen to maximise production. Circle hooks, for instance, really do provide an edge and can be counted on to improve the hooking percentage. Fresh bait makes a difference as well although the usual frozen squid or salted frozen anchovy will work. If you can get a fresh mackerel or robin, try taking the sides off that ? it will improve your hook-up ratio.

The Banks are the best venue because they allow you to drift over a distance. The Edge can have its moments too but here usually the best option is to drop the anchor and combine bottom fishing with a bit of chumming. It is still not too late for the yellowtails to put in an appearance and that can be turned to great advantage.

There is one other consideration that will affect local anglers: the clocks go back on Saturday night and this will have the immediate effect of making the days seem shorter. To be sure, it will get dark a lot earlier than you have become used to and many will have the feeling that winter has well and truly arrived. Make sure that you plan your trip accordingly, leaving enough daylight to get the fish cleaning and washing-down done.

Those anglers who are computer literate and who like to look at big fish, here is a website for you. Its name summarises things pretty succinctly and it is worth looking at. Try http://www.bigmarinefish.com/photos_index.html to see some big marlin.

Most of the fish shown are Hawaiian-caught; courtesy of the legendary Capt. "Black Bart" Miller. While many are of fish that were weighed in with weights that were verified, there is one that was not. This rather extraordinary shot purports to show a hooked blue estimated at 3,000 pounds! In this day of internet scams and digital photo touch-ups, one cannot be sure if this is a put on or not. To put things in perspective though, the Japanese longliners, who really do know the world's fish, have always maintained that the blue marlin was the largest of all marlin, topping out at a minimum of 2,500 pounds. So, with a bit of over-estimation and a dash of realism, maybe it really was just one huge fish! Talk about wanting some Tight lines!!!