WELL, things just aren't as they used to be. Talk about a week making a difference in politics, it does amazing things to the fishing! The great run of yellowfin that the East End enjoyed seems to have dried up somewhat and the mere fact that it is January has effort way, way down.

That is a big part of the winter fishing problem. We all accept that fish move around and in most instances it is necessary to locate the areas in which they are concentrated before they can be worked effectively.

In the winter, the problem is twofold. One, there are periods of time when the weather guarantees that no one does any fishing. When the weather does break, the fish have usually moved on from where they were. This brings the second problem into play. With fewer boats working the offshore, there are gaps in the coverage and it can be quite a while before the fishes' whereabouts can be ascertained. Even then it is likely that the weather will again prevail and the situation will repeat itself.

Back to the yellowfin. Capt. Eugene Barnes' Blue Chip managed to come up with two school-size yellowfin off the southeast point along with several large mackerel and a lone bonita. On the day in mention, that piece of bottom got a good working over by a number of boats but pickings were generally slim and most boats returned empty-handed. Another success came from a small outboard that managed to hook up on the troll, offering this as a more costly option to anglers wishing to stay on the move.

The really notable thing was the absence of bait as compared with the scenario before the holidays. It is probable that if the bait can be re-located, maybe along the South Shore, that some good action could be had.

Tuna can still be had on the Banks and this is probably where most of the action will be centred over the next few weeks. Commercial boats will be able to troll for wahoo, try for tuna and, if all else fails, drop down below for some coneys, hinds, and floating fish (bonitas, ambers, etc.).

Wahoo are being had on the troll all around the Island and on the Banks but things are a bit spotty. Chummers have reported seeing a few in their slicks. Most of the fish were of a reasonable size and occasionally they can be enticed to take a well-concealed hook.

The wahoo are worth keeping an eye on. Last year saw a nice burst of action in late January and early February and there is no reason to think that that might not happen again. It is a case of being prepared and ready to go, if and when the conditions are right. For most of us, this is unlikely; being bound to work weeks and further hampered by the weather and its vagaries.

Channel fishing consists almost entirely of turbots and small bonita and the odd mackerel. Off the bottom, you can expect the very occasional hind while barbers remain fairly plentiful. Coneys add a bit of variety but best results will be had from regularly baiting a bit of ground and this is hard to do when the winter weather can keep you shorebound for a week or more at a time.

Some mention has recently been made in the media of the amounts of seaweed that are presently adorning Bermuda's beaches and more secluded harbours and bays. It is unfortunate that the general impression is that seaweed is a nuisance and even unhealthy.

Years ago when Bermudians were more in touch with their natural heritage and agricultural routes, this seaweed would be harvested for use as fertiliser in the garden or farm. Once ploughed into the ground, the degradation products of this nutrient rich material helped improve the quality of the local soil and made for better crops. Even at the present time, there is some interest in utilising the seaweed for banana crops but very few farmers or gardeners ever actually get around to using it.

There is another vital aspect of the build-up of seaweed on the beaches that is largely ignored. In fact, it is usually actively campaigned against. This is allowing the weed to remain on the beach and to degrade naturally or wash back out to sea again. During its presence on the beach, the seaweed serves to help in the accumulation of sand; a process that is integral to nature's maintenance of the beach. Without such mechanisms, many beaches would be totally washed out and might well remain so.

Juxtaposed against this is the argument that it stinks, is full of trash and is generally unsightly. Well, the trash aspect can be traced directly back to the good old human being. Plastic, bits of Styrofoam and other man-made garbage is found everywhere in the world's oceans and, despite international efforts, is getting worse. A big part of that problem is the longevity of such materials. Paper bags and whatnot breakdown in days or weeks but things like plastics can endure for decades if not centuries.

The fact that is unsightly and rather smelly might be likened to the first sight settlers had of the rotting freshly fallen leaves in the deciduous forests of North America. Maybe not exactly pretty but certainly an important part of the process by which the earth replenishes itself. In time, the forests again become massive green wildernesses and things of beauty. Given enough time, beaches will likewise cleanse themselves and be restored to the picture postcard glory.

So despite the fact that it isn't the prettiest stuff on earth and it does stink a bit, and given that Fabian did a pretty good job of reshaping our shoreline, it is probably best left on the beaches for the duration of the winter.

One other plus seems to have been that in the process of making it to our shores, the floating weed has brought with it numbers of pelagic species that have provided some good fishing over recent weeks. Whether this is due to the seaweed itself or the myriad bait species that can inhabit it is hard to say although one suspects that the bait is probably the dominant reason.

One of the species most associated with floating seaweed is the dolphin or mahi-mahi. The rather good run that was had into December was almost certainly a result of this and the fact that a small dolphin was actually caught in the channel off St. George's last week is further proof that the numbers here were good and the fish have probably dispersed all over the local area.

Another unlikely but important association with the seaweed is that juvenile dolphin often inhabit it in great numbers. Baby dolphin three or four inches long can often be found in and among masses of the weed, even inshore. They don't look anything like the adult versions, beyond the type and attachment of the dorsal fin that runs almost the length of the upper body. These are often found under weed rafts in Harrington Sound or Flatts Inlet.

The good news is that they grow quickly and provided that they can find sufficient food before becoming food for something else, it is only a few months before they are capable of giving someone some Tight lines!!!