BELIEVE it or not, the end is in sight. Even though an eventful season continues there really isn't too much more left to come.

But there is one event, the Mid-Ocean News Wahoo Tournament, that is still to be fished.

And entries must be in by Tuesday at 5 p.m. next week (September 2). Entries must be brought to Flybridge Tackle. Some of the prizes up for grabs will be the Heaviest Wahoo, Junior Angler (Heaviest Wahoo) and Line Test winners. The Mid-Ocean News Wahoo Tournament is Bermuda's oldest and biggest. So get your entries in now! (for more information see Page 14).

So far, no real tropical activity has threatened and the fishing has been pretty good, despite the lack of yellowfin tuna action. Billfish tend to be the big story but the wahoo are providing a good substitute for the Allisons, with some remarkably good catches being made. One can only hope that these will continue to improve over the next few weeks as the autumnal run gets underway.

Smaller game and "eating fish" have also kept anglers and fishermen alike happy and there should still be plenty of chances for bumper catches of yellowtail snapper, bonita and amberjack. Also as the season winds up, there should be some "giant" mackerel, weighing over 15 pounds. Hook one of these on suitable tackle and you won't believe how hard a relatively small fish can pull!

As the season moves into its denouement, the much touted billfish activity is the first to wind down and even now, the signs are there. Although many foreign boat crews and certainly locals have become enamoured of Bermuda's marlin fishing, it must be recognised that we are not the only hot spot in the world. True, the choice of location for really large fish in the Atlantic has varied over the years. Most recently, the Portuguese island of Madeira has come in for a lot of publicity as have the Canary Islands. Less easily accessed locations like Ghana also get their share of granders and better.

To put things in perspective, the current world record comes from Brazil (in the southern Atlantic for anyone keeping geographical score) at just over 1400 pounds. Bermuda's biggest to date is about 50 pounds short of that world mark. Prior to Brazil making an impact, the happy hunting ground for the all-tackle record was the US Virgin Islands (even though this is a bit misleading since most of the boats fishing in the USVI actually fish the waters belonging to the British Virgin Islands). The last world record was caught there in 1977 and weighed 1282 pounds. This catch replaced the 1974 record set off North Carolina with an 1142 pound blue. Quite apart from becoming the world record, this was also the first Atlantic blue marlin that was officially weighed in at over 1,000 pounds. The previous record and one which stood for a long time was 845 pounds, also caught in the VI.

History has a habit of repeating itself and just recently the Pirate's Cove (North Carolina) Billfish tournament was won by a 1228.5 blue marlin. Although not a new world record, this has now been certified as the North Carolina state record, eclipsing the 1142 pounder that had stood for 34 years. So, it should come as no surprise that North Carolina figures in tournaments like the 4th July Blue Marlin World Cup.

And, on a note of caution, the only fish that really grab the limelight are those that are caught on sporting tackle in the approved sporting fashion. There have been blue marlin caught that have weighed over 1700 pounds but, for one reason or another, have been deemed ineligible for the record books.

If catching the biggest fish is the final goal, then the Pacific is probably the place to be. Hawaii catches several granders or thereabouts most years ( a mite tricky because the size of the Hawaiian island chain makes it a huge country compared to most other billfish destinations). Japanese commercial fisheries have reported (presumably reliably as they go back many years) that the blue marlin attains weights of up to 2,500 pounds. There are several stories of fish estimated at 2,000 pounds including some caught off the Japanese island of Okinawa and then there was "Choy's Monster" caught in Hawaii in 1970 that weighed 1,805 pounds but was ineligible for a record because several anglers handled the rod.

An interesting article written by Roddy Hays on where to go looking for the ultimate fish may be found by surfing on the internet at http://www.sportfishermen.com/2008/07/grander-travel-guide-where-to-fish-for-a-1000-pound-plus-blue-marlin/ . By no means gospel, it is interesting to see how he rates Bermuda against the rest of the world.

Even though the local attention is now going to markedly shift to wahoo with the major seasonal finale, the Mid-Ocean News Wahoo Tournament, moving to centre stage, there is a take-home message.

Like records, tournaments involve fishing according to the rules. The truth of the matter is that many anglers including some very experienced ones, are ignorant of many of the rules that apply to angling. The main and most simply explained rules are that the fish must be struck by the angler and only the angler, the rod must be removed from the holder as soon as possible; and no one may handle the rod or line at any time. The mate or any other may leader the fish by taking hold of the leader only below the swivel. Any number of people can leader and or gaff the fish. What many people do not realise is that simply touching the line while the fish is in play is enough to disqualify it.

There are plenty of other rules which prohibit certain actions, including resting the rod on the gunwale. Other rules specify leader lengths, materials and the number and arrangement of hooks. Amateurs should let the professionals set out the gear, as on a charter boat, or there are plenty of knowledgeable people in tackle shops, etc. who will be happy to advise on the legality of arrangements. In the spirit of fair and fun competition, it is everybody's responsibility to know the rules and to conduct oneself accordingly.

Looking ahead, the Mid-Ocean News Wahoo Tournament is the big event but there are other opportunities for some good fishing before the weather starts playing up as the first of the North American cold fronts sweeps across the Gulf Stream and starts to upset our weather.

Of less importance to die-hard sports anglers is the fact that the bottom fishing is often at its best at this time of the year. There are always some coneys, hinds and barbers around, but there should also be plenty of turbots which make a firm white fillet even if it takes a bit of effort to clean them. This is the time of the year for ambers and bonitas. They may not be large fish but there should be more than enough respectably-sized fish to make the effort worthwhile. Even fish in the four to ten pound range give a good account of themselves and one does not have to be a whole lot bigger to really provide some Tight lines!!!