PROBABLY more by good luck than by any sort of planning, the blizzards that have paralysed the north eastern United States and Canada have by-passed Bermuda and, for the most part, the local weather has been almost spring-like. It has certainly been good enough to allow some of the more intrepid operators to get offshore and to do some fishing.

Most of this effort has been directed at lobster fishing on the inner bottom but a fair few have ventured farther offshore in search of bottom fish on the Banks or done a bit of trolling.

The latter has not been spectacular but it seems to be fairly consistent that a few wahoo are to be had. No one has really put in a full day's effort but there are enough fish about to warrant a few strikes. That's where making the most of the strike and keeping the fish attached is the key to success. Unfortunately, but perhaps not completely unexpectedly, many of the wahoo are on the small side, weighing in the neighbourhood of 15 to 20 pounds. That is fine if you just want a bit of fish for the table but a bit inadequate if the catch is intended for market.

On a positive note, some things have taken a bit of a turn for the better. After a year in which there was an almost absolute dearth of yellowfin tuna, this species has once again decided to put in an appearance. Chumming on the Banks at present should see some tunas invade the chum slick and while they are by no means giants, they are very definitely yellowfin tuna.

The fish now present are schoolies with weights in the 'teens to low 20's. Not that there might not be some larger fish around, but for now the fish being caught are on the small side. Still, there is way more tuna out there now than there was for most of last year. It is also encouraging to find the fish here in what has to be considered mid-winter, because the assumption is that as the water warms up and other species migrate into local waters numbers will increase. Also, given the rapid growth rate of tunas, the longer they stay around the larger they are going to be. Figure that three or four months of growing should increase the size of the fish by 20 percent or more. That puts them in the "just right" category for light tackle enthusiasts. A 30-something pound Allison is perfect for catching on 12-lb test and, all too often, has formed the backbone of the ILTT and other events.

The Allison or yellowfin tuna (the name "Allison" is the result of a misnomer that originated in Bermuda many years ago, hence its continued use here) is found all around the world – in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. And in those oceans it is found just about everywhere in the tropics and sub-tropics. What is kind of weird is that it is not found in the Mediterranean even though other tuna species are found there and the bluefin tuna is a species of major importance in the region. Just why the yellowfin doesn't venture through the Pillars of Hercules (Strait of Gibraltar) isn't clear. It just doesn't.

The Carolinas in the US often enjoy a winter run of yellowfin. This entails making a run out to the Gulf Stream and that could be anything up to a 100 miles offshore. This, of itself, is a good reason to have a fast boat. If the weather plays up you would prefer a four or five hour run back than having to ten-knot it all the way! So far, there haven't been too many reports of what this fishing is like and with the spectre of recession looming, the effort might well be cut back severely.

Another important winter fishery in that part of the world is one for bluefin tuna that are chummed up. While some recent years have been spectacular, the word is that it is really not happening. Most of the fishing that is going on in that part of the world is staying within the inlets and concentrating on species like striped bass which are excellent game fish in their own right but also have the distinct advantage of being found a lot closer to home than any species of tuna.

Back here at home, we lack the luxury of having productive sheltered waters close to shore. We simply don't have the freshwater river drainage, the wetlands and coastal conditions that one associates with a continent. On the plus side of things, we also lack the pollution and foul effluents that some of these water bodies have to suffer, so there is a bit of give and take. What we have are the reef areas that can be quite productive at any time of the year and the open sea where our main targets are the great pelagic species. Our problem is that heavy weather pretty much puts these areas out of bounds and the seasonal change in temperature also affects the fish directly, altering their availability.

And that's pretty much the problem at the moment. The weather is nowhere near as reliable as the weekend warriors want or need, the fish are down in numbers and variety and there just isn't the will to go angling. And, realistically, things are going to stay this way for a while. About the only thing that might change things would be a massive run of wahoo or something similarly spectacular that might provide the charter fleet with a bit of business. Overall probability of such – highly unlikely, but that is the stuff that dreams are made of.

Looking some way ahead, there has been an official press release about the Blue Marlin World Cup. As is obvious, it will be fished worldwide on July 4. What is less obvious is the fact that this is the 25th annual such event. The minimum eligible weight remains at 500 pounds and the entry fee at $3000 per team. There is an optional $5000 pot for those who really want to play for big bucks. The winner take all format has some advantage but only to the lucky team that boats the winning fish. As they say: caveat emptor! Additional information may be had on the internet at www.bluemarlinworldcup.com. If nothing else, maybe a look at the website replete with reminders of some of last year's action will conjure up a few vicarious Tight lines!!!