FACE the reality. It is springtime and the fishing is picking up at a great rate of knots. At the same time the weather is settling down. There may be a few blustery days but, by and large, the sunny, calm days are starting to dominate and it won't be long before it will be possible to plan a weekend afloat. In fact, it is only a few weeks until the tournament schedule kicks in and from then on the action should be fast and furious.

There is certainly nothing to complain about at the moment. By all accounts Capt. Allen DeSilva's DeMako had a haul consisting of around 20 wahoo late last week with most of the rest of the fleet managing double figures. That sure sounds like the start of the spring wahoo run. Remember it is generally very short lived and procrastinating may well mean that you won't have any part of it.

Judging by a couple of wahoo caught by Capt. Keith Winter's Playmate, the average size of the fish is pretty decent. Both fish taken by Playmate were close to 50 pounds and this has to engender some anticipation and maybe even excitement in the sportsman.

Light tackle anglers may wish to note that conditions offshore are such that some boats are actually making an effort to put in some chumming for tuna.

Normally, it is May before the fleet feels that it is worth adopting this tactic but knowing the experience that has been working the offshore the last few weeks it is highly likely that schools of yellowfin have been spotted. It is probably now merely a matter of locating their haunt in order to set up some prime chumming.

That things may be further along than they appear is evidenced by the fact that yet another boat has reported a run in with a blue marlin. This particular attack came in the vicinity of Southwest Edge when the plan was to catch wahoo and other mid-size game. Obviously no one had passed this information on to the marlin which did a creditable job of dumping a fifty wide reel before becoming unstuck.

One thing is for certain and that is there is at least one billfish lurking in the depths and it is highly likely that where there is one billfish there are likely to be others. So, chances are the marlin season will kick off early with a similar likelihood of boats hooking up with billfish when they are least expected.

Therein lies part of the problem. Fishing for marlin has always been regarded as bit of a specialty. Heavy gear, big baits or lures and time spent working the deepwater where most other species tend to be on the scarce side. Many viewed such angling as a waste of fuel, especially since the quarry has little food value and, almost invariably, is released after capture. All in all, a waste of time.

Not so, say the specialists. Apart from the three or four local charter boats that concentrate on billfish, there are plenty of foreign sport fishing boats that are only too pleased to be able to have a shot at the marlin in local waters. Add to this the fact that most charter boats elsewhere pride themselves on their marlin and tend to advertise their successes and the local scene seems a mite out of place.

This probably goes back to the old days when most boats were not equipped for billfish and preferred almost to a man to troll and chum along the edge of the drop-off. This strategy was further reinforced when the likes of tuna and wahoo secured a foothold in the marketplace. No longer was there the mere matter of a charter fee but there was also cash to be had from sale of the day's catch. And it would be fair to say that this was a major motivator for many charter boats at the time.

It was at this time that problems arose with respect to the distribution of the catch. Whereas in the past, most skippers had little interest in the tuna and wahoo, suddenly this was a matter to be agreed before leaving the dock. An equilibrium point was soon reached and even today, most skippers do not mind the clients taking enough fish for their personal use.

To contrast this situation with that elsewhere, say in Hawaii or the Virgin Islands, is likely to point out a few differences. In such places the emphasis is on the game fishing and success is measured in marlin. Although some of the catch will find its way into the marketplace, the vast majority of the effort goes into seeking billfish and ignoring other species.

A final note on this matter which will go to show that Bermuda is not the only place where the charter/sport and commercial aspects of fishing overlap is bluefin tuna fishing in Canada. Even 30 years ago, it was made emphatically clear that because this was sport fishing, the catch belonged to the boat. With the bluefin worth thousands of dollars and the likelihood of catching one somewhat slim, it was vitally important that the boat keep the proceeds. In fact, so valuable was the fish that many boats had tiered rates with the cost of the charter largely reflective of the line test fished. Anyone trying to set a record on tackle lighter than 130-lb test would have to dig considerably deeper for the charter fee.

Concurrent with the upsurge in offshore activity, things are coming to life over the reefs and in the inshore waters. Grey snappers are taking up their stations around docks and bridges, already preparing to torment land-bound anglers.

Similarly, schools of jacks can be seen tearing into the fry along the shoreline and in and around the islands in the Sound. All these signs mean that there is some action to be had for those armed with suitable light tackle. Likewise, those hungry for some fresh fish should be able to come up with some fillets of grunt, turbot (triggerfish) or other species that grace the shoreline during the spring and summer.

Over the sandy bottoms, bonefish will be offering some prime sporting opportunities for those with the savvy to hook into these amazing fish.

Just off the south shore beaches is a challenging alternative for the spin fisherman. Palometa (pompano) are now more available than they have been and as the water warms up they will become even more prevalent. This species offers great sport and a culinary experience not usually associated with beach-based Tight lines!!!