NOW that the annual regatta holiday is over with, boaters with a piscatorial side can concentrate on the fishing and risk messing up the boat a bit.

With the moon coming full in a few days' time and the certain knowledge that blue marlin are on the offshore grounds there will undoubtedly be a few of the specialists bringing out their big guns and spending at least some time working the deep water. Actually, it is surprising that it hasn't happened yet although this could reasonably be attributed to having the wahoo and tuna action so good and the only real effort coming from the commercial/charter fleet which really has other interests at heart.

The trolling is still producing a nice class of wahoo on a steady basis with action being reported from all sectors. The Banks tend to be the centre point of proceedings but this is probably due to the sheer dominance of effort. Notable catches have been made elsewhere and some nice catches have been had on abbreviated days at both the East and West Ends of the island.

Tuna, mostly yellowfin, are taking occasional trolls but these tend to be larger fish. A good steady supply of middleweights is on hand whenever the tides allow the establishment of a decent chum line. Such effort is almost exclusively limited to the Banks although a few more weeks should see blackfin as regular customers in chum lines fished along Bermuda's Edge.

As the season progresses, chumming will become the preferred modus operandi. The slackening off of the spring wahoo run which is likely any day now will give way to the chumming and drifting for tuna, jacks, rainbow runners and bonita (Almaco jack). Boats working the shallower portions of the Banks should remember that the world record books are wide open for some of the trophy yellowtail snappers that lurk out there.

Another relatively unexploited species that offers top class sport is the amberjack. Sometimes viewed as a bit of a specialist pursuit, live baits fished deep can work wonders on amberjack. This is especially true of larger ambers as these often travel in pairs. By way of example, a pair of really keen but unlikely pair of anglers, Edward Barnes and Mark Mitchell were out on Mitchell's boat, Doing Time (rather appropriate, some might say) and had packed in the dragging on the south-eastern side of Challenger and availed themselves of one of the several chumming buoys that are to be found in the area.

Almost right away they were able to get the robins up but made an error in judgement by assuming that there were no wahoo around. A live robin on a mono leader was instantly assaulted by a large wahoo whose teeth parted the leader.

Things improved later in the day when some bonitas ranged into the chum slick and were fairly cooperative. Later on into the day a catch of a mixed bag was dramatically improved when Barnes latched on to an amberjack on 30-lb test. Once the fish, estimated at 50 pound plus, was boated it was time to head for home and the weighing.

Alas it was not to be. Every attempt at securing a scale was thwarted and in the final analysis no one will ever know how big the fish was.

Similarly, no club points will be scored either, particularly disappointing when the fish was caught on light tackle. It is unfortunate that such circumstances can conspire to deny an angler points in any club's annual fishing competition. Naturally enough points are based on poundage caught per given line class. So, a scale is essential. Despite the number available on the island capable of weighing record class fish, lots of potential club entries go amongst the missing simply because many sport fishing boats do not carry even the most basic scale. One that goes to 50 or 60 pounds or so is ideal for setting drags and will weigh a hefty proportion of sport-caught fish. There are many inexpensive spring scales that are quite accurate and that are acceptable for club competition. The real difference seems to be that, at the end of a long hot day, if the fish isn't really record class, it is easier to fillet or steak it than to have to go in search of a scale, recognising that this latter process may mean that the fish does not get weighed until the next day, thus risking the quality of the meat.

The Rolex/IGFA Offshore Championship Tournament being fished at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico turned up a surprise result on the final day. This prestige event featured 66 teams from the US and 27 other countries. One thing that each team had was the distinction of winning a Rolex/IGFA qualifying tournament somewhere in the world. It will be recalled that, last year, the Bermuda International Light Tackle Tournament team of Bobby Rego, Danny Fox, Buddy Sowers and Casey Sowers won this event and, as such, they were invited to defend their title.

The tournament is an all release billfish affair with the target species being primarily striped marlin and sailfish. Points are also scored for dolphin (dorado) and other game fish on a point per pound basis. Needless to say, the event is exceedingly competitive.

After the first day a Portuguese team was in the lead with over 1200 points from four striped marlin releases and two dolphin.

On Day two, the Nantucket (Massachusetts) team surged into the lead and extended this even further on the third day. They caught at least two marlin each day and led with 2,400 points as the final day commenced. At this point the women proved that they knew what was going on and the Texas Women's Anglers Tournament team exploded into the lead by releasing five striped marlin and claiming first place.

Those who follow tournament statistics will be amazed to learn that in the four days 297 striped marlin were released. There was also one blue marlin and one sailfish release. Fish weighed in included 15 dolphin, ten wahoo and one tuna.

The defending Bermuda boys got off to a rough start releasing only one billfish on the first day of the tournament. At the end of day three they were not even in the top 30 teams. But things came together on the final day and they vaulted into ninth place ? a very creditable performance. Well done, guys! On a final note, the team that won the ILTT last year (Crayton Green, William B. Duval, Pete Rose and Wayne Booth) was unplaced.

One of the signature angling events is slated for this Sunday as the annual Bacardi Rum Tournament takes place. This perennially popular event sees a great level of participation and the choice fishing spots are likely to resemble City Hall car park. Although things can get a bit crowded, there really is room enough for everyone. It is also worth bearing in mind that this is probably the main event for occasional anglers to have a go at their share of the season's Tight lines!!!