Will summer ever end?

At least properly, when the weather is dominated by the regular passage of cold fronts and their related gales.

Enough already of the tropical systems – it is almost October, and it is definitely autumn.

Hurricanes, tropical storms and even their near misses are no fun and damaging to people, property, the economy and certainly to fishing.

The blow might be over and things are doing their best to return to normalcy but anyone planning on venturing out on the briny had better take into consideration that, once again, as in the aftermath of Earl, the seas will be in the process of settling down and this does not happen overnight.

Even more importantly, the changes may not always be obvious to the naked eye. Although unseen, such conditions can have safety consideration for boaters and, in any case, they have major effects on fish behaviour and movements.

What might be expected? Well, on a positive note, right up until the weather interfered there were still enough yellowfin tuna and wahoo offshore to make things worthwhile.

The quality was also rather good with the yellowfin mostly being middle to heavyweight and the wahoo a very nice class of fish indeed. One would hope that they would still be in the general area when local fishermen can get back out there.

Another positive is that there are unconfirmed reports of schools likely to be frigate mackerel, and this can mean that there is some great angling ahead.

This is indeed the time for these juveniles to show up and many a fisherman is hopeful of using live baits to fill up freezers in advance of the winter period.

A mixed blessing often comes as a result of the passage of heavy weather. There is often flotsam associated with storms as they ravage everything in their path.

Such things can range from entire palm trees to bits of rope, odd planks or bits of wood and ripped fishing gear, almost anything really. Such materials can be collision hazards especially when they are floating just below the surface and are not readily visible.

On the other hand, such materials can also act as fish attractants, and it is not uncommon to find numbers of wahoo or dolphin associated with floating debris. This can prove to be a real bonanza as such fish are usually willing to please and a serious haul can be the result.

So, while boaters in general should be cautious when plying the offshore, the observant fisherman will also be looking to turn such occurrences to his advantage.

Keen anglers will be monitoring reports from the commercial fishery as soon as they start to test the offshore waters again in the coming days.

As the season now ends for many anglers, there is often a tendency to become an armchair version.

With television choices now available along with online video options, there is no end to the fishing that can be “done” vicariously. There are also a number of publications dedicated to piscatorial pursuits in both fresh and salt waters.

Many of the fish species featured in such films are familiar as marlin, tuna and occasionally wahoo are the stars.

Bluefin tuna are one of the leading lights and although few local fishermen ever encounter one in real life, they do occur here and there is always that remote possibility for even the most casual local angler.

But there are lots of other species featured that will never be found here.

The reasons are plentiful; some species are restricted to fresh waters or to estuary environments; others are native to the Pacific or Indian Oceans, or are limited by temperature ranges. Then there are oddities which have surprised before and it often takes a knowledgeable angler to recognise that he has caught something out of the ordinary.

Into such a category come fish like the kingfish or king mackerel. This species is a bit of a wahoo lookalike, even though there are major differences. A number have been caught here despite Bermuda being well outside their normal range.

Probably more are caught but most people think it is just a slightly odd-looking wahoo.

Sailfish are another unlikely, but instantly recognisable, species caught here in only limited numbers . Normally found along continental shelf regions, a few do find their way into the open ocean and sometimes put in an appearance here.

Bigeye tuna have also been caught and there is no real reason why they should not be more common. It is likely that they stay at depth in the local areas and are therefore less likely to encounter traditional fishing gear.

The same can be said for albacore, which are the mainstay of the Oriental longline fleet that used to license to fish in the Bermuda zone. While a few are occasionally hooked, they are mostly ignored by local commercial and sport fisheries.

This is often the time of year when oddities show up. Whether it is the change in season, the widespread migration of many species or just the luck of the off-season fisher that brings these unlikely candidates here isn’t known.

What is known is that most of them are plenty capable of providing Tight Lines!!!