It is safe to say that no sports angler did any fishing here this past week and the coming weekend doesn’t look promising either. A few of the commercial operators have managed to work their lobster gear but the offshore has simply been unworkable.

With little to inspire shore-bound anglers and an increasing awareness that a growing portion of the angling public is composed of a younger generation, this is an ideal opportunity to provide something in the way of a history lesson to illustrate how the angling of today had very different roots and differs markedly from the original plan.

Angling in Bermuda today is quite different from the, maybe not so good, old days. Granted, things were a bit better organised then because government was involved in the form of the Fishing Information Bureau which was ultimately part of the department of Tourism through its various reincarnations from board to departments. It was a one-man operation but, happily for all concerned, that one man was an avid angler. S.L. “Pete” Perinchief as he was known probably did more to promote Bermuda as a fishing tourism destination than anyone else before or since. What is really remarkable is that he accomplished this long before computers, e-mail or even television advertising. About the best that he had to work with was the print media and his personality and the combination was imminently successful.

A large part of his strategy was to showcase the species of game fish most likely to figure in any angler’s list of desires and was equally likely to be encountered even on the most casual angling venture.

This centered on seventeen recognised game species. But even this had a few quirks that helped things along. It must also be remembered that this was back in the day when the I.G.F.A. was still in its infancy as a public forum, being largely limited to record holders and a select few. That body has also grown by leaps and bounds and has come to not only be the ruling body and record-keeper for marine game fish but for all game fish, regardless of their habitat.

The F.I.B.’s list of game fish included all the obvious ones. Species that conjured up the visions of the beasts hunted by Ernest Hemingway, Zane Gray and other noted anglers of the day. Blue marlin, white marlin were automatic inclusions as was the yellowfin tuna. It is worth noting that neither species was caught with any frequency but because of their glamour and the fact that they occurred here during the high summer months was enough to warrant their inclusion.

The wahoo, far more common here than many other sport fishing destinations, was another species that had all the makings of a trophy catch. Without a doubt, Bermuda was close to the American East Coast and wahoo were exotic, exciting, numerous and attractive. Just the name caused a stir.

The blackfin tuna was a fine addition to the Bermuda list, given its abundance and the fact that it was the ideal light tackle fish. It was felt, early on, that Bermuda would be the Mecca for light tackle and that this would prove attractive to tourists.

Not yet thought of as game fish but welcome additions to the Bermuda list because they were reef fish rather than blue water species were the amberjack, Almaco jack, yellowtail snapper, grey snapper and Bermuda chub.

Making sure that the land-based fishing was not ignored, the bonefish and palometa (pompano) were included.

The species selected made it fairly sure-fire that any visiting angler during the recognised months, May through November would have a shot at something he or she could be proud of.

Notably absent were the bluefin tuna, sailfish, albacore, spearfish, tarpon and several other species which did occur here on occasion but were so unlikely as to possibly discourage the travelling angler.

In short, the strategy was a resounding success. During the 1950s and Sixties many light tackle records were set here, the International Light Tackle Tournament was born as were other tournaments that continue to this day. This continued into the 1970s but Bermuda’s position as a leading destination started to erode as other venues availed themselves of their resources and improved marketing. Affluent anglers went farther and farther afield in their search for records and variety. To paraphrase a great, the times they were a-changing.

Fast forward to today. In the absence of the F.I.B. as a result of the retirement of “Pete” Perinchief and the reorganising of Tourism, the local angling clubs formed a loosely bound organisation now known as the Bermuda Game Fishing Association. This body is responsible for maintaining local line class records, scheduling local tournaments and interacting with the I.G.F.A. as and when required.

Moving with the times, as noteworthy specimens of other I.G.F.A. species were caught here, the B.G.F.A. felt it was worth including these species. The list grew slowly over the years and now the listing of Bermuda records includes 27 species. Not all the line classes for all species are filled, so there are some opportunities there.

But it was not a one-way street. After much lobbying from Bermuda, the I.G.F.A. saw fit to include some of the species that were included in the original Bermuda listing but excluded from the world line class records. It is only in relatively recent years that the Almaco jack and yellowtail snapper have been accorded full I.G.F.A. status.

Things continue to be fluid as angling all over the world continues to evolve. Unthinkable 40 years ago, the blue marlin is now probably the greatest angling attraction that Bermuda has to offer, with four tournaments dedicated to its pursuit.

There is the new length class world record category which offers Bermuda limited opportunities at present but which will undoubtedly expand. Many records are now held by fish that were released alive and there are other developments in motion. The B.G.F.A. will stay abreast of changes and ensure that both locals and tourists will always be able to try for some world class Tight lines!!!