The earth continues to revolve around the sun constantly, making its way towards its rendezvous with the next equinox which will herald spring. Not so long now and maybe, just maybe, the worst of the winter has slid by. There are probably a few more gales on the cards but the warming should continue.

Early morning movers are probably enjoying the fact that it is daylight by about seven o’clock. Unfortunately, that all comes to a crashing end next weekend when we will see a return to early morning darkness as the daylight savings time programme kicks in.

When that happens, although it will stay light until well into the evening, an early morning excursion offshore is likely to start in the dark. Not that this should pose too much of a problem; in fact, it should make it easier to be on the Edge or the Bank at first light when the fish are expected to be most active.

The reason for this is pretty straightforward: it is believed that most pelagic fish such as tuna and wahoo feed by sight and to do so need daylight.

Just how true this is remains debatable but there are places that acknowledge that the fishing is at its worst when there is a bright moon, citing that during these moonlit nights the fish can see to feed and therefore are not as hungry during the day. Who knows?

Some fish spend a lot of time at depth and only come to the surface to feed. Others have extra-large eyes that are developed for feeding in low light conditions. And who hasn’t had fish wander back and forth through a chum slick with no intention of taking anything on offer. Just what makes fish bite — that is the age old question and it is not going to be answered here.

With the inshore waters starting to warm up, it is time to keep an eye out for any influx of bait. Birds can be a good giveaway; after all, why would a heron stand in chilly water for hours if it wasn’t pretty sure that some form of reward would eventually show up. Schools of fry often make their way into the bays and harbours where they can be netted, often in great numbers.

The hogmouth or “white” fry is the common species that can be found most anywhere. Also given to forming schools in the spring are the coveted anchovies. These are popular in their own right as a food fish but hey are the object of desire by many fisherman and anglers as prime hook bait for everything from a coney to a tuna.

Something else worth considering is a bit of reef fishing. This is the time of the year when the porgy holes come into their own. Closer to home than the Edge or Banks, this area is largely ignored by sport fishermen who prefer to go after tuna, wahoo and other blue water species. This is a shame because many of the choice table species can be found in and around the reefs that punctuate the sandy bottom.

Bottom fishing here will produce a few red hinds, never to be scoffed at; coneys, barbers and, rarely other grouper species, most of which are protected one way or another. Snappers, particularly yellowtails, will also please on occasion and then there is the main reason for venturing out onto this particular piece of bottom — the porgy!

Now, what many people are not aware of is the fact that there are several porgy species which are commonly found here but really only one, the blue-boned porgy, is caught on hook and line.

Back in the days when fish pots were in use, there was another common porgy that seldom got to be bigger than about a pound and a half.

They were sort of fishy white with tinges of yellow on the fins and although they were regularly encountered in pots, the hook and line method was totally unsuccessful. This is in contrast to the jolthead or blue-bone porgy that will readily take just about anything on offer but especially molluscs like squid or octopus.

Best of all, the blue-bone is a big fish. Ten-pounders are not uncommon and they can get a lot bigger. Their body shape ensures that they give a good tussle even when caught on a handline; not exactly sporting but effective.

Using a waterglass is an efficient way of scoping out any porgies cruising along the white sand between the reefs and, if hauling anchor and moving is not a problem, it is possible to score a dozen or more in a day.

All told, that is a lot of fish! Not to mention at least a cauldron or two of chowder. If you don’t know how to make it find someone who does, the result will be justification for your Tight Lines!!!