GO fly a kite! At least that will be what most people will be doing this weekend ? although in the windy weather as of late you could probably launch a manned glider!

Basically, there won't be much fishing this weekend, regardless of what the weather does. The Good Friday holiday hardly ever sees anyone heading offshore even though most professionals will claim to have done it at least once in their careers. Whilst this is probably true, the fact of the matter is that virtually everyone takes advantage of the holiday atmosphere, notwithstanding that the time of year is usually coincident with less than balmy weather and the day is often unfishable anyway. On quite another note, it is not a good day for an amateur or anyone else to be offshore because it is quite likely that you would be on your own and if anything should malfunction, it could be a long time before any assistance shows up.

As for the rest of the weekend, precious few will get out on the Saturday and Easter Sunday sees just about everyone heading out to brunch or to other social engagements all of which preclude fishing.

It is also highly likely that most would-be anglers are simply not ready to venture offshore. The weather will get most of the blame but the truth is that it is later than everyone thinks. For most the off season has been longer than usual, thanks to Fabian and there are still plenty of boats awaiting repairs and refits as a result of that little September interlude.

The fact that it is now nearly mid-April should mean that thought should be given to getting the boat ship-shape and ready for the forthcoming season which is only a couple of weeks away.

For those who think that they are ahead of the game and ready to go out on the blue water, it will pay to check some of those things that generally get ignores until you need them. Try the safety gear: the fire extinguisher, the flares, first aid kit, and, where appropriate the EPIRB and life raft. Such things are often installed initially with the best of intentions but then languish for years at a time. This does not work too well and even though things like flares are good for three years, it will seem that you only bought them yesterday when you realise that they have expired. Best to check them out before you need them.

Almost amazingly, the Banks are still playing host to good numbers of yellowfin tuna. These fish have been on the offshore grounds throughout the winter and have been incredibly consistent. For the most part they have been school-sized, averaging about 22 pounds. There have been scattered reports of larger fish but it seems that these are not responding to the chumming and drifting efforts that characterise tuna fishing in Bermuda.

Those that have been caught so far have taken trolled offerings but there is every reason to think that as chumming effort increases, these larger fish will start to run with the schoolies and invade chum slicks. This could mean some really top class light tackle fishing. Even if you are new to the sport, you owe it to yourself to give the lighter classes of gear a try. Once upon a time, it was this sort of angling that put Bermuda on the map as far as sport fishing is concerned.

It doesn't really take a whole lot of ability to catch a 25-pound tuna on 12-lb test but it does provide some really exciting action. If you haven't got a 12-lb rig, consider using a spinning rod. For school-sized fish, these are usually adequate and there is even the option of using the rod and reel combination as it was devised for. Top water popping lures can be cast out over the chum slick and then retrieved with a reasonable expectation that an Allison will explode on it leaving you hooked up to one of the best battlers in any ocean.

The trolling is starting to pick up with wahoo leading the way. Doubles and other multiple strikes are becoming more common, suggesting that the spring run may be getting under way. This particular run, once referred to as the "minor" run, varies considerably from year to year. Its duration, in particular, can be anything from a week to a month or more and the quality of the fish can range from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Some rather nice hauls have been made by commercial fishermen and amateurs alike. Hauls of five or more wahoo seem to be commonplace and some boats have gotten into double figures. Often these have been punctuated by the occasional tuna or dolphin. This sort of mixed bag catch should become more regular as the level of fishing effort suddenly moves into high gear over the next few weeks. The charter fleet will start to roll and this should give the weekend warriors a better handle on the offshore situation.

Certainly the water temperature is warm enough for any of the summer gamesters that pass through local waters. Many of the species associated with high summer are already present and settling in for the duration.

Amongst others these include rainbow runner and dolphin. And don't be too surprised if a billfish puts in an appearance behind a troll. Certainly whites often run with wahoo and their preference for slightly cooler water than blue marlin means that they are swimming around the Island at the present time.

Don't disregard the potential for a big blue showing up uninvited. The first blue of the season is usually caught in early May but that is in large part due to the fact that no one really goes looking for them until then. Last year, the first blue was caught in April and the general sea conditions at present are quite similar to those of 2003. With the billfish tournaments scheduled for this summer and the apparent influx of foreign sport fishers, it would be nice to enjoy a long, bumper blue marlin season.

In this respect, some of the repeat visitors such as the are already looking forward to their season in Bermuda.

Inshore anglers should have taken note that the harbours and bays are filling up with summertime residents. Jacks are abundant and the grey snappers are re-establishing residence in all their usual haunts. Although the moon was full earlier this week, they may yet be somewhat vulnerable to fresh fry and loads of patience. For many shore side anglers, it is the difficulty in getting a grey dog to bite that really enhances the thrill that comes when it is finally conned into providing Tight lines!!!