AS the winter gales pound the island and temperatures drop, it is a small wonder that anyone thinks of fishing at all. And even less likely is angling, the classic definition of which is fishing for fun, sport or recreation. It is understandable that a fisherman might have to go forth in such conditions because, like everyone else, he has bills to pay; but why leave a nice warm room with the NFL playoffs on TV to get bounced about on the briny?

Well for one thing, not every winter day in Bermuda is horrendous. While it is true that they are rather unpredictable, there are some absolutely glorious days when the sun is bright and warm and the seas are flat with only a gentle groundswell. On such occasions, a journey afloat can be a positively halcyon experience. Things are even more confusing this year, especially since the bird watchers maintain that they have seen longtails already. This would appear to be about eight weeks earlier than usual. Are the birds in error for once, or do they know something that the rest of us dont? Could it be that El Nio will be exerting a more powerful influence on local events that was originally suspected? If so, what will that do to the fishing scene? What we do know is that the offshore water temperature is close to 70F.

Even the water along the southwest edge is a pretty steady 69F and this is well into the range of most tropical and certainly sub-tropical species. We also know that wahoo stay here all year around and that there are plenty of anomalies that arise from the vagaries of the Gulf Stream that can introduce warmer than usual conditions, not just on the surface but also at depth. Taken together the story can get pretty complicated.

There was a bit of action earlier in the week when the weather actually turned out quite nice after a rather lumpy start. Capt. Keith Winter's Playmate spent most of the day on Challenger and got enough to justify the mission. He and his crew finished up with a pair of wahoo in the 40-pound bracket, some yellowfin tuna, ranging up to 70 pounds, and a selection of bottom fish.

If nothing else, the sheer variety of this haul reveals that the yellowfin are still on the offshore grounds, both as school-sized fish (probably laggards, this late in the year, they should weigh more) and more adult fish. The latter are not particularly numerous but even one can markedly improve the appearance of a fish box.

To put things in perspective some of the commercial boats working the Banks have caught wahoo (to be expected), yellowfin tuna (still within their preferred temperature range) and dolphin (rather more tropical). This suggests that the status quo hasn't shifted too much from recent weeks and a period of moderate weather may see some reasonably good catches, considering it is winter. What might be really nice would be a prolonged period of good weather that would allow boats to work the different areas and establish the location of the game fish and bait species.

Although there isn't a whole lot of effort being put in on the Banks, current reports indicate that most chummers have enjoyed some success with the yellowfin tuna and the odd wahoo puts in an appearance. Again, neither species is available in any great numbers but if sport is the object of the exercise then quantity takes a back seat to quality.

There has not been any serious trolling effort put in with most boats only devoting an hour or two to the process. This may well suggest that a stone is being left unturned, but it will take a brave man to spend the day dragging. Having said that though, the hallmark of winter wahoo fishing is long periods of inaction punctuated by frenzied activity. The latter may only last for 30 minutes or so but it has been possible to catch five or six large hoos in the burst. Southwest Edge has a pretty good track record in this respect and its proximity to home is another bonus.

Bottom fishing out to Sally Tuckers has always been fairly good and it should be possible to put together a nice mixed bag of coneys, barbers, hinds, bonitas and maybe a yellowtail snapper or two. Naturally, if the robins put in an appearance things could improve quite considerably but that would have to be considered icing on the cake.

Those seeking a bit of action but not to actually go on the ocean should be able to get some joy out of the turbots in the channel waters. There may be a few snappers around but until things improve the turbots, breams and pinfish will be the most likely to please. Of these, the turbot offers the best return in the kitchen.

Anyone willing to try a little deeper may be surprised at what can be caught over the deeper reef. There are plenty of barber and coney around and quite often some of the floating species will show up as well. Don't expect any serious big game action but there might well be enough to keep you occupied with your spinning gear or light boat rod. After all, any fresh fish is a bonus at this time of the year. If you are truly desperate for inshore sport, a calm sunny day on the bonefish flats might just provide a thrill. Not at all numerous, there are some bonefish that will venture on to their usual feeding grounds any day the water is clear and calm. A bit of bright sun does warm the shallows up a bit and, with luck, you may get a shot at a bone. If nothing else, it is a great day to spend one of those rare glorious winter days without venturing too far offshore.

Record watchers will note that yet another blackfin tuna record has been set in Florida. This time it was Glenda Kelley, the IGFA biologist, who set the mark. This was made on 6-lb test line and weighed in at a whopping 30 lb. 12 oz! A serious blackfin for sure and caught on exceedingly light tackle. Not surprisingly the catch was made off Key West during the spring, a time when the action seems to be at peak and there is some concerted light tackle effort at this location. Given the present state of affairs, it will probably not be too long before all the blackfin line class records are held by Florida fish, reversing the decades-old situation that saw Bermuda top of the heap.

A quick look at this situation has one thinking that it isn't the lack of fish that has given rise to this situation but the shifty to heavier tackle and the concentration on the larger tuna species. The blackfin are probably there if you want them and, like all tunas, plenty capable of providing Tight lines!!!