TO say that the fishing has been mediocre this week would be an outright lie. With the howling gales and temperatures reminiscent of the Arctic tundra, there has been virtually no fishing at all. A few brave commercial operators may have ventured to their lobster traps but that is not what the angler has in mind.

When it turns windy and cold there simply isn't any fishing to be had. The offshore and reef areas are either inaccessible or too uncomfortable to even considering wetting a line and the inshore fish pretty much take off for deeper waters to ride out the storm. Well, fishing off a bridge might get a bite or two from bream or pinfish but the idea of trying to stay warm in exchange for the momentary thrill of a bite is pretty disconcerting.

The situation does change if the wind drops and the southerly air flow brings a warming trend. Remember that it is entirely possible that next week might see temperatures close to 70 degrees. Throw in some sunshine and it won't be all that far from being a "Bermudaful" day.

When and if that happens, the situation for even shoreline fishing can improve dramatically. Pompano will flit through the shallows off the South Shore beaches and can be caught using the normal bread and sardine combination. They also take small spoons and silver dart-type lures. Small bonefish can also be taken right off the beaches. Blind casting bait like squid and retrieving it over the sandy bottom is a boring but effective technique for this species.

The offshore scene will remain dependent on sea conditions. The blast of cold weather will not have had too much effect on offshore temperatures due to the sheer mass of the open sea. There may be some more localised cooling along Bermuda's Edge but this could quickly be restored if the currents start to push up from southward and some solar insolation (sunshine to the rest of us) does its bit to warm the surface water.

The effect of such conditions on the fish is really unknown. Being cold-blooded, lower temperatures should slow them down, making them less inclined to feed. On the other hand, pelagic species, especially tunas, have physiological adaptations to keep their blood at a temperature greater than the surrounding water. Thus cooler conditions could launch them into a feeding frenzy as they will need extra energy to maintain themselves.

Of course, it is entirely possible that they will have felt the first tinges of cold and have happily departed for points south. When you can cover over a hundred miles in a day, it doesn't take too long to reach warmer climes.

Whether or not the wahoo and Allisons will have stuck around will be open to speculation until someone actually gets offshore and starts fishing for them. The presumption, of course, is that once things settle down the fish will return and things will get back to normal. Anglers and fishermen are all such optimists! The Bermuda Game Fishing Association (BGFA) is currently finalising the 2005 local tournament calendar and this should be available shortly, allowing anglers to plan their year. Don't worry, it will fly by and summer will be over almost before you realise that it is here.

One of the new features for this year is a combined effort to turn July into Bermuda's international marlin month and to attract as much foreign participation as possible. Not only does the sponsoring Department of Tourism want numbers of boats to come but they also want them to stay here as long as possible. So, building on the success of the Big Game Classic, the organisers have created a new tournament and have merged with the existing Bermuda Triple Crown (Cup Match) to come up with a three-leg Bermuda Championship Series.

Points scored by boats in each of the events will accrue for the overall championship with the only proviso being that, in order to be eligible, the boat must have fished the Classic. With the accrual of points there is every incentive for a boat to stay the month and fish all three events.

Beyond July, the East Coast Tournament scene becomes exceedingly competitive and there is every likelihood that boats will want to return to the USA to head north for the really big money events like the White Marlin Open or to move south to the Caribbean for the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands events.

The new event, slated for July 2-4, will be called the Bermuda Blast and will concentrate on releases although there are provisions to allow the boating of a fish eligible for the Blue Marlin World Cup.

The Classic will be similar to those fished in the four previous years and this year's 32nd Bermuda Triple Crown will again be a three-day event over the Cup Match holiday weekend with the rules pretty much the way they have been for years.

All the events will feature jackpots at different levels with the organisers thinking that, if last year's Classic is any indication of how much money is going to get tossed into the pot, there could be close to a million dollars at stake over the course of the month.

At present, it is intended to continue to use digital photos to confirm releases but, as the money at stake starts to get right up there, there will likely be those who will want observers on participating boats. The problem is that at the moment there is no way that Bermuda could come up with 30 or 40 qualified observers. Part of the reason for this is that most of the locals who could be said to be competent are already involved in the tournament in one way or another. This includes skippers and crews of local sport fishing boats and the charter fleet. Note also that the word "qualified" as used here does not suggest equality with the internationally recognised programme leading to certification as an observer.

In this respect, the International Game Fish Association continues to expand its certified observer programme and any locals who intend to travel to the Miami Boat Show should know that IGFA will be holding an observer workshop at the Show on February 20th.

Even if you aren't going to the Show and have no intention of becoming an observer, if you fish you should be aware of the rules. Computer users should know that the IGFA Rule Book for all freshwater, saltwater and fly-fishing may be downloaded for free from the Internet at http://www.igfa.org/BookRule2004.pdf. This nine-page illustrated document contains everything you need to know and might be just the ticket for dreaming up some wintry Tight lines!!!