AS anticipated, for the last week or so, the focus continued to be on billfish with both local and foreign boats putting in hours and miles of dragging through blue water in search of these elusive fish. Probably as a result of Bertha, the water appeared to be stirred up and there were times and places where the usual deep blue gave way to a grey or greenish tinge that most veterans did their utmost to avoid. Every so often a marlin can be caught under such conditions, but, for the most part, the purists like to stick to the real "blue" water.

The most recent event, the Sea Horse Anglers Club Tournament, was competitive with 32 boats taking part in the three-day contest. Perhaps surprisingly, the fish were a little less cooperative than expected, given the phase of the moon and the good sea conditions. What was different was the showing of numerous white marlin at a time when locals believe that the blue marlin is the more prominent billfish species.

The visiting boat Fa-La-Me scored 1,900 points over the three days to finish up first in the 35th edition of the club's Bermuda Billfish Tournament. This was just 100 points ahead of Capt. Peter Rans' Overproof which had a release disqualified that cost them the winning slot. Tease Em was third with 1,500 points.

Although big fish were common in the earlier July billfish tournaments, they suddenly all but disappeared for this event. It was not until the final day that local boat Queen of Hearts caught a qualifying fish that weighed in at 572 pounds, earning the crew a rather nice payday. The largest non-billfish game fish was a 45 pound wahoo caught on board Spencer 66 - Ohana.

As usual, there were some hard luck stories; apparently a boat fishing the East End had a really large blue on that parted the 600-pound test leader, thereby making good its escape. There were plenty of pulled hooks and fish that refused to eat despite coming up behind every lure in a boat's wake.

When the tally was finalised there were 29 blue marlin releases, matched by 29 white marlin releases and one blue marlin brought to the scale. All but six of the boats participating managed to get on the scoreboard. Another successful outcome for both organisers and participants.

In the greater scheme of things, the SHAC tournament was the final leg of the Bermuda Triple Crown. With the number of points at stake, no one could be quite sure of the outcome until everything was done and dusted. Que Mas, which came second in the Bermuda Billfish Blast improved its position to move into first following the Big Game Classic. As the final leg of the challenge shaped up without Que Mas catching a fish on the first two days, there was some question as to whether or not the early leader would hang on to win. A strong showing on the final day of the Sea Horse tournament with a blue marlin release followed by an absolutely last minute white marlin release garnered Que Mas enough points to claim the Triple Crown honours 818 points ahead of Fa-La-Me. Only a few hundred points then separated the next four places, showing just how close the competition was. All in all, a good foundation that has now been added to and which augurs well for the future.

Happily for some, the emphasis now eases away from billfish and some of the more traditional species become those most sought after. Normally, yellowfin tuna would be the target of choice but, to be blunt, they are thin on the ground. The billfish trollers admitted to seeing some small schools of middle-sized fish but these seemed to be on the move and headed toward points unknown. It is possible that they will show up on the Banks but it would be a mistake to depend on that happening.

In contrast, this is the best time to concentrate on trophy blackfin tuna. An ideal light tackle species, there should be some hefty blackfin around; some bettering the 30-pound mark. With records in the 38 to 43-pound range, depending on line class, there might well be some potential record breakers out there. The species seems to be resident year round but really becomes active during the high summer which is now. In terms of location, best bets are the crown of the Banks and Bermuda's Edge particularly down north along Long Point and vicinity. Stationary chumming buoys probably also have some blackfin in the area and these might be profitable venues. Blackfin tuna go wild over live baits be it robins or even mackerel. Kites work well with both live or dead baits and good old-fashioned chumming with anchovy or cut bait works as well. Blackfin aren't too fussy and they have even been known to take rigs intended for bottom-dwelling species.

The reef species are also at their best for a wide variety of small game. Whitewater snappers and other channel species are also as cooperative as they ever get and even the smallest boaters with the most basic tackle can enjoy some success without having to venture too far from home. The crucial ingredient for any fishing at the moment is ice and lots of it. With air temperatures well into the 80°'s with the sea temperature not far behind, spoilage is a very real concern. No sense wasting fish that are caught by keeping them and then having to dispose of them because they have gone off. With the great summer holiday weekend almost upon us, the demand for ice will be almost insatiable so, if fishing is on the agenda, a bit of planning and preparation might well be necessary.

Some may have lost sight of the fact that the Bermuda Fishing Clubs annual tournament was indeed fished this year, at the end of June. To keep the record straight, this year's winning team was the Bermuda Anglers Club with 1,810 points. All their catches were made on 12 and 16-lb test line. The High Point Fish on 12 lb test was an 18.6 lb blackfin tuna caught by Steven Antonition and, on 16-lb test, a 16.1 lb wahoo caught by Richard Lee. Joss Lines and Noah Lines shared the High Point Angler honours with 675 points. The High Point Boat was Endeavor with 1,350 points. Details of the prize presentation are forthcoming.

This weekend will see the Bermuda Anglers Club staging one of their fun tournaments but, other than that, the tournament schedule takes a bit of a break over the long holiday weekend. Things then happen rather quickly with the year's finale, the wahoo tournament just over a month away. Who says time doesn't fly!

It would be remiss not to make the very noteworthy point that the Blue Waters Anglers Club is celebrating its half-century. Although not the oldest angling club on the Island ¿ that honour goes to Bermuda Anglers Club ¿ Blue Waters is the only club with its own premises prominently located on East Broadway and is somewhat of a landmark. The organisation has an illustrious history and includes legends like Reid Johansen and Roy Outerbridge amongst its alumni. The club continues to do great work with Bermuda's youth and in representing Bermuda's sport fishermen in the best possible light both here and abroad. Congratulations, Blue Waters and here's hoping that the next 50 bring lots more Tight lines!!!