TIME marches on and the seasons come to pass. There is a very definite wintry feeling at present and, for some, it is not soon enough. For anglers though, it pretty much tolls the end of the season and many will be looking to put the boat on the moorings or in the yard for the next six months. Apart from the true commercial fishermen, there are precious few amateurs who persist through the winter. Their reasoning ranges from the weather being unsuitable to there are simply no fish around.

While it can be hard to argue with the former, the latter can be a bit misleading. That there are still all sorts of fish out there is not a matter for doubt. While this may change radically over the next few weeks ¿ for better or worse, at the moment, things are not too bad at all. Boats getting out to the Edge and the Banks are catching a variety of fish and while there isn't much consistency, it should not be too hard to manage to come up with some fresh fish.

The wahoo are, at best, sporadic. One boat reportedly caught over 20 on one trip only to have most of the fleet show up the next day with boats being lucky to get three. Most boats have reverted back to regular trolling, even though live-baiting should still get results. Part of the rationale is that trolling, especially high speed trolling, allows a boat to cover more water and, therefore should increase the chances of encountering the fish. At least, that's the theory.

Trolling, of course, can open up possibilities. Species other than wahoo take trolled offerings and when a rod keels over, you can never be too sure that the "wahoo" won't turn out to be a tuna or dolphin or barracuda or whatever. Just recently a few yellowfin tuna have been caught by trollers and while these are not so numerous as to justify chumming for them, they can provide a bit of variety.

Dolphin are supposedly more numerous at this time of the year, but there is little hard evidence to suggest that they are anything more than an occasional catch. Unless you come across something floating, dolphin strikes really cannot be planned. About the best bet is to carry something bright, preferably yellow or green in the spread in the hope of getting the attention of any dolphin in the area. Of course, dolphin will hit natural baits or just about anything else trolled behind the boat.

Something which used to be standard operating procedure but which is now often overlooked was the carrying of a daisy chain. While at today's speeds, keeping a chain in the water can be a bit of a challenge, there are various weights and other tackle that make it possible. While, on the one hand, the usual expectation is for juvenile blackfin or mackerel to take an interest in this particular rig, there are other advantages.

A daisy chain mimics a school of bait and this often gets the attention of larger predators. If nothing else, this might put the fish into feeding mode where the rest of the spread gets a chance to prove its worth. Often though, despite the small size of the feathers or jigs, large fish will hit them. The problem usually stems from the hooks being too flimsy to hang on to even a blackfin tuna or a toothy critter parting the mono. Possible solutions include using heavier gauge hooks ¿ small doesn't have to mean weak ¿ and using a short piece of wire on the last lure.

Wahoo have been caught on such gear and some species, like bonita, often coming tearing out of the reefs to latch on to a daisy chain. Inasmuch as you have to traverse the reef area when headed offshore, dragging such a thing might just provide a bit of a bonus. When fish seem to be scarce, it is worth taking advantage of any possible "edge".

Despite the choppy conditions, last Sunday the charter boat Megabucks had a party interested in catching a marlin. Even though it is pretty much the end of the billfish season, a couple hours' worth of working the deep water along the lee enjoyed by the South Shore paid off. A blue marlin, estimated at 125 pounds duly obliged. The fish was hooked, caught and ultimately released; making for a satisfied customer.

One thing which continues to be the norm is the inordinate amount of seaweed to be found offshore. It is actually amazing just how much there can be with hardly any evidence of it coming ashore. This is wholly the result of the winds and currents which, if they are predominantly away from the island, keep the weed out at sea. Of course, if the wind shifts, tons of the stuff can show up seemingly overnight on the beaches, much to the disgust of most tourists who are expecting acres of pink sand.

In the good old days, when farming was the main occupation in Bermuda, the weed was welcomed because it made good fertilizer. There are lots of old pictures of cartloads of seaweed being collected off the beaches by farmers. Nowadays, the weed is viewed as a nuisance even though it does have some interesting ecological value. For one thing, it helps to retain sand and during the winter months serves to allow the sand to replenish on the beaches. The amount of change that a beach undergoes during the course of a year often goes unnoticed but is nevertheless very real. It is only after a hurricane or major winter storm that the average person notices how the beach can be completely reformed, with literally tons of sand being shifted.

Looking ahead, it is only another week before daylight savings time comes to an end (November 2). While this is greeted by many with pleasure because it means that daylight will come around six in the morning, the downside is that it will get dark around six in the evening and this will rapidly work its way back to almost five o'clock by the winter solstice. Anglers who try to extend their day are then racing to get back in time to wash down the boat and get the fish and gear put away before they have to labour in the dark.

So, be realistic and plan a shorter version of the normal summertime fishing expedition. There should be enough fish around to justify working closer to home. Bermuda's Edge is a good place to start: it offers the drop-off where wahoo and tuna converge as well as allowing for chumming not only for pelagic species but also the option of concentrating on deeper reef species like yellowtail snapper and bonita. If all else fails, then a bit of bottom bouncing should at least provide a few Tight lines!!!