Mercifully, the snow and ice which gripped the country during December 2010 melted away to a distant memory with the arrival of January and the south coast was spared a repeat of the arctic conditions which typified the previous winter. Early 2011 remained benign in temperature and by the first week in April an extended period of warm, sunny weather was settling over southern regions, with air temperatures already reaching 23c. The omens looked good for an excellent season in the salt.
APRIL
My season kicked off on April 16th at Hayling Island, where water temps had reached 11c. A small bass fell to my olive/white clouser on the second cast and a memorable season was underway. Large shoals of mullet were already showing on the surface, unusually early in the year. April 20th saw air temps of 21c and I visited the mouth of a Hampshire estuary to see how the fish would respond. I was amazed to witness multiple shoals of fish feeding actively on the surface. It was like a gathering of the clans, with groups of mullet, sea trout and bass all doing the rounds. Two powerful mullet were hooked and quickly lost before a passing shoal of school bass provided frenetic sport, soon followed by a wonderfully silver sea trout, all seduced by a size 12 Corophium. Considering the hot evening sunshine and quality of sport on offer it was hard to believe this was only April.
Easter Sunday saw me undertake the 165m journey to Plymouth, not in search of Easter eggs but to meet up with ‘Plymouth Angler’ who kindly invited me to sample some of the delights of the stunning south Devon coastline. Clear skies and hot sunshine fully enhanced the sheer beauty of the landscape and left us melting in our waders. Mullet were our main quarry but unfortunately the ghosts were playing hard to get and we turned our attentions to the more amenable Pollack population, ever eager to please by snatching any clouser which dared to traverse their rocky labyrinths. Thanks Mike for a memorable day.
MAY
No sooner had I returned from a magnificent week spent chasing the wild brown trout of north Sutherland when ‘Bassfly’ phoned to say that the mackerel were in at Hayling Island. The evening of Friday 13th provided fantastic sport with incredibly energetic mackerel. These amazing fish never fail to put a smile on your face. Much as I love the wild brown trout of the far north, they cannot compare with their humble salt water cousins in terms of fighting ability and searing runs.
The remainder of May was rendered virtually unfishable due to the on-set of unseasonably strong winds, which were to plague the south coast at regular intervals through the coming months and ultimately have a dramatic effect on Chichester Harbour’s school bass population in particular.
JUNE
The howling winds continued unabated and cabin fever was starting to bite. Apparent relief was offered by the ‘South Today’ weather forecaster on the evening of June 1st with only light coastal winds expected. Within the hour, I stood on the shore of a local mullet mark, buffeted and battered by 25mph winds! The sea was a brown, brothy mass but vigorous splashing in the shallows soon caught my eye and closer investigation revealed a collection of fins and silvery backs surging through the water. A red headed Diawl bach quickly claimed the first mullet of the season, a sparkling fish of 4.5lb. An important lesson was also learned….don’t fall into the trap of becoming a ‘fair weather’ fisherman.
A steady rise in water temperature during June brought the mullet to the boil and superb action was to be enjoyed with each flooding tide. Much of this was sight fishing in the shallows, providing sport of the highest order. Hook a 6lb thick lipped mullet in just a few inches of water and you will soon realize why these magnificent fish have been christened the ‘British Bonefish’. I returned to the same mark on the 6th to find the mullet in aggressive feeding mode. A size 14 Bann special tied by ‘Plymouth Angler’ quickly produced a thick lip of 6lb, which delivered a truly memorable 35 minute scrap. With the fish safely released, I sat down to enjoy a reviving cup of coffee. After two sips the water exploded in front of me as a shoal of mullet hammered shrimp on the surface. First cast and the Bann was in again, connecting this time with a spritely 5lb fish.
This proved to be the start of a prolonged period of success with all 3 species of mullet found on the south coast. Each session for the next 3 months was to produce mullet, without a single blank experienced. Quite a turn- around from my fortunes with the grey ghosts in 2010, when practically every fish I hooked either broke free or smashed the leader and my ratio of ‘fish landed: fish hooked’ was an embarrassing 1:30. Between June and August of this year, the ratio would improve to 24:30, due in part to use of dependable fluoro carbon leader and hooks and two highly successful fly patterns, the aforementioned Diawl bach(devised by ‘Welshtoffo’) and the Flexi-shrimp(created by a mad jock). Bass also began to feature in the catch, with some chunky fish nipping in to swipe the nymphs before the mullet could react.
JULY
A month on the move! The 1st and 2nd of July saw me fishing the wonderfully scenic coast of South Wales in the company of ‘Polite’. The first day was spent in search of Golden Grey Mullet at Rhossili Bay, where we met up with ‘Daijones’ and ‘Welshtoffo’. To describe the area as stunningly beautiful is to do it great disservice. Good numbers of fish were observed in the surf but they were not to be tempted by our flies and Dai suggested we were a little early in the season for enjoying the prolific sport which the bay can offer.
On the second day Polite and I fished a section of magnificent and deserted beach, again in search of the GG’s. We found them instantly, in fact many thousands of fish but their incredible numbers made them no easier to catch. We employed traditional tactics of wading into position behind the shoals as they fed hard on the very edge of the flooding tide and slowly inching shrimp patterns through their midst. The water was crystal clear and the fish only identifiable by their shadows on the golden sandy bottom, very much like bonefish but decidedly more difficult to catch. Perseverance paid off with both Polite and I hooking up at the same moment…relief! A third, slightly larger GG finished the day on a high.
July 6th to 13th was spent on Spain’s Costa Blanca as a short family holiday. Naturally the 6wt came along and I managed to sneak away for three early morning sessions. I arrived at the beach for dawn on the 7th to witness a massive blitz occurring 30yds from shore. The Spanish gulls were going mental and dive-bombing like Stukas. Hard to say what was doing the blitzing….perhaps Bluefish, Leerfish, Dorado, Palometta or simply large Bass. I never did find out, for of more interest to me was a group of large fins circling by a small sand bank in 12 inches of water. I recognized the fish as’ Pardete’, a variety of flat-head mullet which grows to double figures and possesses astounding levels of power and stamina. My first experience with Pardete came during the summer of 2010, when I made connection with several large fish all of which got the better of me following long, duels in the sun. Unfinished business! First cast and the ‘flexi-shrimp’ was grabbed by a huge Pardette, which broke free after thirty minutes of hard battle. A handful of bass and a 5lb flat-head softened the blow.
I stood knee deep in the warm waters of the Med on the morning of the 8th, waiting for dawn to arrive. The first glimmer of daylight revealed a flotilla of fins and the flexi-shrimp was claimed on the second cast. This was a monsterous Pardete and simply unstoppable as it streaked towards a group of rocks some 50m distant and instantly snapped the 10lb fluoro leader. Two casts later and a second Pardete crashed its way through the flats on a 150m run. A war of attrition developed under the rising sun but the leader failed once more after 35 minutes of hard battle. Several more fish were briefly hooked and lost before a relatively small fish claimed the fly. This Pardete felt instantly more manageable and 60 minutes later a cracking fish of just under 10lb slipped into the net. Job done. Fewer fish were present the following day but eventually a Pardete of around 15lb showed itself on the flats and the flexi-shrimp went to work. The take bordered on violent and the first run and leap awe inspiring. The hook hold felt secure and I settled down for a lengthy battle but a sudden high speed dash after 25 minutes dislodged the fly. One of these years I will land a big one!
Back in Blighty, the mullet were feeding harder than ever and the evening of July 20th provided memorable sport. The flats were absolutely heaving with shoals of mullet chasing down shrimp and a gleaming 4lb Thick Lip was first to fall for the flexi-shrimp. As darkness approached, the shrimp was taken in brutal fashion as a fish launched on a run of bonefish-like intensity. This was most certainly one of the fastest running mullet I’ve encountered and was surprised to see a fish of only around 3lb come to the net. I then noticed the ‘gold thumb-print’ on the gill cover…the fish was a Golden Grey and not a million miles away from the British rod caught record (bait).
‘Choccy' acquired a boat (the owners were later released unharmed) for a session in Chichester Harbour on July 29th. The huge shoals of bass and mackerel normally found in the harbour were conspicuous by their absence. They were present through May and into June but then disappeared almost overnight, perhaps as a consequence of the early summer gales which plagued the south coast. Not a single Tern was to be seen scouting the clear waters, ominous indeed! We were forced to fish blind and cover what structure we knew, producing short bursts of frenetic action and long periods of searching. Black/chartreuse and olive/white clousers were the most successful, taking a number of macks along with the bass. Strangest catch of the day went to Choccy, when a small Octopus or squid took his clouser.
AUGUST
With the mullet season coming to its peak, expectations were high for August and the month produced ten fish in eight sessions, including capture of my first Thin Lipped Mullet.
The flats were alive once more on the 1st and fish of 4lb and 5.25lb fell to a Diawl bach. Similar sport was enjoyed on the 2nd and 3rd.
‘Polite’ travelled from Wales to spend a couple of days with me on the 5th and 6th as we attempted to connect him with his first south coast mullet. The evening of the 5th provided me with a 4lb Thick Lip while Polite lost a fish of similar size but Mr. P was to come into his own the following day, nabbing thick lips of 5 and 6lb’s in quick succession….a very proud man indeed. The day ended on a pleasing note with the surprise capture of my first Thin Lipped mullet, a sparkling fish of 2.5lb and another victim to the Diawl bach.
With Joe sorted, it was now ‘Bassfly’s’ turn to lose his mullet virginity and we met early morning on a wild and wet 13th August. Turbulent conditions made the fish difficult to spot but eventually an active shoal was spied beside a gravel bar and Simon’s first delivery of the Diawl bach saw the line tighten and an irate little thick lip of 2.5lb’s vent its displeasure. Well done Simon.
Sunday the 14th saw Bassfly and I fishing Portland Harbour, with bass the main quarry. The fish proved fairly elusive but the scenery more than compensated, with Portland Bill and 18 mile long Chesil beach dominating the landscape.
August continued to fish well, with each session producing at least a single mullet in the 3 to 3.5lb range, many of which were caught in total darkness as I experimented with night fishing for mullet. I highly enjoyed the experience and intend to spend many more nights ghost hunting in the Solent. Dawn was always welcome and often brought hungry bass onto the flats, more than eager to take flies intended for mullet.
My long run of success with the mullet came to an end on the 19th, my first blank since the 1st of June, while fishing with ‘ballthebuilder’ (Dave). I have fished many sessions with Dave this season and thoroughly enjoyed the company of an educated and dedicated mullet fisher. Shoals were absent on the day and we were forced to target single, cruising fish, a near impossible challenge without the correct flies. I lost a large fish after a short lived but explosive encounter, before Dave showed how it should be done with the capture of a healthy 4lb fish.
SEPTEMBER
The month began on a good note with a 5lb Thick Lip claimed from the flats during a 5am raid on the 1st and a very lively 3lb fish on the second.
Polite returned for an early morning session on the 3rd and his determination (and developing skills) were rewarded with a glistening 5lb thick lip.
September the 6th saw the recent pockets of stormy weather culminate in winds of 86mph howling along the Solent and this was to have a dramatic effect on the thick lipped mullet shoals, which simply vanished as if convinced that autumn had arrived. The flats which had been busy with feeding mullet since the beginning of June were now deserted and careful, patient stalking of the flats was now required to contact fish. The evening of the 14th produced some short lived action in the shallows, just before darkness, as mullet blitzed on emerging sand shrimp. My latest creation, the ‘Exorcist’ was introduced to the fray and following a lively 30 minute duel under moonlight, a gleaming 4lb thick lip slid into the net. The Exorcist had removed its first ghost. It would, however, be many more weeks before I was to see, let alone catch another thick lipped mullet on the open coast.
Incredibly, the departed thick lips were soon replaced by thin lipped mullet on the flats and this hitherto elusive species provided exciting sport into October. Smaller than their thick lipped cousins, thins are however no less hard fighting, pound for pound and definitely more predatory.
OCTOBER
Even the thin lipped mullet decided to call it a day at the start of the month and the flats became deserted. A real shame, as the south coast was now enjoying a record breaking heat wave, providing excellent conditions for mullet fishing with water temperatures comparable to summer, which could have given rise to wonderful back end sport. Although the open coast was barren, populations of fish remained resident in back water creeks, small natural harbours and anchorages, which offer mullet a relatively stable and protected environment. A specialized approach is required to target these fish, which must take into account the muddy and dangerous nature of many creeks and harbours. The mullet emerge from deeper water to feed on Corophium volutator as the flooding tide engulfs the mud flats, often gorging themselves in mere inches of water. The key is to be in a position to present a flexi-shrimp to these advancing fish, which often involves ‘mud wading’ and the use of anchored yachts to conceal your presence and intentions. The mullet ‘snout’ for Corophiums in the mud rather like pigs snuffling for truffles in the forest and watching a fish pick up your fly before running for safety is heart stopping indeed. The mullet have to be controlled and prevented from reaching the sanctuary provided by chains, buoys and anchor ropes by clamping back hard and giving no quarter….exciting stuff! A typical session would provide upwards of two fish, ranging from 2lb to 3.75lb.
November
The weather continued very mild throughout October and well into November but could not dissuade the creek fish from migrating at the end of October. I made a cursory visit to an area of flats in early November, more out of curiosity than real hope, to check if the extremely mild and settled conditions might expose the presence of a fish or two. I was pleasantly shocked to discover shoals of mullet feeding avidly on the flooding tide. Some of these shoals traversed the flats at high speed and were long gone before a cast could be made. The shoals consisted of small numbers of fish but their average size was high, many of the fish being in double figures. During the following two weeks I connected with several large and powerful fish which either escaped the hook after a short battle or snapped the leader with a lightning turn of pace. On the 7th an almost certainly double figure mullet was lost when the hook of a flexi-shrimp straightened under severe pressure when attempting to hold the fish from running. Just to experience sport of this quality so late in the season would have been reward enough but on the 12th I caught my first November thick lip, a chunky, hard fighting fish of 5lb .
On December 10th, following several nights of temperatures close to 0c, the remaining mullet made their exit…….time to swap the six weight for a nine and go in search of fresh water barracuda
2011 - Attempting To Crack The Mullet Code
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