not quite freshwater fishing

[mithrandir]

I was hoping to get some freshwater fishing in this weekend, but circumstances conspired against me, so Sunday morning slightly hungover and lacking in sleep, I headed off to the backend of Holes bay to a little feeder drain into the harbour.

This is the outfall for a ground pumped drain on the reclaimed land so is brackish and feeds straight into the harbour, it is about 150 yards, dead straight with a small weir into the sea, it is flooded by a full spring tide but separated from the tidal parts most of the time.

I have seen some really good class of Mullet in here and so armed with some bread and some smallish hooks I spent a few hours trying for them.

I saw maybe 30 mullet in a shoal, they were cruising over the bread flakes and bait I had fed in, they were seemingly acting like trout or grayling in a river, swimming up stream and picking up small bits from the flow, occasionally they would eat some algae from the sides, but not a single one was interested in the bread. They just ignored it.

So I blanked but spent a good couple of hours watching their feeding patterns, it may be it was too cold for they to be properly feeding, maybe as this is an isolated spot they are not tuned into bread as a food source, or that they are just mullet and are just put in the sea to frustrate anglers.

they are not easily spooked either and I had them 3 feet infront of me when I was "skylining" they only spooked if I moved too fast when throwing in bread and they only skitted a couple of feet when I threw in a feeder. I had tried bottom and mid water hook baits, they were not surface feeding and there were some swans around so I avoided floating baits.

I will return in a month or so to see if I fair better, any suggestions as to how to approach them would be welcomed.

Thanks

Mike

[Banana Steve]

They say that Mullet are one of the Hardest fish to catch in British Waters! ( Unless your name is Greenheart, then it would be the Ruffe) I think that you have the right idea with bread, it seems to be the bait that is used alot on TV, Mind you i am no expert in fact i aint got a clue on Mullet Fishing, Good luck for your Trip.

[BaggieRich]

Mullet are one of my missions this year Mike, I had a quick bash last year with a very clued up guy in the club (Greyghost on the forum) who loves Mullet. We were spinning for them on the Otter in Budleigh.

Take a Mepps style spinner, remove the treble and replace with a 2" length of mono to a size 6 J hook. Bait this with a small rag worm and pull back with a slow, steady retrieve. Hook one and wait for the fireworks.

[Baz T]

I too am going to try for mullet this year - that sounds like a good tactic Rich, will definately give it ago.

[pingu]

unlucky mike but sure was still good being there

dave