I have seen this before,

i grew up in Whakatane, about 300 metres away from the river so i spent many afternoons at the river, spinning or fly fishing for sea runs and kahawai. I would often get mullet too, the would take just about anything a trout or kahawai would, and often seem less fussy..

when I was home for xmas I went down to the river and saw a very similar thing to what you describe, it seemed like every mullet in the river was there, all bunched up, and they were not interested in anything!

I wondered if they were spawning? any ideas?

Have caught quite a few mullet while fishing for KY. They basically take any fly a KY would take. Realistically anything from a size 2-8 should work fine. They get more active just on dusk and often feed from the surface.  That is when they are the easiest to catch.

Maybe early morning also, but I never fish then.

edit: There might be a difference between the feeding habits of  the ylloweyed and Grey mullets. I mainly/only catch yelloweye. 

edit 2: According to NIWA both species of mullet must return to the sea to spawn.

This might be helpful

"Grey mullet feed on detritus and plant material that they suck from the substrate. They are also known to feed by grazing the surfaces of aquatic plants."

Fish a fly which imitates plant material on the substrate.

 

Update on progress with catching a mullet or rather the lack of it.

Have you tried burleying with bread and a fishing a bread fly??? I have yet to do this, but the Ozzies seem to account for a few that way.

Ive seen a mullet take one of Uncle's minimaks. Maybe tie a set on with a small ball sinker, cast and retrieve through them.

Give Uncle a private message. Mr MacBrayne's flashers,, minimacs, macskippies are all legendary!!!!!

andrew-simpson wrote: I have seen this before, i grew up in Whakatane, about 300 metres away from the river so i spent many afternoons at the river, spinning or fly fishing for sea runs and kahawai. I would often get mullet too, the would take just about anything a trout or kahawai would, and often seem less fussy.. when I was home for xmas I went down to the river and saw a very similar thing to what you describe, it seemed like every mullet in the river was there, all bunched up, and they were not interested in anything! I wondered if they were spawning? any ideas?

Would say a shrimp, crab, or worm imitation work?  Ive speared quite a few now, and have several places that have resident schools, but they are very hard to watch or observe.  Or I could just spear a few and take them into the lab one day with another project I got going and observe their gut contents under the microscope?

Hey Bazza; seems as though you may  well have come to the end of your tether with these Mullet.