how do you catch those fooocking grey mullet??!!

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote FishMan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2016 at 8:24am
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With mullet I think one fish per one hundred casts rather than one fish per one thousand casts will be 'cracking it' Smile

But as you say, even at that rate, with their abundance and world wide availability they would quickly become a very popular target. 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Mike.Thomas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2016 at 11:16pm
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Grey Mullet are fished for here in the UK, if this link works it is a video of one of the top Mullet Fly fishermen in the UK discussing the how and the the flies!
https://youtu.be/TVPmMuoTEqs
All the best.
Mike
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote FishMan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Oct 2016 at 6:22am
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Hi Mike, trust all is going well back in the UK and you're re-adapting to the local fishing.

The UK and european mullet fishing info is very interesting. There is absolutely screeds of it on the internet. Some massive mullet too. 

Unfortunately, all of the UK stuff relates to two mullet species that are completely unrelated to our grey mullet (Mugil cephalus). I have read much of the info in the hope of gaining insights into a possibly successful strategy, but at the end of the day this could all be red herring info that is leading me down the wrong path.

The big difference you will see with the UK mullet and with those species that are caught regularly on fly in other parts of the world is that these species are also caught fairly regularly on baited hooks. Our Mugil cephalus is caught on baited hook only rarely, wherever it occurs in the world and there has been some very limited success with flies, sometimes in association with various forms of berley (Shocked shouldn't even mention that word LOL). Indeed - it is the Mugil cephalus fly fishing mystery that is waiting to be cracked.

The fact that these fish are happiest eating detritus, algae and plankton suggests that fly fishing will ultimately deliver the best method for catching them on a regular basis. 

My system is to take some of those methods for UK thick lipped mullet and tweak them until they work on Mugil cephalus. I personally think this will involve quite a different type of fly and fly presentation. What this ultimately will be I can not say. But I have got a few small clues.

Anyway, it's a fascinating way of getting in lots of casting practice! Smile


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Millsy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Oct 2016 at 3:48pm
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Craig, I had success last December with mullet.

It was while I was wading for kahawai that were trying to blend in with the mullet. On occasion when they were in an "aggressive" breeding mode they would follow clousers.

The 3 times I did target them only was with a 12ft tapered leader and 6X fluorocarbon tippet. Uber invisible, they have sharp eyes.

The fly was a #18 spinner fly. The few mullet that took this fly, opened their mouths and ate it, it was all pretty easy to see. 



The trick was super delicate casts, I used a 4 weight and suitable fly line.

This didn't work later in the season when they were not chasing females (presumably). Maybe that is more because they were not in that mode where they chase one fish in circles for ages. 

I will try it again this year. Problem I have is the schools I find are usually found by people with gills nets soon afterwards. Then they all die.



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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote FishMan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Oct 2016 at 9:31pm
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Thanks Millsy, that is interesting.

As you say - I'm not too sure whether it correlates to what mullet do on the shallow flats or whether it will work on them in a shallow harbour feeding situation, but all info and success on mullet is worth examining and adding to the puzzle.

I have seen those small groups of spawning mullet at the mouth of the Manukau many years ago. What is interesting is that when the mullet spawn here they are in much bigger schools and they go right out past the islands. They can be seen slurping something off the surface when they're like this. Possibly they switch on to more of a plankton diet at this time? It is similar to the mullet schooling in winter that Justin Duggan describes happening in Sydney. They do catch them on small surface flies at this time. 

Trouble is, it is those bloody flats rolling jumping bastads that I'm interested in. They're the biggest tease of all and seem to have something wrong with their brain. The size 18 spinner fly looks well worth adding to the arsenal of flies I need to try this year. Size 18 is pretty bloody small though! I'm struggling tying on size 14. Unfortunately it looks like size does matter.

Thanks again for the info Smile



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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote 064pointbreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Nov 2023 at 9:04pm
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Originally posted by FishMan FishMan wrote:

Sun shining, mullet schooling, sickness returning...

Wink



Looks like something I should tie onto my personal bait rig...
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