An August Mullet

Over the last two or three months I have been heavily involved in modifying our house to relocate the shop there taking walls down new ceilings, wall, plumbing, wiring - it seems endless.

However, I have managed a couple of short evening sessions. A couple of weeks ago I nipped down to the Torridge after mullet with a few slices of bread, totally badly prepared.  I could see fish moving in the edge, a sure sign of mullet and after missing a couple of light bites, I caught --- a bass on bread flake!!  Only a small one obviously chasing the fry, but no mullet.

This time I took some liquidised bread as loose feed and after a short while the fish arrived taking off the top which I haven't seen before. These fish were up to 1lb and although taking the bread off the surface, they got into the habit of breaking it before taking it, rendering the hook hold useless.  I tried flake in the edge and could see them sucking it in and blowing it out continuously. I didn't want to drop down to a size 16 as I am sure this would pull out of a better fish so persevered with a size 12.

As light fell, the activity dropped and I watched a better fish drift along the bank to the area I had been feeding, obligingly took the bait and gave me the usual great fight on a cane rod, and was in the 3-4lb range as the photograph almost shows. 

They still remain one of the most awkward fish to catch and a challenge for the angler, and that is the attraction. Very frustrating but rewarding too.