Mullet Mahem

[pearcepestcontrol 1]

Mullet Mayhem

 

I have fished the river Cleddau here in west Wales all my life, chasing the Sea trout or Sewin as it is known locally, along with the Salmon and Brown Trout in the upper reaches. Bass are common through the summer months and occasionally some good fish come to the local anglers who know their ground. The river is tidal and the estuary merges with the fresh water just in the middle of Haverfordwest.

 

Large numbers of Grey Mullet frequent this tidal stretch as well as pushing up river throughout the summer months feeding on the algae and microscopic snails present on the river bed. I have sometimes observed anglers attempting to catch these grey ghosts but with little success. The average fish seems to be in the 3lb range with some bigger specimens showing up on the tide.

 

It was whilst fishing for Bass that I noticed the Mullet taking interest in my spinner, sometimes having a quick nip at it as it went by them, sometimes following it right in to the bank beneath my feet. Due to the lack of Bass from so much rain it got to a point where only Mullet where present during the flood and ebb tide so I decided to try my hand at catching a few. This type of fishing was then totally new to me and the stories of how difficult the Mullet are to catch had made me even more interested in having a go. Arming myself with my Carp rod a small fixed spool reel loaded with 10lb trilene and a loaf of white Kingsmill I dubiously set off, allowing myself enough time to set up and ground bait before the tide pushed its way upstream.

 

I chose a location where I had seen large numbers of fish the previous day, set up my rod and started to cast some bread into the water allowing some to float and some to sink, I watched quietly as the bread drifted off downstream slowly it reached the incoming tide where to my delight it started to disappear from the surface, the Mullets mouths where clearly visible breaking the surface as they eagerly sucked it in. I sat motionless in the long grass that surrounded me and gingerly cast my bread flake and let it free line toward the Mullet that where now almost in front of me. With my Polaroid’s on I could see the fish picking up the bread off the river bed as the water was barely 3ft deep, my heart was in my mouth as the first fish picked up my bread and spat it out so quickly I missed it all together. I was gutted and quickly replenished my hook and cast back in amongst the feeding shoal; seconds had passed before fish number two decided to have a nibble. I watched the bread disappear into its mouth and struck in an upward direction, the hook set and the fish turned, off it went like nothing I had ever experienced before, powerful runs and turns trying to throw the hook at every opportunity. I had set the clutch on the reel before hand and had allowed the fish the freedom of the river, the fight lasted longer than any Bass I have had and left me trembling with excitement as the fish finally came to the net.

 

That day was the start of a new adventure one that will last a life time. Another fish soon followed and two more before the tide disappeared and the fish departed along with it. Four Mullet all over three pound with the best one touching four and a half pound. And all within two hours amazing.

 

 

Knowing that the Mullet stay in fresh water at this time of year I decided to investigate the river and locate the shoals of fish that remain throughout low water, and be able to fish for these powerful fish whatever the state of the tide. At this point I mentioned to my son Daniel who at the time was fifteen that maybe he should come along and have a go. I chose a location near the town centre where I had seen a number of large fish feeding around an old bicycle frame only yards from the bank. I baited the area around the frame and we quietly set up our rods. It wasn’t long before the Mullet came along and started to pick up the bread that was lying on the riverbed so I threw in a little more just upstream of the fish and allowed it to float over the heads of the feeding fish. Some of the bread continued on its way down stream only to be guzzled up by a large fish close to the bank some twenty yards away, I nodded to Dan and said he will be up here soon put on a floating flake and get ready to cast. He reeled in his line baited up and waited, I could see the fish slowly working its way towards us tight to the bank obviously searching for any bread left along the waters edge. Dan cast out some ten yards in front of the fish and let the bread flake slowly float toward the fish. Without any hesitation the Mullet came towards the bait and popped his head up to the surface and sucked it in, “now†I shouted and Dan struck into the fish. His rod bent in half as the fish powered off across the river, forty yards of line screamed off the reel in seconds as the Mullet dove deep thrashing its head from side to side. It was on the other side before we knew it, Dan kept the line tight and played the fish back to our feet as I jumped down the bank with the landing net. The Mullet weighed in at six pound six ounces and was one of the best fish I had seen all summer. Typical I thought every time I take him fishing he gets the best fish, I was just glad I had left the misses at home. We continued fishing for a while until the tide started to flood and as I had been throwing in bread constantly the Mullet arriving on the tide where already looking for bread. They had been feeding on it long before they came to our swim. I squeezed some bread onto my hook enabling me to cast it a little further and let it slowly sink in mid river. A mullet came from the deep and grabbed it so quickly it almost took me by surprise. I struck into the fish and another epic battle commenced. Another fish over the six pound mark, almost identical to Dans fish, was only an ounce between them but I am not saying which one was heaviest.

 

I have now fished for Mullet in many locations on the river and have caught some beautiful fish. My best day totalled seven fish to a total weight of twenty seven pound. The stories where true, they are hard to catch. Te fish spook easily and are hard to get on the hook, however once they are on it takes a pair of pliers to get them off.

 

Watch some being caught Pembsangler on youtube.

pearcepestcontrol

[mackem 27,028]

Best fishing write-up I have ever seen on here My sis used to live in Haverfordwest,I just wish I had known of its fishing potential back then

[pearcepestcontrol 1]

Best fishing write-up I have ever seen on here My sis used to live in Haverfordwest,I just wish I had known of its fishing potential back then

 

there has always been heaps of mullet here, just no one ever bothered fishing for them, have had 6lb bass out of the river quite often but the schoolies are a pain in the rag:)

[pearcepestcontrol 1]

Best fishing write-up I have ever seen on here My sis used to live in Haverfordwest,I just wish I had known of its fishing potential back then

hows that for a mullet, got my son well into it

[mackem 27,028]

Thats a mullet Seriously mate,your trip accounts are excellent

[pearcepestcontrol 1]

did you check out youtube for the video? some good fishing on there. I am currently writing articles for my own web site this one is part of the collection. Web site will be up soon and will cover sea game and coarse fishing.

and will be very much like this site with members able to take part and create a fishing comunity so to speak.

[mackem 27,028]

I watched the clips mate,very good,I like the look of that stretch of water

[fireman 10,934]

Have seen some good fish in the town center there,have fed them bits of my lunch by the fish mongers(he'll buy different fish off you as well) but never fished for them.Brilliant post mate and have seen your you tube bits also,leave a few for us though mate lol.Makem most of the rivers are that good up that part of the world,i'm moving back asap.

[mackem 27,028]

Narrow-river,barely 3 feet deep and with a salmon and sea-trout run?I can resist everything except temptation I walk on the right side of the tracks nowadays

[fireman 10,934]

The best bit about the "right side of the tracks" with those welsh rivers is you don't have to leave a quid when you go fishing mate.

[pearcepestcontrol 1]

Have seen some good fish in the town center there,have fed them bits of my lunch by the fish mongers(he'll buy different fish off you as well) but never fished for them.Brilliant post mate and have seen your you tube bits also,leave a few for us though mate lol.Makem most of the rivers are that good up that part of the world,i'm moving back asap.

Fish monger s gone from there now. but mullet still like that little wall by there. never fished upriver for them, tend to stay down by the trader out of the way. Some good Bass showing up of the quay now and then had a 6lb er there last year on a spinner

[spindolero 1,111]

Great read, have watched the mullet round Carew & often wondered best method of catching them, nice to know they are being caught in 'Harfat'

 

Cheers

 

Spin'

[edjay 0]

Mullet Mayhem

 

I have fished the river Cleddau...............

Brilliant stuff! I saw mullet up on the Clwyd estuary this summer and with the trout season about to end.........wonder what I might try this winter???

[Guest WILF]

Outstanding!!

[pearcepestcontrol 1]

Thanks for reading gents, Mullet fishing has been a favorite passtime of mine for a couple of years now. Well worth a cast or two, and lets face it bread must be one of the easiest baits to aquire. Give it a try you will be suprised by the power of these fish.