Mullet on Fly

[Trevor28]

Mullet is targeted a lot here in the UK (never thought of targeting them on fly when I lived in SA), below are 2 of the flies we use
Beige ones are Corophium Volutator (species of amphipod crustacean in the family Corophiidae. It is found in mudflats)
and the colorful ones are spectra shrimp, both are based on mud shrimp and where designed by a guy by the name of Colin MacLeod, bread flies are used to, thoughts on these type of flies working in the estuaries in SA. what are guys thoughts on targeting mullet and does any one on the forum go looking for mullet to catch on fly or just a go to species when nothing else is biting?


Mullet flies.jpg

[leo1357]

I would also like to know if anyone goes out to target them. Keen to join

[A River Runs Through It]

Read an interesting account on mullet on a fly in the newsletter "The spirit of flyfishing" by Tom Sutcliffe. He and a buddy caught mullet on a fly imitation of the sand flea which is found around decaying kelp on the beach...I think it was around Gordons Bay area during the time of that big fire in the Cape. I tried to find it but I couldn't.

I'm sure you can email Tom and ask him...I'm quite certain he will respond and give you advice.

I have to correct this...I thought it was in the above but this account I read in a book (just forgotton where I read it) on my shelf "Shadows on the Stream Bed " pages 109-110. His buddy was Mark Krige...they used 2-wt rods,6X tippets and size 14 dry flies...foam-bodied sand flea imitations up front as high floating spotters, trailing them with one of Mark's inventions...a silicone-bodied CdC pattern that "looked more like a sandflea than a sandflea" to quote TS.

They fished a sheltered bay where kelp and sand flies abounded...

[Niel Malan]

See also:
https://wordpress.com/post/nielsflyf...dpress.com/169
Hope this works?
Regards
Niel

[Korrie]

A friend om mine fished in a lagoon in Spain.
The locals use a Hare's ear nymph suspended below the surface on a mono post below the surface, with a little floating device keeping the fly suspended

[onemorecast]

Three of the prominent mullet species occur in the Swartkops River here in PE, Souther (small), Striped (medium) and Flathead (large). The Striped M. is the only one of the three to retain its teeth into adulthood even though they are barely visible. I have hooked one of these on a small Deceiver, neatly in the mouth, so it might even have some opportunistic predatory habits.

I have tried with a variety of nymph (GRHE) and other recommended patterns such as the Zulu but without success. It is easy enough to locate schools of mullet from a kayak, but I still need to learn to identify the different species from afar. My half-hearted attemts at chumming with bread were each time thwarted by strong currents and wind. I keep promising myself to spend more time and effort targeting them. Hopefully soon...

[Jason vL]

Three of the prominent mullet species occur in the Swartkops River here in PE, Souther (small), Striped (medium) and Flathead (large). The Striped M. is the only one of the three to retain its teeth into adulthood even though they are barely visible. I have hooked one of these on a small Deceiver, neatly in the mouth, so it might even have some opportunistic predatory habits.

I have tried with a variety of nymph (GRHE) and other recommended patterns such as the Zulu but without success. It is easy enough to locate schools of mullet from a kayak, but I still need to learn to identify the different species from afar. My half-hearted attemts at chumming with bread were each time thwarted by strong currents and wind. I keep promising myself to spend more time and effort targeting them. Hopefully soon...

when I take my kids fishing for mullet in Betties Bay we use cooked rice to chum the water. it works lekker. we've also put some sand with it as well as sea lice. they tend to go crazy for the lice.

[Niel Malan]

they are strong for their size, and easier to catch than grunter!:smile:

[bluegill]

I have targeted them with limited success in the past. However I did manage to catch a large one in Durban Bay using a blood worm pattern: http://www.illawarraflyfishers.com.a.../bloodworm.htm

Used an intermediate line with a very slow retrieve.

[PieterS]

I went out with a local fisherman on the Swartkops and caught about 20 odd, got them on a chartreuse foam fly that looks like a beetle. You wake the the fly slowly on the surface with a figure of 8 retrieve