Hi Nakes
We have an article on the site about Mullet on Fly
http://www.flytalk.co.za/readArticle.php?p_id=5
Cheers
Ok so I haven't been successful at catching Galjoen on fly, yet... but just for the record, on the day that I tried, even the bait fisherman were unsuccessful... so conditions just weren't right... oh well, I'll try again later in the Galjoen season... when I know conditions are perfect...
Now, the bay was full of Mullet on the day that I tried to catch Galjoen, so I tried to hook a few mullet.. but they just wouldn't take the fly.... they followed it.. but no strikes..
Any of you catch mullet on fly? Care to share your technique and fly choice?
Hi Nakes
We have an article on the site about Mullet on Fly
http://www.flytalk.co.za/readArticle.php?p_id=5
Cheers
fantastic article. I tried bread on a HUGE school of Southern Mullet recently, but they ignored the bread completely. A number of fish chased my "mullet fly", but wouldnt take. Have caught stiped mullet on 14# tan crazy charlies in the Keurbooms lagoon.
Around the steel no tortur'd worm shall twine, No blood of living insect stain my line;
Let me, less cruel, cast feather'd hook, With pliant rod athwart the pebbled brook,
Silent along the mazy margin stray, And with fur-wrought fly delude the prey
*** TO RIDE, SHOOT STRAIGHT AND SPEAK THE TRUTH ***
Some people are like Slinkies.... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over. - Hunter S. Thompson
Yup, they're great fish to catch but oh, so exasperating at most times!
I used to fish a lot for them in estuaries and in shallow protected beaches/bays in Vic./South Aussie during my time there, with a reasonable amount of success - at times! I've only fished for them here in Durban harbour where often there are large shoals in the shallows like off Victoria Embankment.
Berleying with fly-sized cubes of bread, also having lots of bread bits in a sack and left to let bits drift out with the tide/current often assists, but don't go overboard! The smaller fish seem to react first, with the larger guys often only coming along a bit later, guess they're a bit more wary. And STEALTH is the only way to go!!!
I know you can use seaweed, small shrimp, hopper/lice, maggot type imitations, but I reckon the best for visibility for us fishers are white bread type imitations (not so much the brown).
I used to use usually a floating line with longish leader with usually size 10/16 flies in the following general types (added bonus they're so easy to tie):
Deer hair bread cube fly - self-explanatory
White trout egg fly - ditto, you can buy the 'eggs' loose in the fly shops but I prefer the other flies - they're cheaper to tie and I feel a bit more comfortable using them for some old man's reason...
White bread cube foam fly (floating) - closed-cell foam from packaging
White Antron 'dissolving bread' fly tied fluffy - often called a "Yeastie Beastie'
I guess small white deaths and salty buggers could work as well. I know there is a white bread wooly bugger, but I've never tied or tried such an animal.
In protected waters like an estuary mouth or bay I like using a floating bread cube fly to double up as an indicator, with e.g. a sinking Antron fly about a foot below NZ style as a 'dissolving' slow-sinking fly.
Whilst this may not be purist fishing IMHO it's possible the best way to get these wily guys.
Ultra-smalll Crazy Charlies can also work well in light surf - I'd only need cast out about 10/15 metres, but that was only my Aussie experience I don't know if that'd work on the different mullet species here.
Hi Nakes
I recently caught one in Durban Bay on a bloodworm imitation. The thing with Mullet is that you need to target them when they are actively feeding or else I feel your chances diminish. They give a real good account of themselves. You need to be very patient. If you search this site for bloodworm fly's you will get a link to Illawarra Fly Tiers, I used this fly & landed a beauty, see my latest photo in the gallery. Let me know if you find the link to the bloodworm fly.
Cheers
Alan
Born to fish, forced to work
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