My target - the thin-lipped mullet.
The grey mullet, a group of fish that I both love and hate, none more so than the thick-lipped variety. Thick-lips grow to rather generous weights and fight like Floyd Mayweather. They are plentiful in our estuaries and are easily found by the roving angler. Yet, if you have any knowledge of angling at all, you know they are a nightmare to catch! They filter feed through their unusually shaped mouths and they tend to feed aggressively only in short spells, on certain points of the tide. If you are a sucker for punishment (I am) then these are the fish for you. Having put in time and commitment I was lucky enough to catch a few last year.
A local Plymouth thick-lipped mullet caught last year, they will take bread but not lures.
In Plymouth we have fantastic numbers of thick-lipped mullet, yet their thin-lipped cousins are a bit of a rarity. Thin-lips grow to a lower maximum size than the thicks and tend to be a little more enthusiastic about fresh water, travelling far up-river in their search for food. The thin-lips are also significantly easier to catch, due to the fact they can't resist a baited spinner! Despite this, I had never caught a thin-lipped mullet before (despite a few tries and missed opportunities!), so I was keen to finally tick one of my wishlist. It was obvious I would have to travel farther afield, there was only one place to go, Weymouth harbour.
Weymouth is a two hour-plus drive from Plymouth but I'm lucky to have friends in the area, giving me the perfect excuse to fish it when I can. Although I don't know the place like the locals, I'm starting to get a fair idea of the hot spots. One thing I do know is that the upper harbour is mullet heaven! Thin-lipped mullet of all sizes cruise about in the shallows, giving me a perfect opportunity to target them. With these in mind, me and dad brought out the customised baited spinners and got to work.
What is the 'baited spinner'?
If you aren't aware of this contraption, and honestly this catches almost everything that swims, let me enlighten you. You can buy these in most tackle shops but I prefer to tie them myself. Firstly take a high quality spinner like a Mepps, don't go cheap you will regret it when it doesn't spin! Then use a pair of pliers to snap off the treble hook. This leaves a hook-less spinner. You then tie a length of line to it using your preferred knot. You can use any line but stiff hook-links work best. I use 25lb test Fluorocarbon as I find it's less susceptible to twist and tangling. I have heard of people using pike trace wire to great effect for the same reason. Either way I aim to have a length of around six inches from spinner to hook. This seems to work best for me, although be ready to change it if bites aren't coming so readily. Hook wise you can use anything from a size 12 to a size 6. again it depends on if you're missing bites. I always prefer to go smaller, so a long shank size 12 is my go to hook for mullet. Bait the hook with a small section of ragworm, running the worm up the line until the hook is at the very end, this will get you maximum hook-ups. To catch mid-water species like mullet and bass use a steady retrieve through those layers. For bottom dwellers like flatfish and wrasse, try a stop start retrieve along a fairly clean bottom. Honestly you will be amazed by how many species you will catch.
We arrived at the harbour and were not let down by the mullet. There were many swimming about, including some very decent sized fish of around four pound. At first I was determined to catch a mullet using an artificial worm like Isome, but after a few casts and many follows without a bite it was clear only the real stuff would do. A quick trip to the ever reliable Weymouth Angling Centre (dodging the various stag do's on our way) provided us with the fresh live ragworm we needed.
My first ever thin-lipped mullet.
The transformation in our fortunes was startling. On most casts we were getting follows and delicate takes. I did notice that they often go for the spinner blades, ignoring the bait. This is definitely an avenue I would like to pursue in the future, catching a thin-lip on a unbaited artificial, it does happen so it's worth trying myself. Both me and dad were making strange and bizarre noises as we watched the fish follow then turn away at the last second. Casting and retrieving were also made difficult by a metal fence, probably put up to deter anglers like ourselves, but we worked around it, entranced by these fish.
The dreaded railing that would likely deter most other fishermen...
Finally a fish snapped fully at my bait, hooking itself in the process. There's no need to strike with this method as the fish pulls against your retrieve anyway. It wasn't huge and I have to say I was a little disappointed with the fight, the mullet didn't try to run like a thick-lip, it just wallowed and flipped about. My trusty gilly reached down over the fence and netted my first ever thin-lipped mullet and I beamed with happiness. I love that feeling of catching a new species, a previously unknown creature now in your hands. I quickly discovered that, unlike the hardier thick-lips, thin-lips readily shed their scales, so I was extra cautious when handling it. I removed the spinner and quickly returned it to it's harbour home.
Sun shining, a new species, that's my kind of Saturday.
Dad soon had a hook up from a much larger fish, unfortunately no sooner had he hooked it that it turned and snapped his braid! We couldn't believe it. I felt terribly guilty as he was fishing with my back up reel, with much older braid on it. Just goes to show we're not all perfect and you should replace your line regularly. A lesson learned. It put a slight downer on proceedings as we had plans to leave soon anyway, this only being a quick trip in between visiting friends.
This larger specimen topped off the day nicely.
My mood was quickly lifted though by another great take, this fish putting up a much better fight. Still not thick-lip standards but great fun. I enjoyed watching it twist and turn in the shallows beneath me, it's silver sides flashing back the May sunshine. Eventually it came to the net and I had a better specimen, although still only around a pound or two. After he was returned though the fishing switched off, as if the mullet just decided 'we're not hungry anymore'. The wind was picking up and the tide was quickly retreating, it was our cue to leave. A new species ticked off that's left me excited to try it again!
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