Small stream and kayak exploits in Cornwall

Spent the week in my second home Cornwall with the family. Weather wasn't great all the time and the surf was underwhelming to say the least. However as ever I was out to make the most of a well deserved break from work. The Mullet were out in force and despite a concerted effort I avoided hooking one on the fly. The fish I was targeting this time round were quite a way up the creeks and large in the 4-8lb range. At times I watched as they grazed algae from the boat moorings and tempted the Mullet with green algae flies, red bead head diawl bachs, bloodworm imitations, shrimp patterns, ghostbusters and bread flies. The only one that seem to illicit any sort of interest was the algae fly but not sufficient to result in a solid hook up. Arghhh is all I can say. Still the challenge remains to catch a really good sized Mullet (2lb+) on the fly.

Back to more successful forays. I fished the smallest stream in a wooded valley in the heart of Cornwall. My 7' Fladen totally over gunned but adequate to flick a leader of 4' 3lb fluro into the crevices and creases of the meandering stream. Some of the pools (puddles) gave up some beautiful adult wild miniature browns. Stealth and patience were fundamental to success as the fish readily rose to a passing dry fly should it land with success. Such was the confining space at times I was not sure who was most startled after disturbing both Dipper and Roe Deer within feet of me. 

On the sea and a couple of kayak trips brought a variety of fish including Lance, Pollack and Wrasse. Pollack were abundant although small in size. The Mackerel and Bass seemed to be taking an extended Spring break!

Typical inshore Pollack

A wonderful Wrasse caught on some small feathers.

Late season fish on the Chew and still the Mullet allude me..

Warm sunny afternoon saw me meet up with Red on the River Chew. Loads of Sedge coming off but the fish were not rising. I managed 3 Brownies and 2 tiny Grayling mainly on nymph with the exception of one of the trout which took a Klink. The water level was low and with encroaching vegetation it was quite difficult to fish. The Balsam was lining the banks catching flies at ever opportunity! I enjoyed it nevertheless but think the little river needs some rain to liven the pools up again.

Still no luck on the local Mullet front despite my best efforts to tie every Mullet fly imaginable - perhaps Mullet in murky water just don't feed by sight! Seeing big fish boil just feet from you but that seem incapable of responding to whatever I chuck at them is infuriating. On the bright side I have become a master of  local tides and can even predict when the gravel bars will be covered and uncovered and when low tide pools will get a flush either on the ebb or flow. I know where and when the Mullet feed but just can't figure what gets them agitated. Seriously contemplating a mud/detritus fly if one exists - hell I'll make one up.I still have hope and maybe what must now be a Plan Z up my sleeve but time is running out as Winter sets in.

Tenerife 2013 Sea Fishy tales...

Just come back from a few weeks in Tenerife with the family. Plenty of fishing off the breakwaters and rocks with lots of fish caught, most however wouldn't look out of place in your average saltwater aquarium. Light tackle order of the day with Size 12 hooks and reasonably small floats for sea fishing. I did try the fly occasionally but without success. I refined my technique to keep the bait in the water long enough for the bigger fish. This was to use a pinch of my trusty Ramer sponge capped with a squid tip. Bread would soon be removed without a positive take. At times I did groundbait with mashed bread, sweetcorn and tinned fish but I am not sure it increased the chances of hooking a bigger fish and merely turned your mark into a boiling mass of little rock dwellers. The lagoons held good numbers of Salema Porgy (a type of Bream), Vieja ( a type of Parrot Fish) and Mullet with odd European Sea Bass (farmed escapees sub 35cm) and small Cuda but getting a hook up was not easy. Mullet despite being the largest target were impossible to tempt, they seemed pre-occupied with grazing on the algae boulders. In between catching double figure numbers of Canarian Damsel Fish or Ornate Wrasse you might just have a scrap with a Porgy, European Sea Bass, Pompano or Vieja all on my bread substitute, which was nice on light tackle.

Ornate Wrasse

Lizard Fish

Canarian Damsel

No Guilthead Bream this time which was surprising as I did see the odd one snorkelling. Feathers or lures just produced the abundant Lizard Fish which although unusual never exceeded 30cm in length. Larger tides produced more fish in the lagoons particularly a few hours either side of high tide.  If you feel the need to take the odd fish for the table the Vieja is recommended despite its wrasse like appearance was delicious baked with butter, coriander and parsley. Rock fishing in exposed places was dangerous in any form of swell as even with my awareness of set waves I was caught out several times and found myself clinging limpet like to the lava  - sometimes I wonder why I push the boundaries so, it seems fishing does funny thinks to the logical mind. One other word of warning - Green Turtle were occasional visitors close inshore at this time of year which made for some spectacular snorkeling however if you know they are present best to move on when fishing.

Salema Porgy - the most abundant bream in the area.

Vieja - fish deep on the seaward side of inshore reefs
 and be prepared to make ground immediately.

Courting Flounders 

Grazing Mullet - if only they grazed on my bread fly!

Hooked on Mullet on the fly..

After a couple of weeks in Cornwall I finally achieved an aspiration of mine of catching Mullet. Having now got it wired on a fly rod I am slightly obsessed with this wonderful fish. Crazy fighting fish on light tackle - who wants to pay thousands for Bonefish in the tropics when you have these little beauties to target in the UK's coastal shallow water. I have tried for years to hook these on the estuaries around Cornwall and after catching a few on light float gear to start I have now mastered a few on the fly. I even used my trusty Fladen 3 weight with just a 4lb tippet - although I knew after surveillance the location where I was fishing wasn't going to produce anything over a couple of pounds. The fish I caught ranged from 0.5lb to about 1.5lb and even at that size on my light tackle they gave great sport. I used bread flies so not quite as sporting as using a nymph or shrimp pattern but I was pleased nevertheless. The key was to get the fish confidently feeding and cast the fly amongst the feeding fish - the more competition the better. Takes were vigorous and I kept a very slow retrieve to keep in contact with fly at all times - slack line meant no hook up. Size 10 hooks were the order of the day. I am now keen to try my skills closer to home and have already located Mullet some 20 minutes from my door - now how can I get them feeding?