Saltwater fly fishing is getting more and more popular, year on year. By and large those coming into this particular discipline of the sport tend to predispose themselves to thinking about fishing in environments we can visualise as a good fit for fly-fishing; estuaries, harbours, steep open beaches with perhaps rocky breakwaters etc. And indeed all those areas are a natural fit because they’re not that big a step away from what seasoned freshwater fly anglers might be used to (rivers, lakes, reservoirs). But there’s one saltwater environment that is nothing like you might encounter in any freshwater scenario – a dynamic, booming assault on the senses, at times physically challenging and certainly daunting, against which many of the generally transferrable skills learned on freshwater suddenly seem rendered utterly useless… our surf beaches.
And they are daunting indeed. They are generally vast, apparently featureless expanses of bare sand, no discernible points of interest, shallow, almost constantly pounded by countless millions of litres of crashing seawater, carrying energy built up over often thousands of miles of travel over open ocean. Spray, noise, surging water, wind… none of it seems a natural fit for fly fishing, even in saltwater.
And I absolutely love it!
Over the rest of this article, I’ll endeavour to explain exactly why I have such love for fishing in this seemingly difficult environment and how, over the years, decoding the approach through time on the water and the help of others, has meant it’s become one of the most productive and exciting environments I fish in, despite its challenges.
Defining a surf beach
Well I could be trite here and say “it’s where surfers go to surf”, and in a way that would of course be entirely accurate. If not that helpful. It’s not so much of benefit to understand what a surf beach is, but moreover to understand why it’s the way it is.
Most of us can picture a surf beach in our minds eye, even if we’ve never set foot on one. Large, open stretches of generally sandy shore, lined with an endless parallel conveyor-belt of waves that build and break, not against the shore directly, but some distance out, lazily and in style, with the crashing, foaming water then smoothing out as it continues to travel forward in broad tables, shallowing all the while before eventually petering out on the beach and slowly drawing back.
The characteristic tables of water on a surf beach
That building of wave height and the subsequent breaking some distance from the shoreline itself is the characteristic feature of a surf beach. It’s a result of the interplay between the physics of the wave energy and the topography, or contour, of the seabed close to shore in these areas.
Surf beaches have one common feature – they are all shallow and gently shelving. Where this contouring exists in a location where waves have had sufficient distance to build enough energy (so open, unprotected coasts) then the conditions are right to create surf.
The mechanics are simple but often misunderstood. Waves are created by a transference of energy from wind pushing against the surface of the water, creating a vertical, circular motion. When looking at waves, they give the illusion that the water is travelling, but in fact it’s the energy that’s travelling, not the water itself – think of a Mexican wave in a stadium – it travels all the way round, but none of the people themselves actually move (at least until the game starts, then they all want to go to the lavatory at the same time – universal law).
The energy travels in wave form over huge distances. What happens as it encounters a coastline from deeper water is that the shallowing causes the base of the wave to begin to encounter resistance from the seabed. This shallowing has two effects, the concentration of energy in the shallower water causes the wave to push upwards and build (as the distance between waves shortens), and the slowing of the base as the top continues to move at its original speed, causes the wave to start pitch forwards until it eventually topples or ‘breaks’.
On most average beaches, which are generally a fair bit steeper (think a classic British shingle beach) that building and toppling happens close to shore, often in the last few tens of metres, as the bottom suddenly rises up. On a surf beach, that crucial long, gradual shallowing, together with their position facing waves with lots of additional energy, means those waves begin the process of building and slowing much further out and to far greater effect, gaining much more height and impact than waves you’d find on the shingle shoreline.
When those waves break they are still carrying plenty of energy which continues to propel them forwards in those characteristic great sweeping tables of water (known technically as ‘swash’) until the energy eventually dissipates, and the water that was pushed up the sand by that energy then retreats under the power of gravity (known as ‘backwash’).
It’s that last few transitions of the wave’s journey, once it’s broken, that’s of interest to us.
Safety first!
Now before anyone skims forward to the fishing bit, grabs a rod and rushes off, let’s cover the risks here.
Surf beaches are potentially an extremely hazardous environment. By their very nature they are exposed to the sea’s full fury, which means fishing a surf beach (by fly or any other method for that matter) is governed as much by the sea state conditions as it is by weather and tide. For most saltwater fly angling, weather (mostly wind) and tide are the two governing factors upon which you decide when and where to go. But if you’re throwing a surf beach into the mix, sea-state is just as critical… indeed your life (not just your fishing) could depend on it.
What do I mean by ‘sea-state’? Well, basically how rough it is! It’s important to remember that the waves hitting a surf beach may have travelled hundreds or even thousands of miles. That means they may have accrued energy from storms far out to sea and transported it with them, so setting foot on a surf beach on a balmy day with light winds is no guarantee of an ideal sea-state – you could be met with a monstrous, towering surf that bears absolutely no relation to the local conditions whatsoever!
We’ll come back to sea-state in relation to the fishing itself in due course, but obviously setting foot onto a beach with all that raging water crashing down and surging about carries high risk and, as it happens, often little reward in those conditions. My advice if you’re met by that sight when you arrive at the beach? Go home. It’s not worth it.
There are also more insidious dangers to consider when fishing a surf beach.
Most people will have heard of ‘rip currents’, even if they’re not entirely sure what they are. Rip currents form as a result of large volumes of water being pushed up the beach in the swash finding the most efficient route to run back out again. Often the shape of the shallow shoreline, flat as it may appear, does have indentations and depressions in it. The water will then, instead of flowing back parallel to shore exactly as it arrived, run into this difficult-to-see ‘gulley’ and form a powerful, river-like current that runs directly out to sea from the shore. The illustration below includes some of the tell-tale signs. Again, we’ll revisit this in relation to the fishing later on, but when there’s a big surf running, this nearly invisible hazard could be a real danger if you enter the water and stray into one. Many lives are lost in rip currents every year on surf beaches around the world – don’t be one of them. If you are unfortunate to find yourself caught in one, don’t panic, and don’t try to swim directly back to shore – that’s going against the full might of the current. Instead, swim left or right, parallel to the shore to get out of the current first before trying to signal for help or get back to shore. Many of the more public beaches will carry warnings of rip currents, but those off the beaten track may not give any such heads-up, so be alert.
Be alert to rip-currents… they are a serious danger! (Pic: National Geographic)
Another more obvious danger, but often overlooked, is that of the rogue wave. Sometimes, waves can combine their energy when they occasionally overlap, and this can lead to odd waves being much larger than their peers. It’s very easy to be caught off-guard by one of these waves so fishing in, or adjacent to, surf waves requires a high degree of awareness. And don’t forget that the backwash can create powerful undertows too, which can pull sand from beneath your feet, tip you over, and fill your waders just as effectively as in incoming wave can!
Mitigating the risks
1. Don’t try fishing the surf if it’s rough - A 2mtr surf running is going to make the day (and the fishing) very difficult and leave you feeling pretty beaten up. More than that and it’s downright foolhardy. There are many easily accessible surf forecast websites that will give you information on wave height and frequency (more on that later). Get familiar with them and use them in conjunction with tide tables and weather forecasts to make sure you’ve got the right combination for a safe and productive trip.
2. Go with a buddy – always a good idea when saltwater flyfishing anyway. It’s good to have help at hand in an emergency, and you can call-out one another’s risky behaviour too!
3. Consider flotation aids – these days it’s not just the inflatable life vests like the Baltic Flyfisher that are an option – you can also opt for the rather excellent new Spinlock Alto 75N waist-belt worn flotation device, a perfect solution for the fly angler as it’s compact and unobtrusive, allowing piece of mind without interfering with wearing a sling-pack, fly vest or backpack. Just make sure if you use a flotation device that’s not auto-inflating (the Alto isn't)… or you risk balooning unexpectedly!
4. Wear a belt with your waders – this simple measure can hugely reduce the amount of water that can get into them in a quick dunking, giving you a far better chance of being able to stand up and get out again.
5. Stay out of the water as much as possible – That’s the simplest way to minimise the risks and, as I’ll explain, fishing the surf is definitely NOT about getting your fly as far out as possible.
The excellent Spinlock Alto waist-worn flotation device
Find more details here: https://www.orvis.co.uk/collections/wading-accessories/products/alto-75n-flotation-aid-black-2spa
The 'Goldilocks' effect
Explaining the mechanics of a surf beach and its hazards actually leads rather nicely onto what I like to refer to as the ‘Goldilocks’ element of fishing a surf beach.
As has already been implied, unlike many other saltwater environments, considering when to fish a surf beach is clouded with extra layers of complexity; not only do you have tides (essential), and weather (mostly wind speed/direction) to consider, but also sea-state and finally wave frequency to take account of too. What do I mean regarding the last one? Wave frequency basically refers to the time between waves – if a frequency is too short, you can end up with a messy sea, with waves dropping almost on top of each other, which can make fishing particularly difficult.
Oh, and you need to match all the above with one more thing of course… opportunity!
In fact, get any one or more of the above first-four ingredients too far wrong, and you can end up with a very challenging and frustrating session on your hands. The flip-side is that lady luck really does have to be on your side to reach the ideal ‘Goldilocks’ conditions when you’re actually able to go! That can mean successful and enjoyable surf trips can be a real ‘carpe diem’ thing – you have to plan ahead with lots of options, and often be ready to drop everything and go at short notice when it all looks like it’s coming together.
Phase one of planning a season? I start by plotting dates around the tides. They’re nice and predictable, and I can mark up all the potential weekends on the calendar first-off. Of course fishing flooding tides or ebbing tides will vary from mark to mark – I know what works for my beaches, but I can’t give you an answer on that one for yours; you’ll have to build your own picture, by either trial-and-error visits, or perhaps by talking to bait anglers about what they see (often a useful source of intel).
Phase two – start watching the weather as your next potential ‘tide-ok’ date approaches! Any more than a week out in weather forecasting (especially coastal), and you might as well make it up as you go along, but once you get to 5 days out, the picture starts to become much more reliable.
There are a couple of things to consider. Remember that strong winds will whip up the sea-state, and that can take a couple of days to calm down after winds drop. So, a strong 25mph onshore wind just the day before a trip will probably mean it’s still unfishable the following day, even if the breeze itself has dropped overnight to a feeble 5mph. Also, it’s extremely important to realise that not enough wave movement can be just as problematical to your fishing as too much! I’ll cover more on that, but take it from me – flat clam = bad fishing. So more than a couple of days of off-shore wind (wind blowing from the land towards the sea) can be an issue too. Goldilocks again, see?
The ideal combination would be say a run of days at 15-20mph onshore, with the wind then dropping off over two days to 10mph. Or a switch from strong onshore winds to a couple of days of light off-shore breezes. Both scenarios start with a good stirred-up sea-state, but with the wave heights gradually reducing as conditions abate.
Ummm… nnnahhh…I’ll give it a miss!
Phase three – the final check! Now it’s time to hop onto those surf forecast websites. For me I’m hoping to see surf of a height of 0.6-1.2m ideally. What I find even better is those with a web-cam; that way I can see exactly what the conditions are like (perhaps on a different beach but close enough to my marks, so representative). I also like to judge the frequency at this point. Usually if the surf height is hitting the sweet spot, the frequency tends to be there or thereabouts, but it’s worth a check so there’s no nasty surprises.
Of course, none of this may coalesce at a weekend when I’m free… it might end up coming good on the Monday! So I like to keep a few days of holiday aside for grab’n’go trips when Goldilocks smiles on me! I appreciate that depends on your employer… I’m lucky with mine, but it’s worth asking.
So…. All systems go! Then what?
Target species
For me, I’m fortunate to be able to principally pursue mullet (thin lips and golden greys for the most part). To many people that raises an eyebrow in surprise; surf beaches are traditionally thought of as the domain of the bass hunter, and targeting mullet in the surf seems out of kilter with the general impression of mullet as harbour and estuary loving species. But mullet, especially golden greys, love surf. Strangely enough, I rarely encounter bass at my marks, but they are there without a shadow of doubt. I suspect a switch in tactics to fishing into dark would put me in contact with many more of them… but of course there’s an additional risk in doing so.
Thin-lipped and Golden-grey Mullet – my primary targets
Other species that get thrown up are mackerel, the odd garfish, and flatfish too – I’ve had a few small turbot on the fly over the years, but just a couple of weeks ago now (on what was undoubtedly the last trip of the season this year) I managed a rather nice, if somewhat surprised looking, flounder! The flatfish are very much a ‘by-catch’ when targeting mullet in the surf.
A surprise appearance… but they do crop up!
Gear fit for surf
As it is with all saltwater flyfishing, you’re going to be taking kit into an extremely harsh, abrasive, corrosive environment. Surf beaches are especially brutal on fly gear; misty saltwater spray and a suspension of fine sand in the churning water can really do some damage. So not only is picking the right gear essential, but so too is the rinsing ritual afterwards!
The basics follow the same general rules as for other saltwater set-ups in the UK. Broadly speaking you’re matching the gear to the conditions more than the fish, but if your focus is going to be bass, stick to an 8wt as that will give you the heft you need to turn the bigger bass flies over in an onshore breeze. If mullet and other species are the target, a saltwater 6wt is perfect for throwing the smaller flies used. You can go lighter – surf mullet maestro Darren Jackson fishes a 5wt, but you’ve got to be extra fastidious with your cleaning if it’s a river rod your using. It depends on the rod, but I wouldn’t want to ruin the lovely burled wood inserts on my reel-seats in the salt! I use a 6wt saltwater Orvis Helios 3D, a lovely rod, built to take some punishment. A reel built for the salt with a sealed clutch is essential too. An open clutch mechanism won’t last a single season (in fact it may not last a single trip!). My Helios is paired up with a matching Orvis Hydros reel - a very capable reel with an excellent clutch.
The sand gets everywhere…! Make sure your gear’s up to it.
Floating lines are essential (saltwater are best as they give the best combination of buoyancy and diameter, but you can use freshwater), and 9ft fluorocarbon leaders. For bass, 15lb is ideal, and you can attach your fly directly to the end. For mullet it’s a little different, and opinion varies on the detail. For me, I use a 10lb tapered leader, but have recently shortened my entire set-up in the surf (I’ll explain more). I now take 2ft off the butt-end of the leader, and on to the other end via a loop-to-loop connection goes my tippet, which (compared to my harbour/estuary mullet set-up) I have also shortened by a foot. For the surf then, this takes 3ft off my usual near-15ft total leader length for other mullet fishing, down to 11-12ft.
I fish a team of two flies – a point fly and another on a dropper about 3ft up. Keep the dropper as short as you can (literally 2 or 3cm)– it’ll help minimise tangles. It’s also worth tying up a good few casts ahead of your trip and having them stored on winders. Fishing for mullet in surf can generate a lot of tangles as line washes about, so you need to be able to make a quick change rather than spend precious fishing time unpicking knots.
Rigged up and ready to go for a quick change
For most of the year, waders are essential. The water can be warm enough in summer to do away with waders, but trust me when I say that you’ll be kneeling down in the water tables a lot, and that fine, abrasive suspension of sand isn’t just a hazard for your reel – chafing can be an unexpected hazard!
The other essential is a line-tray. The constant swooshing of water around your legs can make line management an absolute nightmare if you don’t use a line tray, and that will drive you to distraction, so keep it out of the water and sand.
Note the line tray – it’s essential
Hat, sunglasses, sun-cream and a buff – all a good idea. It’s easy to burn when you’re on the beach for 6 hours and you won’t realise it until you get in and look at yourself in the mirror (or in my case, when my wife bursts out laughing as I walk in the door).
A waterproof back pack or sling pack is a great idea (I use the Orvis Pro waterproof slingpack – an excellent piece of kit) as you never know when a wave may ride a little higher than expected, and no-one wants soggy sandwiches or a damp camera.
A waterproof sling-pack is ideal
The business end
Ah, flies… everyone always wants to know about flies.
Well, as some of my other articles suggest, that’s an ever-evolving state of affairs. This year’s winning pattern in the surf has undeniably produced the goods – but even within the scope of a single pattern I’ve embraced change in repect of the hook type and definitely size.
Of course, that’s in relation to mullet, which for the surf revolves around the various generic shrimp imitations such as the tagged versions of the Romy’s Sandshrimp, Blue Romy’s, Olive Spectrashrimp, Ray’s Mullet Fly/Mullet Bach, etc.
Mullet flies – constantly changing (see my article ‘The Evolving Shrimp’)
All those will catch. But this year’s outright winner has been Darren Jackson’s dark green & tan variant of Colin MacLeod’s tagged Spectrashrimp (Darren is the undisputed king of flyfishing in the surf, and of course, Colin has done more than anyone to further the development of fly fishing for mullet) . This version features a brown Hends shellback body (which has a wonderful dark green sheen on the reverse and is tied with this side facing outwards), a Hends microflash dubbed body (tan) and a gold rib. Normally I’d tie this on a size 12 Kamasan B100 grubber hook, but for my last trip I took a leaf out of Darren’s book and tied a few on size 12 Ahrex Gammarus hooks.
This season's top fly...
Whilst the hook size sounds the same, the Ahrex pattern is massively larger and they looked HUGE compared to my normal fayre, but…they fished excellently, with a few more fish falling to the bigger fly than the smaller ones (and good clean hook-ups). The supposition is they drop a little faster, and they’re simply more visible in the stirred up water. Either way, for someone who’s stolidly fished the same size flies on the same pattern hooks since I started some 16-odd years ago, it was an eye opener, and something I’m keen to explore further with the arrival of next season.
The shrimp flies will do well on the other species, and the bass will take them too; the fact I don’t catch more bass is more down to specifically targeting mullet. However if you want to target bass primarily, then sandeel and whitebait patterns are the way to go.
Trying for bass? Try this sort of thing - one of my small sandeel patterns.
Approach with caution
My approach to fishing the surf has been a journey of continual refinement, and with that has come steadily increasing catch rates.
The key bit of information to impart to you is this – this is not about getting your fly out as far as possible. The hot zone is not the breakers and beyond – the hot zone in fact lies after the waves have broken, in those tumbling, smoothing tables of water that run right up the sand. In fact, the best mullet sport in particular lies right on the leading edge of those tables, often only a few feet from dry land… in fact, right on top of what will be dry land every time the wave recedes! That water is usually only 15-30cm deep. Yes, mullet actively hunt right in the margins, playing a game of chicken every time the water pushes up the beach, riding it in and frantically hoovering up morsels before turning and rushing out again just a second or two before they would otherwise be left flopping helplessly on the beach.
So what are you actually looking for?
In terms of fish activity, there’s a bit of learning required in respect of ‘pattern recognition’. Up close, it’s pretty obvious; the fish are moving in such shallow water, you’ll physically see their heads, or backs and tails. At a distance though, you get to recognise tell-tale disruption in those tables of water – what looks like ‘rough patches’, as if there’s a bunch of rocks under the surface which the water is flowing over. The video at the end of this article (and some of the later stills) will give you an idea.
It’s fast, active fishing too. ‘Longshore drift’, the general movement of water along the shore (waves never break exactly parallel – they always come in at an angle) means there’s always a degree of lateral current. That can also be effected by the tide. This means shoals are carried along the shore as they feed, even without actively travelling. On top of that they inevitably go through cycles of exploring a zone, exhausting it and disappearing, only to reconverge maybe 50 meters further along the beach.
This means you’re constantly on the move and constantly scanning the water’s edge for visible signs of activity. At times, when fish are shoaling up and dissipating again quickly, that can mean jogging down the beach to get casts in before they melt away… surf fishing can work up a real sweat in waders, that’s for sure!
Keep a low profile…
What is important though, is to remember that these fish are right in the margins and you’re on a shallow, flat beach. From their perspective, you’re going to be pretty visible against the skyline, so if you go thundering along the waters edge (or worse still, in it) they will see you coming a mile off and disappear, pronto! Stay well, well back from the water’s edge. Make your final approach slowly - and tread lightly; it seems they can even sense the vibration of your footsteps if you clump along too heavily. Crouch down as you then turn toward the shoal to approach them, creep up and get on your knees to fish. Most surf fishing is actually really close-range stuff, with fish often riding waves to within just a few meters of your rod tip. Staying low is critical to not spooking them. You may be kneeling in a few inches of water, or you may be on dry sand – that will depend on how far in the fish are coming in. Be prepared for the fact that on the odd occasion, an extra-large table of water may sweep the fish much further towards you, and you may have to awkwardly leap up and make a hasty retreat before they’re dumped in your lap and you spook the whole shoal!
My best friend is scum!
A question I often get asked, particularly when people step onto a surf beach for the first time and they’re faced with often a vast expanse of sand, is ‘Ok, so I know broadly what I’m looking for… but where do I actually start?’.
Well, whilst it’s not a feature of every surf beach, one of the surf ‘swffer’s’ best friends is …scum!
One time I really don’t mind being in ‘the brown stuff’!
This is a phenomena I’ve seen on surf beaches from Wales to Lombok in Indonesia. The ‘scum’ I’m talking about is usually a brown or yellow-brown bubbly froth that you may see floating on the water tables, or deposited on the sand looking like melted aero chocolate! It’s not the most appetising looking stuff, and it often gets mistaken for sewage. But actually, it’s a naturally occurring substance – it’s decaying algae.
The shallow, sandy nature of surf beaches, and the constantly moving water, means you’ve got a great environment for algae growth. As the algae dies off, it begins to decay and the churning action of the waves and swash clumps it together to form a frothy scum on the surface. It may look unappetising, but its actually packed full of nutrients and mullet love it! Not only do they eat it directly (if you find it, don’t be surprised to see mullet greedily gulping it directly off the top, little mouths busily sucking it up like hungry diners at a Japanese noodle bar), but it also appears to support an entire food chain too, from zooplankton and crustacean larvae to larger crustacea like shrimps and hermit crabs… and of course, fish!
Find the fish with the right ‘attitude’… it makes all the difference
It's important here to make some distinctions about the mullet’s behaviour. The fact is, if the fish are in a ‘heads up’ orientation and are feeding on the scum directly, you’re going to struggle to tempt any, no matter the number of fish visible. Mullet feeding directly on the scum become preoccupied with it, and until someone works out a way of tying a viable ‘scum fly’, you will waste endless, agonising hours casting at those fish. It’s hard to tear yourself away when there’s the mesmerising sight of so many fish in front of you, but steel yourself and do so.
What you want to find (and this will boost your catch rate hugely) is fish that are feeding on what’s beneath that scum (those all-important shrimp etc). These fish will have a different attitude – their body position will be broadly heads-down, tails up! You won’t see their heads and mouths, but their backs and tails, as they busily hunt down prey in the swash and backwash. The difference is subtle, but obvious once you compare the two, and your chances of a successful hook-up increase massively once you find the latter.
So, when stepping onto a beach for the first time, scan the white wave-lines for any discoloration. If in doubt, (and if it’s there) head for the brown stuff!
Wot..No scum?
There’s no doubt that the scum is a huge draw for fish on a surf beach, but not every beach seems to have just the right conditions for it. Earlier on I also talked about Rip-currents and said we’d revisit the topic. There’s a good reason to do so now. As rip currents effectively concentrate the flow of water, by their very nature they also form a ‘food lane’, concentrating scum if its there, or anything else for that matter, into their flow. Rips, even quite small, weak ones, are often the very best hot-spots and are well worth making a beeline for. The formation of algae scum makes them particularly easy to spot, but you’ll get to recognise the patterns that indicate their presence even without scum to rely on.
Another beeline feature to check out on surf beaches is any kind of significant run-off into the water. This could be outflow pipes or small rivers that run directly onto the beach. This creates a similar condition to a rip, providing a concentration of flow and food, and will definitely be a hot-spot worth exploring.
Any kind of feature or obstacle which disrupts longshore-drift (effectively creating something for drifting food to ‘pile up’ against as it gets washed gently along the shore) will increase fish numbers. A pipe, line of rocks, groyne… anything that protrudes from the beach directly out to sea. It need only be quite small too – you’d be surprised what fish will be attracted to.
Small clay beds and rocks protruding through the beach – enough to trap food
Subtle features on surf beaches may also include natural depressions, gullies and sandbars. From a distance it may all look pretty flat, but in reality there are natural features which will create feeding opportunities.
Swash and backwash may create sandbars or ridges, often with a gully or depression behind. Fish will often be found positioned in front of that sand bar, then move into the gulley or depression behind as the tide spills over it. This is because food gets washed into those ‘holding areas’ without getting washed straight back out again – it makes for easier pickings.
Another visual clue is to look for ‘debris zones’. These are areas where general detritus gathers in the water – vegetation, bits of sea-grass, flotsam and jetsam etc. It’s gathering there because the currents are concentrating it. If they’re concentrating that, they will also be concentrating food… and fish instinctively know it. This simple trick has helped me find and land some lovely fish both in the UK and abroad – it’s a pretty general rule.
One of several flat-head mullet from the ‘detritus zone’ in the waves of a Spanish beach
Finally, I made mention earlier about negative effects of the sea being too flat too. Knowing what you now know, it’s easy to see why having the sea like a mill-pond kills the fishing opportunities; a lack of water movement removes all of the characteristics that generate food concentration. Arriving at a beach to see barely a ripple lapping against the shore is every bit as disheartening as the deafening roar of thunderous waves.
Just go with it, man!
So let assume you’ve found what you’re looking for – a veritable flotilla of tails are glinting in the sun in front of you; a dense, busy shoal, rhythmically riding the water tables and feeding hard, their silver-grey backs glistening. You’ve made your approach. You’re on your knees and in position. The mullet are blissfully unaware of your presence. How do you present those flies?
Shoal in front (see the rough water?), ready to go. Now what…?
Well, this bit takes some practice.
Essentially it’s no different to presenting flies in a natural manner on a river – you want them to move with the water in a natural way. But this is where surf can get especially tricky. Whilst the idea is to dead-drift the flies, letting them tumble naturally around in the swash and back-wash alongside all the ‘real’ food, there are some real line management problems and timing issues to address too.
The waves are coming in broadly in a rhythm, the tables of water moving back and forth. But that moving water is also tumbling your fly line and leader over in it too. The challenge is to balance presentation (ie not to pull the flies too much) with staying in contact with them so you can feel the take and strike at the right time. It’s easier said than done. Every time the tables push forward, you have to recover line to remove slack, a bit like fishing upstream. That means timing your cast to get the maximum window of opportunity in terms of presenting your flies to the fish. It’s this need to stay in good contact that is the reason for me knocking 3ft off the length of my usual harbour/estuary mullet leader/tippet set up; the shorter length just removes a bit more of that potential slack between me and the fish.
The trick is timing it right to keep the flies amongst the fish as long as possible
I find getting the flies to drop just behind the leading edge of a table means the flies are static for a while, then draw back as the wave recedes. They often get taken ‘on the hang’ at that point, before the next table pushes them towards you and you have to recover line. This is where wave frequency, which I spoke about earlier, really plays a part. A steady, slow frequency gives you ample time to present. An erratic, fast frequency can be a nightmare, as the line is constantly being thrown back towards you and it's extremely difficult to control.
As I say, it takes some practice, but you’ll get the hang of it. Takes are generally quite positive – if you’re in reasonable contact with the flies, you’ll feel the line go tight and you can lift into the fish.
Contact!
What you will inevitably get is some ‘line hits’. As dense shoals of fish move over your flies, there will be occasions when they will hit the line and pull the hook towards a fin or flank. The resulting contact will often jolt the line and send the shoal into a brief panic. Line hits are often mistaken for missed takes, but in time you’ll get to recognise the difference. Most fish that pick the fly up when you’re in contact with them will stay firmly hooked.
Incidentally, providing you keep pressure on the fish, going barbless isn’t going to put you at any great risk of losing fish.
With mullet, what happens next can vary enormously… sometimes, you hook the fish as the water is receding, leaving it with little to power away in. Those fights can be pretty brief… but the fish will certainly try, tail going like a salmon’s as it tries to get back to deeper water.
Some of them really won’t hang around when you hook them!
At other times there will be enough water for that spade-like tail to get some real purchase, and that fish will run for the breakers, leaving your reel-handle a blur as it strips line off the spool.
For my money, whilst the slightly smaller Golden Grey mullet provide the biggest buzz, punching well above their weight and putting up a feisty scrap in the white water, a big thin-lip (and believe me, at time you won’t believe how big some of these fish can get until you set eyes on them out of the water) can also put up one heck of a resistance. I’ve had a few take me well into the backing in the blink of an eye!
If you’re using a net, they will resist even more – mullet are supremely net-shy, and the merest glimpse of one will seem to instantly recharge a flagging fish!
Sometimes the best option is to gently beach the fish, using the forward momentum of the water to carry it towards the shore, and holding firm in the backwash. Either way, unhooking them swiftly and keeping them wet will usually see them power away in an instant when they’re returned.
Sometimes gently beaching them is the best option
And a quick return will see them power away strongly
Naturally, my love of mullet in the surf has me very much focussed on them … but of course, don’t forget those other species (including the surprise flatfish!).
The thrill I get from successfully sight-fishing to mullet in the surf really is second to none. Every fish landed is a high, every one recorded and returned is revered. Sore knees and aching shoulders are completely accepted as the price of admission. The end of the season is lamented, and gear is sorrowfully cleaned and packed away for the long winter before I start looking for Goldilocks to make an appearance again when the next season rolls around. And in between times, I simply bask in the memories of those halcyon days!
