30/8/10 A Gleaming Bar of Silver.

Many people regard bass as the most handsome of fish.I'll admit,they are indeed pretty spectacular looking,but Thick Lipped mullet can be equally stunning,especially when their flanks are reflecting strong sun light.Just look at this scale perfect beauty from the Arun.

I needed to get back on the fish.Following the last few 'experimental' sessions targetting bass etc it was time I to do some 'proper' fishing,and this morning provided me with the opportunity.After finishing work I just had enough time to fish the end of the ebb,but had to venture upstream to the lower flats to do so.Bright skies and a cold northerly wind combined with  heavily coloured water, due to the recent rain finally affecting the lower reaches of the river.

I wasn't too concerned.Plenty of fish were showing,as usual,on the walk down.I started at the top of the lower reach and although it was a bit slow at first,and the local swan population were descending in numbers on MY chosen spot,a bite ensued, and the result was this gleaming 4-00 in stunning condition.Great to feel the power of a mullet again-it seems like ages but it's actually only twelve days.

No further action ,or signs of fish were forthcoming so,after a quick glance at the lower sluice,which appeared 'dead', I moved up to the 'drop off' before the rising water level could cut me off.On dead slack,I had the second bite of the session and another fish came to the net at 2-14.The fight provided some entertainment for some onlookers on the opposite bank,though I'm convinced that they were confused by my careful weighing and return of the fish to the river.

So,that was that. Roughly 2 hours fishing,2 bites and 2 fish,Great.

This takes my season's tally so far to 26 , which is an improvement on the last three seasons, and past the half way mark to my target of 50 mullet for this season.I've only ever exceeded this total once,with 63 fish in 2006.Realistically,i've got two months to go, however,i'm away to France in mid September,so it could be a close run thing.The numbers game Is just a personal thing that I play, probably because I seem unable to actually catch mullet of specimen size .My p.b Arun fish is 6-00, and a 5-00 is,for me , an 'event',though I do know of four more six plussers that have been caught over the years-the biggest at 7-00.