CHAPTER YII. 



GREY MULLET. 



Habits — Food — Various Methods of Surface Angling — Mid-water 

 and Bottom Fishing — Fly-fishing. 



F the sea-fish sought after by the angler, 

 the grey mullet is probably the most difficult 

 to capture. It is very generally distributed, 

 and having a great fancy for brackish 

 water, particularly that containing a slight 

 admixture of sewage matter, is to be found 

 in large numbers in harbours, docks, and 

 estuaries. It sometimes grows to 101b. in 

 weight, or even larger; but the general run is from lib. to 

 31b. It gives good sport when hooked, and is very good eating. 

 Its natural food seems to be vegetable refuse, worms, and 

 certain kinds of seaweed, particularly that growing on ships' 

 bottoms and wood piles. Shoals of mullet will sometimes 

 foUow a ship which is about to be overhauled, right into 

 the dock, working up and down its slimy bottom with their 

 noses. They do not disdain animal matter, but in one point 

 are very particular — the food must be soft. The baits which 

 they will at times take are varied in character, and include 

 gentles, ragworms; peeled, unboiled shrimps; soft, fat pork; 

 thornback's liver, pilchard guts, wasp grubs, bread, paste 

 boiled cabbage, and green silkweed. 



Grey mullet are caught at Southampton, Dover, Jersey, 

 Plymouth, along the coast of the Mediterranean, and in 

 many other places; but there are certain spots where, though 

 very plentiful, they are rarely taken — Oulton Broad, for 

 example — the reason probably being that the right bait has 



