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- Starting with a 'positive', all fish were released safely and successfully, again
- Landed the 200th fish since I restarted mullet fishing in 2011 - 3lb 0oz, on 03/10/15
- This has been a very difficult season, with reported numbers of mullet apparently well down at many venues. Some discussion also suggests that there has been a
lack of larger fish in the rivers. Experienced mullet anglers have struggled for success, and reports in general suggest that half the normal number of fish have been
encountered, for the same (or more) trips and hours spent
- Of the many highlights this year, I was pleased to land a number of five and six pound fish in keeping with previous years, despite the overall lack of
fish. The best of these, at 6lb 4oz, was also the latest of any year so far, on 12/12/15. This was
closely followed in weight by a mullet of exactly 6lb 0oz on 20/10/15, a fish from a new venue
- For the second year in a row, managed to catch the largest mullet landed during the NMC's 'National Rover' competition, which ran over the Bank Holiday weekend
of Sat 29th / Sun 30th / Mon 31st of August - 5lb 10oz this time - an unexpected result, given its
moderate size, but entirely symptomatic of this year's challenges
- Landed a few more fish over 5lb - 5lb 2oz on 06/06/15,
5lb 6oz on 18/07/15, and a 'rocket' 5lb 12oz on 19/10/2015, plus
a good number of 4lb+ mullet, and a very satisfying number of '3s'
- The overall 'spread' of fish weights, i.e. the proportion in each weight band, was almost identical to 2014
- I was unable to start catching mullet earlier in the year than in 2014, with the first fish finally landed on 03/05/14 -
2lb 8oz - and I was very relieved to be up and running at last
- In a year where it was difficult to build up any momentum and a degree of despondency had to be overcome, I spent less time at the river, with fewer trips than
2014 (by about 25%) and even a few less than 2013, plus fewer hours spent per trip - maybe by about as much as 50%, for the most part
- The large golden-greys of 2014 didn't reappear in 2015 (although I heard positive reports from elsewhere) - maybe I was just in the wrong place, or in the right
place at the wrong time. Hopefully, they will make a welcome reappearance in 2016
- There were still many truly wonderful fishing days to be enjoyed, irrespective of the actual numbers of mullet being seen
- Despite occasional rain (and a few truly biblical soakings), there were no real periods where the river water was overly coloured, and so fishing was not interrupted
in the manner we had seen a few years ago, during 2012.
- The main counter-contributory factor this year was the wind, which seemed to appear with some force even when the forecasts were favourable. The only positive from
this is that I've developed more pragmatism and greater determination when faced with windy conditions
- Caught my final fish of 2015 on 12/12/15, at 6lb 4oz - in a normal year, I certainly wouldn't be
expecting a mullet at all in mid December
- Caught far fewer mullet than in 2014, by a considerable margin - only 56% of the 2014 total
- The best 'run' was 19 consecutive mullet without a lost fish, only a small improvement over past years
- Achieved only some of the key objectives set
- Improved upon last year's 'top 5' weight by a small margin, and also exceeded other years' 'top 5' totals by at least 2.5 pounds in each case
- Improved upon the last three years' average weight per fish, by a small margin again
- The proportional number of successful trips was significantly reduced when compared to the last two years
- Caught far less fish at the most favoured venues than in 2014, particularly at two venues that had fished exceptionally well last year
- I was unable to match last / best year's monthly catch figures, with a few minor exceptions. The largest deficit was in August, which was an exceptionally good month
last year, and also November, where no fish were caught and there were hardly any trips in 2015
Apr -3, May -0, Jun -0, Jul -3, Aug -21, Sep -1, Oct +1, Nov -8, Dec -0
- The ratio of trips to fish caught was very poor, when compared to the last two years
- Landed a much higher percentage of the mullet hooked, with only five fish lost all year
- I was again engaged in a number of epic fights, all of which ended well (the few fish which evaded the net were lost within seconds of being hooked)
- Managed to avoid falling in, getting stuck in the mud, or having to wade in, this year - a first, although there were a few very nasty moments, as always
- Caught mullet at five new venues, two of which produced a couple of the year's best fish
- Continued to develop knowledge of the most productive states of the tide that can be fished, including several new venues
- With increased knowledge, was able to catch fish at venues which were previously unproductive
- Idiotic boat owners plus inconsiderate dog walkers and selfish kayak enthusiasts made for some very grim moments and an end to several otherwise enjoyable sessions; in such
a vast expanse of river, surely folks can enjoy their day without adversely affecting the enjoyment of others? - although some seem too ignorant to realise that's
what they do
- Haven't revisited all of the targeted venues - to be continued in 2016
- Still haven't caught a single thin lipped mullet - must try harder
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