Spain is renowned for its wonderful climate, vibrant wines and friendly inhabitants but perhaps less well known for the quality of salt water fly fishing on offer to the visiting holiday maker. The Med provides a host of species eager to snatch a fly but it is the mullet family, and in particular the large growing and hard fighting Pardette, on which I focus my angling attentions during the annual summer holiday.
Ten days on the Costa Blanca at the end of June took on added appeal this year, considering the abysmal summer weather and fishing endured in the UK. Fatherly duties and other family responsibilities taken care of on day one of the holiday, I was free to set the alarm for an early rise on the second morning…….
Tuesday June 26th – The alarm sounded at 5.15am, allowing sufficient time to be on the beach before day break at 6.10am. The first 30 minutes of day light are usually the most productive and the fish can appear almost suicidal at times, before the rising sun gradually forces the shoals towards deeper water.
Arriving at the water’s edge, I could make out incredible numbers of fish breaking the surface and feeding with real intensity. Shoals moved at speed around and over a group of small sand banks in the near darkness, attacking invisible prey. A perfect current ran between the banks, carrying the team of 3 nymphs towards the shoaling activity at just the right speed. The flies were ignored however, until the faintest hint of daylight entered the sky and suddenly they were in demand. Within two minutes, the bin-bag nymph was taken at speed and an irate thin lipped mullet hared off across the sand banks. The fish weighed merely a pound but punched well above this weight, taking a good five minutes to subdue. Dawn revealed the presence of several large Pardette cruising amongst the shoals but flies drifted in their direction were quickly grabbed by their smaller brethren, as a succession of thin lips in the 1 to 2lb range fell to the charms of the nymphs.
Occasional, slightly more aggressive takes came courtesy of bass up to 1.5lbs. By 9am, a hot sun illuminated the shallows and the shoals slipped away to the safety of deeper water and I slipped away to collect bread and milk for breakfast.
Wednesday June 27th – At 6.05am I quietly entered the water and crept towards the sand banks, 6wt rod in hand with floating line and three nymphs attached to 12 feet of Orvis Mirage 12.5lb fluoro leader. Wading warm water in only a pair of Crocs and trunks gave a sense of freedom, compared to the wader clad restrictions of UK seas. The tide was lower this morning and yesterday’s perfect current had all but subsided. Good numbers of fish continued to feed in very shallow water and in the channels between the banks but the absence of current meant that the nymphs fell lifelessly to the sandy bottom and were of no interest to the mullet. Suddenly, a group of large fins surfaced in the channel beside a sand bank and the nymphs were dispatched to work their magic. A very slow figure-of-eight retrieve would hopefully impart enough life to the flies, to gain a reaction. After twenty patient minutes the line tightened abruptly. Before I could strike, the fish accelerated at high speed across the sand banks towards a group of large rocks and I was forced to lift the rod high and exert strong sideways pressure to steer the fish away from the snags and certain freedom. Thankfully, the fish turned a few meters short of sanctuary and retraced its steps across the banks at blistering pace, before turning to run for deeper water. In typical Pardette fashion, the 200m of backing on the reel began to disappear in a rasping blur. I followed quickly, retrieving line as I went, until I could wade no further. Again, applying considerable pressure succeeded in turning the fish and the long process of pumping the fish to shore began. Eventually, fly line was re-introduced to the reel and my confidence grew. Instead of striking for open water once more, the fish elected to do battle in the shallows, running the channels at break neck speed, causing dire panic amongst the mullet shoals, no doubt fearing that they were under attack. At one point, the fish tracked across the top of a sand bank in water only inches deep and for the first time I was able to appreciate its size. My confidence shrank! Then I had a lucky break. The fish swam away from the sand banks and headed towards shore, some 50m distant, with me in hot pursuit. This enabled me to play the fish out in shallow, snag free water from a position on the beach. Gradually the fish tired and the runs lessened in duration and intensity. I decided to beach the fish rather than use a net, which can panic the fish and prolong the contest considerably. After 40 minutes of hard battle, a timely wave delivered a beautiful Pardette of 11lb 2oz onto the beach. A size 12 flexi-shrimp sat firmly embedded in the mullet’s top lip. The fish required several minutes of careful reviving, before swimming strongly away.
The day’s action was made complete with the capture of a small Gilt head bream (Dorado), my first of that species.
Friday 29th June – The local English rag was warning of an impending heat wave and even at 6am the air was hot, humid and still. This morning the water was exceptionally clear but again without discernible current. Mullet were there in their usual masses but proved difficult to tempt, despite frenetic feeding activity. It would appear that the level of feeding activity is relatively unaffected by the amount of current present, but the existence of a current which transports food creates the type of feeding behavior where a fly is much more likely to be accepted. It was necessary to employ a slow figure –of –eight retrieve once more and my patience was eventually rewarded with a couple of thin lips around the two pound mark. By 9am the air temperature was 32c and it was time to seek some shade.
Monday July 2nd – Rose at 5am, following a night of disturbed sleep. Spain had won Euro 2012 the previous evening in glorious fashion and celebrated by setting off rockets throughout the night. I stood alone on the beach at 5.50am, not a single Spanish fisher to be seen. Perhaps they were still celebrating or perhaps the strong on-shore wind had dissuaded them from venturing out. Large waves crashed over the sand banks in a chaotic scene but large numbers of fish remained present. Today there was no lack of current but it seemed to move in several directions at once and the fast moving waves tugged annoyingly at the fly line. Within the first ten minutes of day break a small but very spritely mullet of a pound had fallen to a red headed Diawl bach, quickly followed by a bass of similar size. The rising sun illuminated the rolling waves and the dark shapes of mullet were visible within each wave as they hitched a ride, surfing onto the top of the sand banks where the crashing wave initiated a short lived feeding frenzy. This gave rise to some wild but excellent sport by casting the flies onto the bank as a wave approached. Many high speed takes were missed but a handful of mullet up to 2lb fell to a UV Bloodworm fished on the point. The fish gave an excellent account of themselves as they raced for the safety of deeper water. Several larger mullet were lost as they cart wheeled across the sand bank, throwing the fly in the process.
Wednesday July 4th – In the water for 6am, hoping to catch a large fish on the last day of the holiday. All thoughts of packing suitcases and other such unpleasantness associated with returning to the UK were temporarily banished as I concentrated on finding that big fish.
Despite a light off-shore wind, vigorous waves still rushed across the sand banks, perhaps fuelled by a storm out to sea. Fish numbers showed a vast reduction today, with hardly a surfer to be seen. Instead, I concentrated my efforts on the channels running between the banks and managed to winkle out three thin lips of no more than a pound, although valiant fighters and superb sport on a 6wt rod. Larger fish are easily seen, huge tails and dorsal fins waving above the water’s surface as they move slowly through the channels, glinting in the sun. The rougher conditions of recent days seemed not to suit these larger mullet and I began to think that I had missed my chance. Cue the appearance of a massive tail and I mean massive! If this tail was likened to a spade, then it would have to be a snow shovel. The fish, a Mugil cephalus, sat tailing on the outer edge of a sand bank, in heavy surf. Presenting the flies to where the fish fed was far from easy due to the action of current and wave but eventually the snow shovel disappeared and the fly line tightened. A gentle strip strike was enough to convince the mullet to depart the area, which it did with incredible speed. Instantly, loose fly line sprang in the air and shot through the rings as the fish accelerated for North Africa. Suddenly the rod arched over under tremendous pressure as everything locked up and the giant leapt from the water to throw the hook. Loose fly line had wrapped around the reel handle bringing proceedings to an abrupt halt!! Guess that I should have expected such an outcome, it was the 4th of July and independence day, after all.
