A poem dedicated to those wandering Mullet of Dell Quay

by Alan Blamire

These wonderful grey slippery creatures find their way,
they visit Dell Quay every April and May
as autumn gathers speed they disappear in October/November
to miss the gales and the cold almost as if they can read a barometer.
But maybe they can?

You try catching one as they splash and frolic in the early ebb
They even seem friendly and glad to see us all again
For a season of chasing, swimming in circles following the tide
They certainly never look to hide, these lovely proud fish.

Being caught isn’t part of their agenda playing in the shallows
or like a doomed fish ending on some under water gallows
they roll over, splash, jump almost out of the water
swimming in tight turns making swans jump away.

Here he is, WA our intrepid fisherman, with all the latest gear
but they don’t know or care about that and certainly have no fear.
Thin line, small hooks, special floats, rag worm tail ends and Tesco value bread
our man is even wearing designer sunglasses between nose and hat.
One thing is totally obvious; our brave mullet haven’t read the same book!

They look at the bait in amazement and couldn’t care a cent!
About one in a thousand take our fisherman on,
or are they playing with us and do they quietly understand us?
Many of these slippery grey fun loving fish can be seen clearly fast asleep
as they roll on the rounded Pebbles gently scratching their iron clad scales.

Then the moment comes usually in October/November again.
They have sent too many fishermen completely insane.
Their eggs hatched and little grey mullet collect together for safety’s sake
and as if by magic they disappear and thrive leaving behind those trapped in marinas
to die as the first frosts arrive. The fisherman says ‘I will be waiting for you in the spring’.

BA an insane mullet fisherman along with WA.

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