Martyn White | Thursday, 30 July 2026
This week's fly is a good one for mullet, seatrout and, despite its small size, bass: the corophium volutator. It's a specific imitation, but I'm pretty confident that fish don't necessarily see it that way
Volutators are weird looking little crustaceany things found in the north Atlantic. a bit like a scud with massive antennae which essentially double its size. They're still not big, growing to about 0.5 inch/12mm overall but they exist in sufficient numbers to be of interest as a forage item.
The imitations make a great dropper choice for seatrout, much like Gammarus patterns like the Kopperbasen. It can be a point or dropper fly when targeting mullet over mud flats, and, although it can be quite effective for bass, it's mainly as bycatch when targeting mullet. I'd probably not pick it if I was targeting bass.
The dressing is simple so here's a couple:
Hook: Kaamasan B100G 10-14
Thread:tan
carapace: tan/light brown scud back
body: Hare's ear or similar
Rib gold wire
Antennae: tan flexi floss
Hook: Kaamasan B100G 10-14
Thread:tan
carapace: Gammarus shell (pro sportfisher) finished with UV resin
body: SLF or Polar dubbing
Rib: Fine clear mono
Antennae: tan flexi floss
Both patterns can benefit from a hot spot to help the fish pick it out and eat it, this can be a thread head,a tag of floss or some dubbing-POD is Fulling mills's seal X in fluorescent hot orange. Tie them and try them.