Night fishing... Do you?

binka · May 12, 2014

Has anyone got a session or two planned now the nights are warming up a bit?

I know some dedicated folk will night fish all year round but it’s not for me… for one I’m not kitted up for it properly and secondly it tends to wreck my day too much the day after.

If I’m honest I tend to find it a pain in the proverbial with all that fiddling around in the dark and isotopes start to play tricks on my eyes after a couple of hours and I find myself striking at fresh air!

Having said that I do enjoy the occasional night session and tend to do it on impulse for the peace and solitude that it brings when I need it rather than it being a planned, results driven thing and there’s nothing like getting settled under the brolly and watching the last angler leave a water before finding yourself alone in the peace and darkness… wonderful for clearing the mind and winning back a bit of perspective on life.

I’ll be on the river awaiting midnight for the glorious 16th though, just for the tradition which I love.

So…. Anyone planning anything and will it be results driven or for other reasons and if so what are they?

tigger · May 12, 2014

I like having a few hours watching a nightlight (floatfishing) for tench on one particular very wild water that on most occassions only produces anything after dark. I only usually fish till the early hours though and that's rare these days. A few years ago I had a 9 1/2lb tench pull the float under on that water and it gave a brilliant account of itself. I like watching the nightlight being dragged about under the surface during the fight

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I'm not a lover of bivvying up and sleeping until an alarm wakes me up, if I night fish then I like to stay awake and watch the float or bobbins. If I get to tierd i just fire off home and hit the sack.

sam vimes · May 12, 2014

I've done a couple of nights so far this year. It got rather parky on one of them in April (we seemed to have more frosts in April than we did last winter). Despite having the gear to cope with frosty conditions, I'd be lying if I said it was particularly enjoyable. Given another couple of weeks I'll have a bit more time on my hands and I'll be back to doing two or three night stints. I enjoy that immensely, but I hate the setting up and packing away bits, especially in less than pleasant conditions.

chub_on_the_block · May 12, 2014

I am more of a warm weather night fisherman too. Helps me if the nights are shorter too as I am not interested in just going to kip by the water with self hooking set ups. When i do night fish I tend to stay awake most of the night with a night float out if possible, just grabbing a few hours shut eye after midnight to wake by dawn. Amazes me how many night fisherman just sleep through what is often the most productive part of the day - dawn. Its certainly the best time to see fish moving.

terry m · May 13, 2014

I normally do several two or three night sessions each summer. The first of which was two weekends ago and it was cold on one night in particular.

I have no compunction about sleeping whilst night fishing and relying on my Delks. But I agree the dawn is a magical time and I almost always rise in time to watch for fish and simply enjoy the arrival of another new day.

smufter · May 13, 2014

I'm out tomorrow night with my daughter.
Had planned to go last Saturday but predicted rain (which didn't really come) and high winds (which did) saw me cancelling a couple of days beforehand.
Because of the additional amount of gear you have to take I'm not a great fan of night fishing, but as day ticket waters fish 7am to 7pm it has to be done if you want to catch the "witching" hours of first light and into darkness, hence my thoughts about night sessions don't even start until May/June. And they have gone again by the end of September!
Whilst I admire the dedication of the guys that go all year round, I cannot see the point of going in the depths of winter when it's dark at 4pm and doesn't get light again until 7 or so the following morning. And having to break the ice to fish??? What's that all about

hunters moon · May 13, 2014

yes binka I will be down by the river on the evening of the 15th and like you awaiting the witching hour when the magic starts again for 9 months and
I will as always be touch legering awaiting the first bite of the new season and
long may this tradition last (I love it )

....I have fished through fishless days that I remember happily without regret.
....Roderick haig-brown.

benh · May 13, 2014

I used to do nights a lot, but since the kids i dont really get the opportunity. Few more years though, and then i can take them with me. Then i shall get back into it

Peter Jacobs · May 13, 2014

I still do a few night sessions but I don't fish at all in the Close Season, well, not for coarse fish that is.

Come the end of June though I am chomping at the bit to get to for a weekend session.

benny samways · May 13, 2014

I still do a few night sessions but I don't fish at all in the Close Season, well, not for coarse fish that is.

Nothing like arbitrary definitions to re-inforce our subjective beliefs!

Only jokiing, this isnt a Closed season thread:w

nicepix · May 13, 2014

I've night fished a few times, but never really enjoyed it. Strange because I loved hunting rabbits with the rifle and lamp, and worked night shifts for almost 25 years and loved that too. But when night fishing all I wanted to do was go to sleep. In fact some times I did just that; wound in the tackle and curled up on the bank until dawn.

Incidentally, when I was around 14 or 15 and we went night fishing our 'bivvies' were standard 48" brollies with plastic pallet covers over them. We got the pallet covers from a local glass works where my mate's Dad used to deliver to.

flightliner · May 13, 2014

Done nights on the Witham as a boy with my dad. Little pup tent next to Kirkstead bridge where we both fished till dark then I was tucked up for the night but could never sleep thinking of the following days fishing. Then from the mid seventies did loads up to around 2005 but these days a few hours into evening is about as late as I need.

David Dalton · May 14, 2014

I love night fishing, but never fish right through the night though - usually pack up at about 1:00am. If you fish places that are crowded with people or swans through the day (like Christchurch Quay) it's the best solution by far.

blackout · May 14, 2014

Ive got a 24 hrs tench fishing trip to look forward to up north east just need to settle on a date I think were trying to find out if they have spawned yet before we book.

Could do with some tips please guys for night float fishing for tench, the bait is free so all im looking for really is presentation tips, if i get one or two on im sure I will handle the rest!!!!

---------- Post added at 22:31 ---------- Previous post was at 22:28 ----------

David Dalton said:
I love night fishing, but never fish right through the night though - usually pack up at about 1:00am. If you fish places that are crowded with people or swans through the day (like Christchurch Quay) it's the best solution by far.

haha reminds me of our mate that does come midnight he reels in and retires for the night! he also reels in during the day for a tea break silly sod.

binka · May 14, 2014

blackout said:
haha reminds me of our mate that does come midnight he reels in and retires for the night! he also reels in during the day for a tea break silly sod.

Lol... I'll be doing some dawn to dusk sessions on the river in a few weeks which will be anything up to eighteen hours or so and when I did the same last year I always ended up reeling in during the early afternoon and having a nice snooze for an hour in the chair.

Usually woke myself up snoring mind and more often than not with the instinctive reaction of grabbing the rod and striking even though it was reeled in and clipped up to the retainer eye

mg:

pidgergj · May 14, 2014

I love going overnight but i think its mainly because i love sleeping outside, i normally fish until i cant see the quiver tip, then make a brew and get in my gonk bag until an hour before light, make some scoff then carry on fishing throughout the day, even in winter i love it.

Derek Gibson · May 15, 2014

Heaven forbid, the years I spent between 1958-65 cured me of any romantic notion of allnighters fishing for Carp. Probably the result of doing the job ''badly''. ie- sat on a fishing chair throughout the dark hours, squinting at silver paper indicators, clad only in wooly jumper, parka, and wellington's is guaranteed to discourage even the most enthusiastic budding ''Walker''.

How different today, every aspect of prolonged stay's at the waterside are catered for. Sadly today I am at an age where I am unable to take advantage of them. Oh, if only we could turn back the clock.

Paul Boote · May 15, 2014

Used to barbel fish at night a fair bit in my teens and early twenties, until I discovered that they could be caught in daylight if you did it right in the right spots. Best of all, you could very often see the fish. Sat in one spot, legering at night, I realised then, had bored me not just rigid but often comatose.

But I continued with my night-time sea-trout fly fishing, though, oh yes.....

robtherake · May 15, 2014

pidgergj said:
I love going overnight but i think its mainly because i love sleeping outside, i normally fish until i cant see the quiver tip, then make a brew and get in my gonk bag until an hour before light, make some scoff then carry on fishing throughout the day, even in winter i love it.

There's something ineffably right about falling asleep outdoors. Had to laugh at the "wake up, panic, strike!" routine. Many a float has zipped past me head in the same situation.

cg74 · May 15, 2014

Paul Boote said:
Used to barbel fish at night a fair bit in my teens and early twenties, until I discovered that they could be caught in daylight if you did it right in the right spots. Best of all, you could very often see the fish. Sat in one spot, legering at night, I realised then, had bored me not just rigid but often comatose.

But I continued with my night-time sea-trout fly fishing, though, oh yes.....

Ironic really, you stopped targeting one species; preferring to stalk them in daylight, only to turn around and blindly fish for another in the dark. A species which is equally catchable in the day as any barbel....

...Actually sea trout are stupendously easy to catch (though not quite as easy as their freshwater dwelling brethren) especially on dull overcast days and/or when the river is carrying some colour.

I love night fishing especially on quiet secluded waters, not that there are many of them around my way but regards catch successes, most of my biggest carp, tench, roach and pike have come in daylight.
As have my PB chub, bream and barbel, though for greater success I tend to fish for them in reduced light.

You simply can't beat this: Extreme Carp Run 2011 - One Toner!! - YouTube

Night fishing... Do you?

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