flightliner
Well-known member
So you were all revved up to go on your very first all night fishing session, how did it go, did it exceed all expectations or were you put off by it all?.
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Your very first allnighter.
- Thread starter flightliner
- Start date
sam vimes
Well-known member
I'm afraid that I don't have any recollection of it. However, as I've done a few nights since, it didn't seem to put me off.
derwentbob
Well-known member
Only tried it once on a balmy May evening and we got as far as the car park to be greeted by flashing blue lights and police tape. I only found out much later that someone had gone for a swim after a skin-full and gone missing. They were later found alive but unconscious in the field on the far side of the lake. The club introduced a night-fishing fee when subs came up in June of that year so I have never tried since.
My first overnight session?
Wow, that was back in the early 80's and I will never forget it.
Sat out all night under a heavy old canvas brolly on a garden chair at a lake in Bucks.
No sleeping bag just an old army blanket and a little primus stove that got so wet it simply refused to light
I fished a pair of Daiwa "Carp" rods fitted with Abu 55 reels (those were the dog's danglies back then) and managed, more by luck than anything else to catch a 7 pound Common Carp.
Well, that was the first and there have been many since then, but I learned early on that there are no prizes for being the wettest, coldest, thirstiest or hungriest angler on the bank, so began very early in amassing my creature comforts.
That first 7 pounder has certainly cost me a hell of a lot of money over the years, but I still would love to get out in the bivvy for a weekend again
Wow, that was back in the early 80's and I will never forget it.
Sat out all night under a heavy old canvas brolly on a garden chair at a lake in Bucks.
No sleeping bag just an old army blanket and a little primus stove that got so wet it simply refused to light
I fished a pair of Daiwa "Carp" rods fitted with Abu 55 reels (those were the dog's danglies back then) and managed, more by luck than anything else to catch a 7 pound Common Carp.
Well, that was the first and there have been many since then, but I learned early on that there are no prizes for being the wettest, coldest, thirstiest or hungriest angler on the bank, so began very early in amassing my creature comforts.
That first 7 pounder has certainly cost me a hell of a lot of money over the years, but I still would love to get out in the bivvy for a weekend again
barbelboi
Well-known member
Billing in the early 60's when they first started issuing night tickets.
chub_on_the_block
Well-known member
Not sure of my first all-nighter, but an early one was fishing below Chertsey Bridge on the Thames one early autumn evening in the mid 1980s. Fishing a feeder at range and watching a quivertip (none of this bite alarm malarkey).
Realised by about 11pm that i was shivering with cold as I was not wearing enough to keep the cold and damp out - it was probably one of the first autumnal nights of the season. So i got round this by running around the meadow there like a looney for 10 minutes about once an hour.
Eventually got a perfect conditioned chub of about 3Ib, but was quite glad to pack up and go home in the early morning.
Realised by about 11pm that i was shivering with cold as I was not wearing enough to keep the cold and damp out - it was probably one of the first autumnal nights of the season. So i got round this by running around the meadow there like a looney for 10 minutes about once an hour.
Eventually got a perfect conditioned chub of about 3Ib, but was quite glad to pack up and go home in the early morning.
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Just about 40 years ago, Mr Tyler and I did an Opening Day midnight start at Hylands Park in Chelmsford - targetting the Tench which we knew the water had a good head of.
There were periods of inactivity but we had a few between us - the enduring memory is of the novel rod butt-indicator 'shields' we used on the night.
They comprised a Civil Service A4 Loose-leaf binder half-opened, propped on shorter edges, with a bank-stick impaled through the rings. This shielded the indicator from the wind as well as giving a sight-screen to watch the indicator against and stop too much light spilling and spoiling neighbouring anglers night-vision.
Other memories were:
- the 3-5 a.m. shivers (or is that just me?),
- the uncertainty as to when to switch from ledger to float as sun came back up,
- breakfast fry-up at my Mums later in the morning.
As ever, grateful for Alan's company - essential to have good company on an all-nighter!
:thumbs:
There were periods of inactivity but we had a few between us - the enduring memory is of the novel rod butt-indicator 'shields' we used on the night.
They comprised a Civil Service A4 Loose-leaf binder half-opened, propped on shorter edges, with a bank-stick impaled through the rings. This shielded the indicator from the wind as well as giving a sight-screen to watch the indicator against and stop too much light spilling and spoiling neighbouring anglers night-vision.
Other memories were:
- the 3-5 a.m. shivers (or is that just me?),
- the uncertainty as to when to switch from ledger to float as sun came back up,
- breakfast fry-up at my Mums later in the morning.
As ever, grateful for Alan's company - essential to have good company on an all-nighter!
:thumbs:
Jim Crosskey 2
Well-known member
Would have been about 12 years ago, on a balmy june night on the thames at goring, with a good mate of mine who knew what he was doing. We arrived about 7pm and knocked up what seemed to me then a ridiculously large amount of brown crumb-based grounbait (but i realise now was perfectly relaistic, about four or five kilos). Having knocked that up, my mate then set to turning it into balls, and skinning these with wet hands (first time i'd seen that done). These balls were then introduced in to what seemed to me a much too big area, in a diamond formation... and then we sat back to wait for it to get properly dark. Hookbait was a bunch of maggots on a size ten, with a simple running maggot feeder. No bivvy - we were just sat in our chairs.
Bite indication was courtesy of bobbins on the line (first time I'd ever used one) and a very small lamp to see them by, this then being strategically hal-covered by a bait-bucket so that it shone on the bobbins but not out on to the water.
Another first was the use of the clip to cast to, I'd never done that before. Got the hang of it pretty quick, and it certainly helps with casting in the dark.
After a few casts and no bites, i was starting to think I might be wasting my time... my mate says - "it's not properly dark yet, they won't start feeding till its really dark"... Sure enough, at about 11, my bobbin twitched - then so did my mates... "liners", he says. "Wait for it to hit the butt...." And just a minute or so later that's exactly what happened. I grab the rod and was frankly astonished to find myself attached to a really heavy resistance, due to a large bream at the other end. Long story short, we filled a keepnet with them... probably 15 or 20 fish in the course of the night.
I learnt so much on that session that apply to my fishing now, and it probably served as the catalyst for to try two-rod specimen fishing (been out and out float angler up to then).
Course, it helped that the weather was lovely and warm, doubt it dipped below about 12 degrees all night, and it didn't ever get horribly damp. Subsequent night session have seen me running around a field like a nutter at 4am, desperately trying to get warm....
Bite indication was courtesy of bobbins on the line (first time I'd ever used one) and a very small lamp to see them by, this then being strategically hal-covered by a bait-bucket so that it shone on the bobbins but not out on to the water.
Another first was the use of the clip to cast to, I'd never done that before. Got the hang of it pretty quick, and it certainly helps with casting in the dark.
After a few casts and no bites, i was starting to think I might be wasting my time... my mate says - "it's not properly dark yet, they won't start feeding till its really dark"... Sure enough, at about 11, my bobbin twitched - then so did my mates... "liners", he says. "Wait for it to hit the butt...." And just a minute or so later that's exactly what happened. I grab the rod and was frankly astonished to find myself attached to a really heavy resistance, due to a large bream at the other end. Long story short, we filled a keepnet with them... probably 15 or 20 fish in the course of the night.
I learnt so much on that session that apply to my fishing now, and it probably served as the catalyst for to try two-rod specimen fishing (been out and out float angler up to then).
Course, it helped that the weather was lovely and warm, doubt it dipped below about 12 degrees all night, and it didn't ever get horribly damp. Subsequent night session have seen me running around a field like a nutter at 4am, desperately trying to get warm....
B
binka
Guest
I would have been about twelve or thirteen years old back in the early eighties and a mate and I would do the old trick of telling our parents we were staying at each others house to get up for an early start the following morning (as we often did, with tackle being carted on one of those collapsible shopping trolleys that you would often see old dears carting along through town but minus the tartan bag).
The first few sessions were on a local club water and the very first was a real shock to the system and the one where we realised just how cold the night can be even in high summer and I remember shivering under a brolly all night and not being able to go home because it didn't tie in with the story.
I can't ever remember catching much until the first signs of dawn appeared.
The first few sessions were on a local club water and the very first was a real shock to the system and the one where we realised just how cold the night can be even in high summer and I remember shivering under a brolly all night and not being able to go home because it didn't tie in with the story.
I can't ever remember catching much until the first signs of dawn appeared.
I started night fishing for carp in the early '80s. 50 inch umbrellas or decent bivvies did not exist then - all were 45 inches, I did not have a proper sleeping bag and used an uncomfortable garden sun lounger. Still use my old Primus stove which has served me well.
Over the years I have done well over a 1000 nights carp fishing in all weathers and all seasons. Thinking about it I have spent over 3 years of my life night fishing! Still do a bit of night fishing but am now more interested in roach fishing.
Over the years I have done well over a 1000 nights carp fishing in all weathers and all seasons. Thinking about it I have spent over 3 years of my life night fishing! Still do a bit of night fishing but am now more interested in roach fishing.
terry m
Well-known member
My first overnighter was around 1972/3 at Petersfinger lakes near Salisbury.
I cannot remember if I caught anything other than the lifelong bug for night fishing......
I cannot remember if I caught anything other than the lifelong bug for night fishing......
stu_the_blank
Well-known member
Blimey Flight, this is a trip down memory lane.
First all nighter, September 1971 I think.
Had been reading Fred J and it inspired a mate and I to give it a go.
All we had was one of those strange green Unberellas, as Fred suggested, we fixed polythene to the ribs to provide a little shelter, No bedchairs just our normal chairs, supposedly a balmy September night (NOT!).
The old Ballast Pit near Tonbridge was the venue. We arrived mid afternoon, as we had to get there by train and shanksies pony,we didn't have a great deal of gear. Set up 'camp', rods out (Bream were the target) settled down for the night. Fred had recomended that you start off with the minimum of clothing and add layers as you need them to get the maximum effect. Take plenty of hot drinks, was another 'tip'.
The balmy night turned into a foggy, freezing night. We had run out of extra clothes and drink by 11-00! It was so cold that ice formed on our wellies. We shivvered our way through what seemed like an endless night, interupted by a regular stream of Bream and a few decent eels.
Morning came at last and a bit of sun. Warming up, knackered and a decent catch by our standards at the time, the memory of the freezing, uncomfortable night soon dimmed and was a distant memory when my mate hooked a carp while playing with a floating crust, the fight lasted a few seconds before his hopelessly inadequate gear parted but wow!.
Cold breakfast, packed up and trudged back to the station, tired, happy and with a bag of eels for my Nan to 'jelly'. Back to the 'smoke'.
When could we do it again? Must be mad.
When I think about my night setup now (probably hundreds of night sessions later), bivvy, bedchair, sleeping bag, stove etc, it seemed like the stone age then. Happy days.
Stu
First all nighter, September 1971 I think.
Had been reading Fred J and it inspired a mate and I to give it a go.
All we had was one of those strange green Unberellas, as Fred suggested, we fixed polythene to the ribs to provide a little shelter, No bedchairs just our normal chairs, supposedly a balmy September night (NOT!).
The old Ballast Pit near Tonbridge was the venue. We arrived mid afternoon, as we had to get there by train and shanksies pony,we didn't have a great deal of gear. Set up 'camp', rods out (Bream were the target) settled down for the night. Fred had recomended that you start off with the minimum of clothing and add layers as you need them to get the maximum effect. Take plenty of hot drinks, was another 'tip'.
The balmy night turned into a foggy, freezing night. We had run out of extra clothes and drink by 11-00! It was so cold that ice formed on our wellies. We shivvered our way through what seemed like an endless night, interupted by a regular stream of Bream and a few decent eels.
Morning came at last and a bit of sun. Warming up, knackered and a decent catch by our standards at the time, the memory of the freezing, uncomfortable night soon dimmed and was a distant memory when my mate hooked a carp while playing with a floating crust, the fight lasted a few seconds before his hopelessly inadequate gear parted but wow!.
Cold breakfast, packed up and trudged back to the station, tired, happy and with a bag of eels for my Nan to 'jelly'. Back to the 'smoke'.
When could we do it again? Must be mad.
When I think about my night setup now (probably hundreds of night sessions later), bivvy, bedchair, sleeping bag, stove etc, it seemed like the stone age then. Happy days.
Stu
Ive never fished an all-nighter in the UK, however I did fish a few abroad and my first was an absolute revelation.
I had been chatting to Mike Leech, the then secretary of the IGFA, and he had told be about the catches of Swordfish he'd been having off the coast of Florida, "just give it a go and you will be suprised" was his advice, and he wasnt wrong either.
Fishing alone in my 6.5m centre consol, I hooked two Swordfish.
The first around 1 o'clock that just kept going at a steady speed and took all 600m of line off my reel dispite me applying 12-14lbs of drag. To this day I still beleive the fish never knew it was hooked.
The other fish, hooked about an hour later on my only functional rod, fought much the same but atleast the drag pressure had some effect and I stayed attached to it for over an hour, bringing it to the surface twice before it snagged my prop and cut through the 150lb wind-on leader.
Be be alone on that huge ocean, gently drifting along with the continental shelf below me was an ammazing experience, the zilloins of small squid flashing across the surface, the distant glow of the Sardine fleet, the searing offshore breeze bringing with it the smells of the small fishing town that was my home, stars right down to the horizon....and me just rocking back and forth in my hammock slung between the gunnels....wow!
Yes I did it a few more times, alone and with friends or with clients on far bigger boats, but the inner feelings of that first night were never repeated.
Now my philosophy is, that if the fish I want will not bite during the time I am on the water, then they are not my fish to catch.
.
I had been chatting to Mike Leech, the then secretary of the IGFA, and he had told be about the catches of Swordfish he'd been having off the coast of Florida, "just give it a go and you will be suprised" was his advice, and he wasnt wrong either.
Fishing alone in my 6.5m centre consol, I hooked two Swordfish.
The first around 1 o'clock that just kept going at a steady speed and took all 600m of line off my reel dispite me applying 12-14lbs of drag. To this day I still beleive the fish never knew it was hooked.
The other fish, hooked about an hour later on my only functional rod, fought much the same but atleast the drag pressure had some effect and I stayed attached to it for over an hour, bringing it to the surface twice before it snagged my prop and cut through the 150lb wind-on leader.
Be be alone on that huge ocean, gently drifting along with the continental shelf below me was an ammazing experience, the zilloins of small squid flashing across the surface, the distant glow of the Sardine fleet, the searing offshore breeze bringing with it the smells of the small fishing town that was my home, stars right down to the horizon....and me just rocking back and forth in my hammock slung between the gunnels....wow!
Yes I did it a few more times, alone and with friends or with clients on far bigger boats, but the inner feelings of that first night were never repeated.
Now my philosophy is, that if the fish I want will not bite during the time I am on the water, then they are not my fish to catch.
.
nicepix
Well-known member
That's my philosophy these days Mick.
First night session would have been around 1971 at Ryhill Reservoir and involved a standard for the time 45" brolly upright and covered with a plastic pallet cover weighed down with stones. I think I caught a tench, but that could have been the second session. Either way, I couldn't stay awake all night(s) and ended up curled up between the stones on the bank. It rained both times.
Night fishing isn't for me.
sagalout
Well-known member
Mid sixties, Tuckers Flash (also known as Flash Lake) on the Basingstoke canal by Ash Vale station, rod, reel, couple of floats, hooks, split shot, landing net, flask of oxtail soup and some egg mayonnaise sarnies. Everything fitted in a gas mask bag or tied to the cross bar. No seat, used to just sit on the bank, no brolly (I don't think I knew they existed, if they did). Used to catch crucian and tench until dark then sit nattering and smoking all night as only kids can and then start catching again at first light.
At this time the canal was so silted up Tuckers Flash was cut off from the rest of the system and all that was in there (well all we ever caught anyway) was crucian, tench and small pike.
Blimey that was a walk down memory lane!
At this time the canal was so silted up Tuckers Flash was cut off from the rest of the system and all that was in there (well all we ever caught anyway) was crucian, tench and small pike.
Blimey that was a walk down memory lane!
flightliner
Well-known member
That's my philosophy these days Mick.
First night session would have been around 1971 at Ryhill Reservoir
NP, last time I was at Ryhill res it was a night job back in the late nineties, It was like the Bronx, burning out cars, bears in the air (copy that gud bud) and A holes running to evade capture-- wasnt you and your dog in pursuit by any chance
nicepix
Well-known member
That's my philosophy these days Mick.
First night session would have been around 1971 at Ryhill Reservoir
NP, last time I was at Ryhill res it was a night job back in the late nineties, It was like the Bronx, burning out cars, bears in the air (copy that gud bud) and A holes running to evade capture-- wasnt you and your dog in pursuit by any chance
Not guilty!
I covered South Yorks including Royston, but not into the bad lands of West Yorks
Although I was involved in a few pursuits that went over the county line. And spookily the first ever incident I attended was a car crash at the neighbouring Cold Hiendley Reservoir where both South and West Yorks officers attended due it being near to the border and neither force not knowing exactly who's it was. The West Yorks crew included my mate who I'd shared a car with on the fourteen week training course in Durham. It was a stolen car and I tracked the driver down by following a trail through the fields before the dog handler turned up.
My own dog handing beat was round your area;- Wath right through to Dinnington.
When I fished Ryhill as a teenager there was a fluid system of day tickets rigorously enforced by Dennis the bailiff who patrolled the lake on his Honda 50. If you wanted a day ticket it was two quid. If you just wanted to fish and not have the paper evidence you gave Dennis a quid. There was no night fishing allowed so that cost a fiver for both days and the night with no tickets issued. :wh
About 1960 at the Chase, Dagenham. Sat under a sheet of canvas all night in the torrential rain to find the canvas wasn't really waterproof. One bream hooked itself before I walked home cold and hungry. And very tired.
cg74
Well-known member
My first overnighter was on the Oxford Canal at Somerton in either 86 or 87, fishing up against a very overgrown bunch of bushes and trees for BIG carp.
Both my friend Jon and me where in the scouts, so had done a fair bit of night hiking and camping. Which taught us to be aware of the temp drop just prior to sunrise and your body temp drops when you're asleep.
So we wrapped up like Eskimos and tucked under our 42" brollies, only to wake up at about 4.30am, sweating like pigs.
We both caught a couple of 4lb chub and I also had a small carp of 8lbish and though I'd probably have caught more in daylight fishing with a pole, it sowed the seed of my passion for fishing in the dark.
But hooray for the advent of baitrunners and bite alarms.
Both my friend Jon and me where in the scouts, so had done a fair bit of night hiking and camping. Which taught us to be aware of the temp drop just prior to sunrise and your body temp drops when you're asleep.
So we wrapped up like Eskimos and tucked under our 42" brollies, only to wake up at about 4.30am, sweating like pigs.
We both caught a couple of 4lb chub and I also had a small carp of 8lbish and though I'd probably have caught more in daylight fishing with a pole, it sowed the seed of my passion for fishing in the dark.
But hooray for the advent of baitrunners and bite alarms.