Take Cover
I have already discussed clothing in my previous piece, so I won't go in to that again, but if you do want to stay warm and dry, then a bivvy is invaluable. You can shelter from light rain and wind under an umbrella during a day session, but at night you are also dealing with damp, mist and condensation which can soak every piece of gear you have with you as well as your self. That's assuming that the perfect evening you set out on hasn't turned to torrential rain and wind. If you are even considering winter fishing, then a winter skin and maybe storm porch is a must, unless your bivvy comes supplied as standard with a twin skin and some protection from the elements.
A sleeping bag is nice to have on hot summer evenings and a must for any other time of year. If you are fishing winters nights, then a 5 season bag is required, otherwise a 4 season will suffice. You will be surprised just how cold it can get at four in the morning, even in June. This is the time of night when the body is at its lowest ebb, and believe me you can feel very cold indeed.
Time For Bed
Of course, a sleeping bag is of no use on the floor, the cold will rise up straight through it. What you need is a bed chair. There are some cheap ones on the market and there are some very expensive ones. What you need to look for is a bedchair that you are comfortable to lie on, that will support your weight without splitting, and that won't tip up every time you move. It also needs to be light enough for you to carry round with you. Some of the 3 leg models, although less likely to tip up, do tend to be heavier. Go for the best you can afford that you fell comfortable in and think will be reliable and hard wearing.
Lighting up Time
OK, so now you can sleep, what about doing some fishing. Well, as I mentioned above, the basic tackle required for night fishing is the same as daytime tackle, but with a few exceptions. If you are thinking of float fishing, then you can buy floats with night-lights that fit inside the tops. These are a bit like miniature versions of the glowing things you buy at fairs and concerts, where you break the inside by bending them and they then glow bright green for several hours. This method of fishing can be tremendous fun at night as long as you can stay awake. These come in packets of one or two and are about a pound or so.
If you want to spend a bit more, you can buy beta-lites. These look similar but will say lit for the rest of your life-time. They are more often used for fixing permanently to pieces of tackle that you need to see in the dark, such as bite indicators, landing nets, pods and swinger arms. They are more likely to cost over 10 pounds each; a bit expensive to set in a float perhaps, but I wouldn't be without them on some items of tackle. I have even known anglers fix one to each bivvy peg, so that they don't trip on them in the dark, a bit excessive perhaps, but a useful addition if money is no option.
Talking of pods and swingers, I would consider these items essential for night sessions. You can make do during a day session with a few rod rests and a make shift bite indicator, but at night, you want to be able to set everything up in a tidy manner and be able to relax away from the rods until a bite occurs. If you fall asleep, you want a bite alarm to wake you and to be able to look and tell which rod it is quickly and easily.
A torch of some description is essential, unless you are fishing in a full moon and the headlamp types are excellent and leave you hands free. Don't forget spare batteries. Also a camera with a flash, is useful.
Everything Stops For Tea
Now to what in my opinion are some of the most essential pieces of kit you will need. They are a kettle, cooker, fuel, water, tea, coffee, sugar, milk, cups and spoons. Soup, pot noodles and the like are also good to have and I personally consider a packet of digestives a must. What I am saying here though is that if you can make a hot drink then a cold night can seem so much more bearable.
And if I am lugging that stuff around, then I reckon it's no extra trouble really to carry a frying pan and a bit of bacon.
Marginal Vote
Well, we are comfortable, we can see, we are warm, dry and well fed. Now let's catch some carp. What are the best methods to use at night time? Well, much the same as day time really. Although there are some things I will try at night that I wouldn't always during the day. When other anglers go home after a day trip, they often chuck any left over bait into the margins. Carp will ignore this during the day, but when it is dark and they feel safe, they will often patrol the margins and mop up any left overs. For this reason, I always like to have a rod fished really close in at night. Sometimes I will fish within about 3 inches of the bank. If you don't believe this, put some bait into the water right against the bank. If the splashing and slurping of the carp doesn't wake you up during the night as they hoover it up, then have a look in the morning and I bet it will be gone. Just think what could have been had your bait been amongst it.
Another margin method I like is to suspend a crust right under the rod tip at last light. Carp will nearly always patrol the margins at this time, picking up any bait that is floating close to the bank. Watch out for the old ducks and water rats using this method though. I've known some screaming runs from ratty that have caused a fair bit of chaos.
Make it Smelly
At night I like to use a bait with a high flavour leakage, and ignore the brighter coloured baits. Obviously the colours can't be seen at night, but highly flavoured bait is much easier for the carp to root out. In the summer, I like to use baits with a fish oil content as this has high leakage and some of the the waters I fish contain catfish, which will often go for these baits.
Have A Spare Ready
One more tip for night fishing. I have said before that it is essential to have everything to hand, but I like to include a couple of spare rods in this as well. I usually have my two main rods set up ready for bottom fishing, and a spare set up in case I get broken during the night. This saves re-tackling, and you can get straight back out there without having to worry. The other I have set up as a free line rod for crusting or stalking, just in case. Or you could have one set up with a float rig. As I said earlier, thi scan be great fun at night, and you will usually decide you want to have a go when it is too dark to set up another rod easily.
Have Fun
In summary then, night fishing is great fun. As long as you stay warm and dry, have food and drink and play safe, you will enjoy it. The fishing is often much better than during the daytime, especially in hot weather and on crowded pressured waters. If you get it right, you may catch that fish of a lifetime. Remember though, if you do, have everything ready, including a camera, take care of the fish and return it safely. Then come back to this site and tell us about your experiences. Post your pictures in the galleries with your story and write about the fishery in the venues section. Most of all; have fun. Part 1
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