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He is also a very keen angler, having come back to the sport in 1995 following a break of several years. In this regular column he will tell us about his progress as an angler – his thoughts about the sport, what he learns, the fishing trips he makes, the anguish, the humour, in fact everything he experiences as his angling career develops.
Pilgrim’s Progress – read it everyThursday!
The Essential Ingredients For A Good Night Out
Well, as I said last week, don’t reach for the gold medallion,chest wig and white suit. This week’s Pilgrim’s Progress is moreabout chubbing than clubbing. We’re talking about a good night by thewater’s edge rather than out on the town.
I am a self-confessed night fishing fanatic. A casual glance atthe accompanying photographs that appear in Pilgrim’s Progress eachweek, will reveal that a lot of my fish are caught during the hoursof darkness.
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I actually night fish all year round. Even in the winter. I thinkit’s that, more than anything that causes my wife and kids to think Iam mad. A lot of my winter night fishing is not all night long, butoften a few hours into dark, particularly when roving rivers forchub. However, when writing this week’s Pilgrim’s Progress I amthinking more of the static, ‘through the night’ type of fishing.
Certainly, as the weather is starting to pick up, now is the timeto consider night fishing if you’ve never been down that path before.Night fishing offers the chance to catch specimen fish that are oftenwary during the daylight hours. When boat traffic, bank side movementand so on have all become a distant memory to the fish, the onset ofdarkness will often invoke a feeding frenzy. Of course, the hours ofdarkness also links two very productive feeding periods in the lifeof fish – dawn and dusk.
What is it about staying out all night to fish, that compels grownmen up and down the country to leave behind their comfortable beds,in exchange for a temporary waterside shelter? I guess the answer isas varied as the number of people that are asked.
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Certainly, the main point is that we are increasing our chances ofcatching specimen fish. But maybe, within those of us that night fishregularly, there is something of our childhood that we’re stillhanging on to? How many of us can remember as kids, the thrill weused to get, when we pitched tents in the back garden during the longsummer holidays?
I certainly get the same sort of ‘buzz’ when, after arriving atthe waters edge, the bivvie is pitched, everything is in place, therods are cast out and I lie back in the chair ready to enjoy the nextfew days. The child in me? Who knows? I’ll let the psychologists sortthat out, while I continue to get pleasure from being a regular nightowl. But if we are to really enjoy our nights out, there are certainessentials that we need. Let’s take a look at them.
Bivvie
Shelter is a priority for night fishing. Even in summer it canget quite chilly when the sun sets. And it rains just as much in thewarmer months as it does in the winter, so if you’re thinking ofdoing some all nighters, get a bivvie. A Shakespeare Cypry Dome canbe purchased in the £ 60 – 80 range depending on whether you wanta one-man or two-man shelter. So you don’t have to pay the earth forprotection from the elements.
Bedchair
Sleeping on the floor may have been fun when we were kids, butbelieve me, as an adult a little bit of comfort does us no harm.There are a whole range of bedchairs to choose from. I’ve got a Chubthat cost £ 110, but well worth it. It may be worthwhile lookingaround for a second hand bedchair as they can be picked up reallycheap.
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Sleeping Bag
Certainly for winter a sleeping bag is an important item to considerwhen night fishing, but as I’ve said already, it can get chillyduring the summer months when the sun goes down. I can’t comment onthe rest of their product range, but I purchased a sleeping bag fromBadger Tackle earlier this year and I give it 10 out of 10. The pricewas less than £ 40, even with delivery. I know from experiencethat being out in the cold is not much fun, so don’t go night fishingwithout a sleeping bag.
Headtorch
The human eye was not created to see at night. Although our eyes doadjust incredibly well to darkness we still need additional light inorder to fish effectively. Baiting up, untangling (remarkable how wecan fish all day with no problems, come darkness the tangles appear!)and so on, require light. Go for a headtorch, as that leaves thehands free. A recent purchase of mine has been the Lucido headtorch.Although at £ 40 it’s not cheap, due to the use of LED’s insteadof conventional bulbs, it goes on…and on…and on…and on…(Butno it’s not made by Ariston – remember the ads?)
Bite Indicator System
Watching the float or rod tip is great during the day, but at somepoint during a night session you’ll doze off, whether by accident ordesign. By using a bite alarm system you can continue to fish andthen be on your rods at the first sign of a take. You can get Foxalarms for around £ 20 each and I use Kevin Nash chain typehangers that cost only £ 5 each (plus extra for weights). But oneword of warning – set the volume of your buzzers with sensitivity inmind. You won’t be popular with other anglers if their deep sleep isbroken by your buzzers being set too loud!
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Cooker
Another important part of night fishing – the means of preparing hotfood and drinks. I’ve got a gas canister cooker that lights withoutmatches. It’s the Campingaz Twister and is less than £ 20, but aninvaluable piece of equipment as far as night fishing is concerned. Aflask is Okay for short day sessions, but stewed tea is not verypleasant. I guess it’s the ‘Englishness’ in me, but I love a freshcup of tea first thing in the morning.
Mobile Phone
Not an item of fishing tackle as such, but definitely a nice thing tohave when out night fishing, for a number of reasons. First of allthere is always the chance, no matter how remote, that we could betaken seriously ill when out fishing. The mobile phone could be alifeline. Literally. Secondly, there’s always the element of safety.May it never happen to any of us, but in the event of ‘undesirables’making their presence known, the mobile phone is crucial. Then ofcourse, if you catch a real monster in the middle of the night andneed some photos taken, you can always call the wife. I’m sure shewon’t mind being woken at 2.00am to come and strangle you, I meantake a photo of your 30lb carp…
So there you have it, the essential ingredients for a good nightout. Happy night owling…let me know how you get on, particularly ifthis article inspires you to step out for the first time.
Should barbel be stocked instillwaters? Or should they be left alone to inhabit rivers? Aquestion that divides anglers, with many different opinions on offer.Next Thursday in Pilgrim’s Progress I want to share my thoughts onthe subject. Join me, as we ask the question ‘Barbus Barbus…RulerOf The River Or Prince Of The Pool?’
The Reverend Stewart R Bloor
Sedgley International Christian Ministries
PO Box 1216, Dudley. DY3 1GW.
Telephone : 01384 – 828033
Web site : www.sicm.org
e-mail : missionscentre@sicm.org
