Winter Night Fishing?

[Dales]

I was wondering do many ANers do much night fishing during the winter and if so what species do you target. I fish into darkness a lot and find the first hour or so good for a number of species but in general over night sessions can seem hard work.

 

I done a few nights last year on a local river hoping for Zander but only caught Pike and that was either at dusk or dawn and so I could have spent most of the night tucked up warmly in bed and just got up early I dabbled with some Bream fishing but never done well enough to justify it as a good way to use my fishing time.

 

So all that last years little project taught me was;

 

a) that it can get very cold at night in winter.

b dawn is a good time to catch Pike.

c) there must be better places to fish for Zander then the Lea.

d) Bream seem extra snotty on a cold wet night.

e) even on the coldest night the crays will still be a little active.

 

So nothing I could not have worked out sitting next to the fire with a warm mug of cocoa.

 

 

I plan to do some still water fishing for Zed's at some point but am turning in to a bit of a light weight and already called off one trip due to bad weather and am contamplating calling off tommorow night due to bad weather it's raining (Even though I think wet and windy is good for Zander, but not so good for me). Some how spring fishing just seems so more appealing then winter fishing

 

Thinking back I don't think I have ever caught much doing over night sessions in winter for any species.

 

So what do you hardy souls night fish for during winter? and what makes you do it?

Edited December 13, 2012 by Dales

[Anderoo]

I've done a few full nights in winter in the past and enjoyed none of them. It's dark by 4pm, freezing cold, and very little happens. It would have to be a very, very special fish to make me contemplate doing that again...and there's a stillwater near me where a 3lb roach is a decent possibility fishing like that, and even that is not enough to tempt me! I would also be a big wimp and get a bivvy heater.

 

I do fish well into darkness though, sometimes up to midnight, when winter chubbing. That's pretty active and interesting though, nothing like being stuck in a cold bivvy all night, and after the fishing is done I can get some proper sleep in a warm bed.

[JV44]

Chubbing up to 10 maybe if on the bank and its not stupidly cold ,midnight and past if on the boat as every 45 mins or so i just pop into warm on the bivvy heater aka morso woodburner .

 

Even to go for a few hours after dark when its cold takes a bit of will power but i love it when i get there watching my isotope busting radiactive chemical lights off e bay dance on the top of the rod they are this bright

[Matthew Simmons]

Hi,

 

I live very close to some great rivers, Kennet, Loddon and Thames and I work locally. As such I can really pcik and choose when I go and where. I rarely fish all night ever - although I have been tempted on the lakes in late spring just so I can be on the water at dawn for the tincas.

 

So evenings only for me definitely in the winter - how ever much I wrap up I've had enough by 10pm at the latest and to be honest I usually find that the first hour or so is the most productive. Therefore and given the fact that am lucky enough to pick and chose depending on conditions and am usually home by 9 and tucking into a curry with a couple of chub under my belt!

 

M

 

I was wondering do many ANers do much night fishing during the winter and if so what species do you target. I fish into darkness a lot and find the first hour or so good for a number of species but in general over night sessions can seem hard work.

 

I done a few nights last year on a local river hoping for Zander but only caught Pike and that was either at dusk or dawn and so I could have spent most of the night tucked up warmly in bed and just got up early I dabbled with some Bream fishing but never done well enough to justify it as a good way to use my fishing time.

 

So all that last years little project taught me was;

 

a) that it can get very cold at night in winter.

b dawn is a good time to catch Pike.

c) there must be better places to fish for Zander then the Lea.

d) Bream seem extra snotty on a cold wet night.

e) even on the coldest night the crays will still be a little active.

 

So nothing I could not have worked out sitting next to the fire with a warm mug of cocoa.

 

 

I plan to do some still water fishing for Zed's at some point but am turning in to a bit of a light weight and already called off one trip due to bad weather and am contamplating calling off tommorow night due to bad weather it's raining (Even though I think wet and windy is good for Zander, but not so good for me). Some how spring fishing just seems so more appealing then winter fishing

 

Thinking back I don't think I have ever caught much doing over night sessions in winter for any species.

 

So what do you hardy souls night fish for during winter? and what makes you do it?

[Rusty]

So what do you hardy souls night fish for during winter? and what makes you do it?

 

Nothing and nothing. At this time of year the best I've managed is a couple of hours into dark after chub at Goring but once the curry house opens my motivation disappears. I only manage that because it's near civilisation and a nice pub. I did hang about until 10:00pm once with Steve watching his nuclear starlights but they were a bit static and the aircraft homing in on them worried me.

[The Flying Tench]

Nothing and nothing. At this time of year the best I've managed is a couple of hours into dark after chub at Goring but once the curry house opens my motivation disappears. I only manage that because it's near civilisation and a nice pub. I did hang about until 10:00pm once with Steve watching his nuclear starlights but they were a bit static and the aircraft homing in on them worried me.

:)

[Andy_1984]

Tried it a while ago and despite having all the warm gear on i still managed to get so cold i couldn't stick it. even with the stove on it didnt help because as soon as it was off it got cold again real quick and i dont fancy killing myself with Carbon Monoxide. not one for starting fires either.

 

anway everything is frozen here just now so i cant even get a rod in the water

[John Weddup]

Well having felt compelled to reply to bivvy heater thread it would be rude of me not to reply to your thread Dales.

 

You probably already know that I bivvy up all year round. I love long stay sessions you learn and see so much more.

 

I love seeing the last and first light on any water. Its a magical time of day whatever month it is.

 

However when I fish local rivers for either chub roach dace etc then its not the case. I just do the days and go home for a beer and hot bed. When I travel a bit further for similar fishing I can sleep in my old disco. Dales is familiar with the old girl.

 

But even this time of year I bivvy up a lot and its been very worthwhile over the last couple of years. My main target species have been Zander winter time but I have had good success with bream roach and tench. Near the end of last season on rivers I was near Ely and the silver fish were hard to find. The skimmers and small bream had a feeding spell from 11pm until 2am. The day anglers all had blanks.

 

Another area on ten mile bank had a winter hotspot last year for tench and bream and everyone tried to get on about 4 pegs daytime as either side of this and no bites were had the fish were shoaled that tight. I was night fishing 200 yards away and left out one rod for bream. A shoal moved through in the middle of the night and I caught several. In hindsight I should have put a bed of bait down and held them. Something I did not dream of doing in the middle of winter. This year will be different.

 

I have never been cold, of late, night fishing in quite extreme conditions. I have gathered the right equipment to keep me warm. I have read posts about ex army sleeping bags etc but To be comfortable you need a little more room. You need a good bed with a thermal mattress and a good base layer to retain heat when you get out for a fish.Of course I always have the back up of being able to abandon bivvy and get in my disco after warming it if I get wet or too uncomfortable. I always keep spare clothes and thermals in the car in case of getting soaked. On really wet nights summer or winter I have often pulled in rods thrown off wet clothes and zipped myself in to sleep whilst still dry enough in body.

 

A common sense approach to safety and your health along with being properly equipped you can fish and bivvy up all year round. If you enjoy it or not is down to the person.

 

Since I have now done this for a couple of years I actually love the longer nights whereas for the previous 30 plus years I hated them. I never get bored, never take a telly although a smart phone is good company and do keep a small radio.

 

So am I mad or just keen.

 

Its certainly not a waste of time and fish caught in challenging conditions are very rewarding.

 

Steved once posted here about winter bream fishing for the bigger fish. I an certainly starting my big res fishing for them as soon as river season ends and maybe before.

 

John

Edited December 14, 2012 by John Weddup

[triumphted]

I suppose having just moved from South London its prompted me to ask this question in relation to night fishing and it is is it safe to fish on your own at night. By that I mean has anyone been threatened and had their equipment taken off of them or is it I have just got more paranoid as I have got older.

[John Weddup]

I suppose having just moved from South London its prompted me to ask this question in relation to night fishing and it is is it safe to fish on your own at night. By that I mean has anyone been threatened and had their equipment taken off of them or is it I have just got more paranoid as I have got older.

 

Hi

 

where have you moved too?.

 

I think the fear of crime is often greater than the threat but it pays to be carefull and depends where you are.

 

The wild fens are as dangerous as some inner city area's at present and no one will hear cries for help.

 

However I have not felt too intimidated so far and mostly fish alone. I do however sleep a lot better when accompanied.

 

Fishing clublakes with others around is generally pretty safe.

 

John