why use bivvys?

[tincatinca]

Whilst this has been an interesting topic, I do not think that there is a definative answer as personal preferences as well as a number of other issues such as cost, type of fishing, where you are fishing and length of stay comes into the equation. In the past I have used many forms of shelter over the years including sleeping under a tarpaulin or plastic sheet in the early days however, now I am getting older, I do like a degree of comfort. If I am overnighting or am on a water for a couple of days I prefer to use a brolly set up. My old Nash Profile recently gave up the ghost and has been replaced with a JRC alternative along with an overwrap which gives enough room to be comfortable and close to the rods along with excellent weather protection. I also have a smaller waterline lightweight brolly which I can use when fishing away from the base camp when appropriate. If I am on a long stay session say on some of the bigger waters in France then the requirements are far more demanding as you can be subjected to some horrendous storms and on top of that insect life that can make things very uncomfortable particularly the mossies and hornets which carry a sting like a stun gun. A classic example of this is Boulencourt or Lac de la horre and dependant on which swim you were allocated, it could be a short or a longish chuck to the old riverbed which runs through the lake which was as good a place as any to set your baits although you had to take appropriate measures against the poisson chat. You can have swealtering days combined with cold nights and if you are not well equipped for the conditions it can be a miserable week or two. For these conditions I would use a bivvy every time making sure that it came witrh adequate mosquito netting. I used to use an original Fox eurodome which never let me down in all types of conditions but that has now been replaced with a 2 man Nash double top.If you are fishing miles away from anywhere the extra room is a godsend for being able to keep changes of clothes, cooking equipment and food etc. I only wish it had been available 15 years or so ago. On a different tack with regard to keeping a bait in the water, I used to fish a mere which has produced the Bream record on two occassions. This was an extremely difficult water due to the low numbers of fish and also very limited access. In a long stay session you were virtually fishing for a bite and irrespective of how much you did your research on the water a huge element of luck was involved to be successfull with only the odd fish being caught in any given year. On the subject of running and bolt rigs, I have to say that in my own experience, I have only had problems with deep hooked fish with running rigs which was more acute before the adoption of the hair rig. In the early days when minimum resistance was the in thing, bite offs were a frequent happening particularly when using luncheon meat either in its own or as a balanced bait. I tend to use short hook lengths most of the time when fishing with a lead or feeder and whilst I occassionaly miss one or two I am quite happy with my set ups. When fishing with the lead I also spemd a lot of time looking at the water through the binoculars for signs of fish so I use my remote in my top pocket with the alarms turned right down as IU don't like to advertise my prescence. One beep and I am hovered over the rods. With regard to the best times to catch, this can vary from water to water however, on average over the years I have found first light to be the most productive in fact when I go Tenching early summer I am usually back home by 11.am. Between 11 and 2 in the night has also been good with the afternoon being the least likely.

For many people and having been their myself, I do appreciate that the availability of funds is a key consideration but I also believe that you cannot fish as effectively as possible if you are not comfortable. As I stated at the beginning, there is no definative answer.

[Team Man]

Good post Tinca, that about sums it up really

[Guest tigger]

Good post Tinca, that about sums it up really

 

 

Snap !

[Vagabond]

However, because one of the lakes I fish does not allow tents, I've had to invest in a cheap bivvie for when I do overnight sessions.

What criteria does this fishery use to decide whether its a "tent" or a "bivvy" ? Bailiff's whim?

...or does it have to be made by an "approved" manufacturer with a label to prove it?

 

 

I've clicked on some of the links here, and at least one of the products is described as both tent and bivvy!

[Rob J]

I've clicked on some of the links here, and at least one of the products is described as both tent and bivvy!

 

Isn't the term Bivvy derived from Bivouac meaning temporary camp. I think you can use a tent for that yeah?

 

Rob J

Palm Springs Ca.

[poledark]

Historically most clubs did not allow camping/night fishing on their waters. Mostly due to the terms of their leases, and partly due to attempts to keep fishing traditional. Tents were tents then, mostly white or off white. Then the big brollys appeared, and some anglers added side panels, and thus the bivvie was born. Pretty unobtrusive, not so "permanent" as a tent (odd that, seeing as it takes a mallet and an hour of banging to erect some of the new ones).

 

In Kent, I think the last club to give in to the bivvie boys, was Dartford.

 

Even my local River Board in Kent did not allow night fishing, it was quite a hard fight getting the byelaws changed.

 

Young lad on the lake I am fishing turned up with a little camo dome last week, I think it cost his dad about £12 from Argos.

 

Den

[Rob J]

Then the big brollys appeared, and some anglers added side panels, and thus the bivvie was born. Pretty unobtrusive, not so "permanent" as a tent (odd that, seeing as it takes a mallet and an hour of banging to erect some of the new ones).

 

Hey Den... Now theres an ineresting way to "attract" the fish huh ? Maybe if the angler in question was to use a little stealthier approach to his fishing, he wouldn't have to erect a portable home so he can be comfortable until the fish return.

I missed out on this Carp craze thing ... started about the time I left England... late 70"s.

I was more into Roach, Rudd and Bream fishing. Floats and delicate presentations, etc: This carp fishing seams like a bit of a "sit & wait" deal... and hope you have the "Flavour of the Day Boille" beside your feeder. Not exactly what I would call fishing... more like waiting... do you suppose some of these bivvy/tent dwellers have portable T.V.s... I guess you have to have the volume on the "Bite Alarm" set pretty high so you can hear it over the Telly huh ?

I Don't mean to sound cynical but I have such wonderful memories of fishing in England as a lad... and it was the experimenting , changing your shot patterns your hook size and other things that made it so challenging.

 

Oh Well... so much for progress...

 

Rob J

Palm Springs CA.

[chesters1]

i used to camp out at keston in the 60's it was an escape from home rather than a urge to catch fish then horton kirby,later in folkestone it was the same at beachborough but far safer than keston and my brolly had acquired plastic sides so more comfortable ,herons were used as soon as i could afford them when i fished horton but before that several home made alarms were cooked up at home ,some even worked

candles in jam jars served when they didnt so you could see the bobbin

Edited April 21, 2008 by chesters1

[Vagabond]

Pretty unobtrusive, not so "permanent" as a tent (odd that, seeing as it takes a mallet and an hour of banging to erect some of the new ones).

 

I thought all this banging in of pegs was to aid fish location.

 

Scare the beggars away from your own bank, and they've gotta be out there in the middle distance - easy, innit?

[poledark]

Rob, not sure where you get the idea that carping started in the 70's? I had been carping for about 19 years by then:)

 

1952, I was sleeping under a canvas sheet, wrapped up in a Canadian Red Cross sleeping bag (given to my family when we were bombed out). By 1955 I was into session carping every weekend on the Estate lakes in Surrey and Sussex.

 

Most of the fish that Chesters fished for in Keston in the 60's, had been transported by Charlie Stone and me,in the mid 50's, from a lake near Blackdown, Haslemere, Don Leney was the chairman and had donated them to the club. Size limits were still in force then, so it was legal to remove what you caught. Transformed Keston from a virtual 6 fish water, into quite a well stocked carp fishery Some of those fish made 30 lbs.....................and at least two of them were subsequently moved down the road to the Rookery.

 

Den