Finding motivation for night fishing in tricky conditions.

[Steve Quinn]

I guess that's it really. Though I'm absolutely fine being outdoors in a bit of wind, a bit of a chill and some drizzle (I won't do heavy rain because I travel light as I can and never take a umbrella), and I'm absolutely fine being sat by myself in the dark by the side of a river. As we start Autumn with the nights drawing in I do sometimes find all of those things combined a bit of an obstacle in my mind to go barbel fishing. As a Thames fisherman, we know they are mainly nocturnal beasts so I need to take advantage of the next few months. Do any of you have any tips? Or is it just a case of get on with it. Maybe its because I work mostly outside, all year round, so by the end of the week if the weather is a little challenging, I just want to crack open a bottle of Old Peculier and eat a hot pot in a cozy house

 

[John Baker]

I used to virtually only fish once it gets dark (Kenneth, Thames).
Recently got back into fishing and I've been finding early mornings productive. Fishing by 6am till 11am.
I know when carp fishing on the Thames in a bivvi(years back). Early morning was just as good as after dark for a bite.

 

[Steve Quinn]

Yep I'm an early morning person. I get up at 5am for work for the last 20 years. All my energy and concentration has always been around morning time and early afternoon and I've always been like that. I'm sure this is another big factor in that by 6pm my body is naturally winding down and my body clock finds it hard to kick into gear to go fishing. I'm usually in bed by 10pm very latest.

 

[Etienne Harvey]

Maybe do some afternoon into dusk sessions. I used to do many afternoon sessions down on the Wye. Always found it literally came alive an hour before the sunset. That way this time of year you would still be back home for bed around 10 or 11 obviously depending on how far from the river you live.