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Night Fishing

D

Daniel Vallis

Member
Hello All

I've got no cricket this weekend so my hunt for my first ever barbel continues from the Kennet.

I intend on getting to the stretch that I've given 3 goes to now Friday evening and fishing from then until Sunday, I want to fish at night but I have every intention of fishing sensibly by sitting up next to my rods but I'm going to use my alarms just in case I drift off and I've just bought some snag ears for them so they won't get pulled off the rest on a violent take. I've also got some short rear banksticks to with John Roberts backrests to again help to stop the rod getting pulled in on the take if I nod off.

I've done loads of night fishing for carp so Im all prepared for it with headtorch, stove etc. I'm going to take my bedchair and oval brolly so I can get a few hours kip in the morning then during the day I'll have a wander around the rest of the stretch and try a few likely looking swims for an hour or so in each.

I'm not an irreponsible angler and I have no intention of casting a couple of rods 6-inches from any snags (even in the day time) then curling up in the comfort of my four-season sleeping bag until the barbel tears off in to a snag even before ive woken up. I'd rather not catch anything than potentially leave one tangled up in some underwater roots.

Can anyone offer me any more advice or thoughts?

Dan
 
Don't forget that barbel fishing on the Kennet can be just as good during the day, or better, than it is at night. Much easier to rove and fish a range of swims during the day than it is at night. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Steve
 
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Daniel, i am still waiting for your call or number, on the dalston stretch your probably better off daytimes or twilight, dunno if things have altered there over the years but there was only about 5 or 6 swims at best where barbel would be and feed:)
 
Daniel, remember that you cannot reasonably leave your gear set up in one swim and go roving, you would have to pack up your bedchair etc if in a swim. The only other point is try the Gardner G-force rear rests, they are the only ones which will stop your rods getting puled in, especially if there is flow or drifting weed and you have your baitrunners set quite tight. The other lesson from the past and one difference to carping, if you are fishing with betalights, make sure you do not have a wrap around at the tip as this can also cause your rod to get dragged in while you're dozing. Good luck with it though.
 
Again full night fishing isn't usually required, some prefer and catch well in the day, others prefer the evening shift, I tend to fish mid afternoon until about 0100 and normally do well either side of sunset. If you are setting up stall may be worth having a break between 0200-0600? In any case go very easy on the loose feed, tiny amounts and sometimes no free offerings work well. If you are on a club water and request a PM some of the Kennet team will offer more local knowledge, good luck.
 
Ian Crook said:
Daniel, remember that you cannot reasonably leave your gear set up in one swim and go roving, you would have to pack up your bedchair etc if in a swim. The only other point is try the Gardner G-force rear rests, they are the only ones which will stop your rods getting puled in, especially if there is flow or drifting weed and you have your baitrunners set quite tight. The other lesson from the past and one difference to carping, if you are fishing with betalights, make sure you do not have a wrap around at the tip as this can also cause your rod to get dragged in while you're dozing. Good luck with it though.
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Hi Ian

I was going to set up camp away from the river in the car-park.
 
Pete Dalton said:
Again full night fishing isn't usually required, some prefer and catch well in the day, others prefer the evening shift, I tend to fish mid afternoon until about 0100 and normally do well either side of sunset. If you are setting up stall may be worth having a break between 0200-0600? In any case go very easy on the loose feed, tiny amounts and sometimes no free offerings work well. If you are on a club water and request a PM some of the Kennet team will offer more local knowledge, good luck.
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Thanks Pete

I had read what you said about catching on very little bait and had thought about trying that, maybe just a tiny PVA bag with half a dozen pellets with maybe just the odd one or two dropped in every so often.
 
Hello Daniel, that sounds good, I have started making a number of casts with larger pellets and no freebies trusting the fish to a, find the bait, b, giving them little choice. This took a big leap of faith as I had been a big pellet feeder fan for a number of years, casting very regularly, now leave in for over an hour and get through tiny amounts of bait, my Kennet catch rates have increased this year, may just be a good year or a coincidence!
 
Pete Dalton said:
Hello Daniel, that sounds good, I have started making a number of casts with larger pellets and no freebies trusting the fish to a, find the bait, b, giving them little choice. This took a big leap of faith as I had been a big pellet feeder fan for a number of years, casting very regularly, now leave in for over an hour and get through tiny amounts of bait, my Kennet catch rates have increased this year, may just be a good year or a coincidence!
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Interesting this. My Kennet catch rate is also up on last year. I have been using a feeder combined with long hook links, small pellets and hooks. However, the feeder contains relatively small amounts of feed, typically a few bits of hemp and 3 or 4mm pellets (but it is high on scent) and I am only recasting every 30-40 mins. Who knows, but if its working.....
 
When I regularly fished the Kennet 9/10 years ago, small amounts of quality bait was the order of the day on most stretches. I assume there are even more anglers on there these days ...........

nick c
 
I've done it, just caught my first ever barbel :)

Wasn't very big but I'm over the moon as I worked so hard for it.

image.jpg
 
Very well done Daniel, a first fish that was worked hard for, and was a long time coming....you can't beat it....huge amounts of satisfaction. Enjoy the moment.

Cheers, Dave.
 
Daniel Vallis said:
I've done it, just caught my first ever barbel :)

Wasn't very big but I'm over the moon as I worked so hard for it.

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Well done buddy. Good fight? Do you know what it weighed?
I caught my first one on a freelined lump of bread flake where I thought I'd seen a chub under a tree the previous day. It weighed 7lb and fought like a monster. It was the first fish I'd caught since minnow fishing as a kid. I've been obsessed ever since! :D
 
James Healey said:
Well done buddy. Good fight? Do you know what it weighed?
I caught my first one on a freelined lump of bread flake where I thought I'd seen a chub under a tree the previous day. It weighed 7lb and fought like a monster. It was the first fish I'd caught since minnow fishing as a kid. I've been obsessed ever since! :D
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I thought I was snagged first then it started pulling back rather hard, gave me a great scrap. I let it rest for a couple of minutes when it was in the next before taking it out of the water. I don't think I've ever seen such an immaculate fish giving that I'm from a carp background and used to catching fish with gammy mouths and broken fins.

I didn't weigh it as I just wanted it to get back safely, but the net it's in is 28 inches.
 
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