• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

What are your opinions on night fishing ?

Pedantic, perhaps, but there's an adage about glass houses - and if someone publicly describes a long-standing poster's contributions as jibberish/gibberish, they'd be advised to look at their own offerings first.

Bored now, I'm off.
 
Last edited:
Richard Parsons said:
Hi Mark,

That echos a point I made in an earlier post - and reinforces, to me at least, that allowing night fishing is the sensible option.
Click to expand...


I don't quite know where else such an argument would stand, Richard. Does it not render any ethical or moral issue relating to any problem void.

Damian
 
Damian on a earlier post you suggested and I quote '' We should learn to restrain our selves ''
One of the few pleasures I have in life is to be able to go fishing . I dont ask for alot .
With the favorable weather tempertures at the moment . I decided yesterday that I would fish late afternoon and in to the evening darkness and packed up about 10.00pm and managed to catch one barbel weighing about 6/7lbs about 8.00pm .
Given how low and clear the river is at the moment . I knew my only chance of catching would be when it was dark and I was proved right .
I thought the whole point of going fishing was to try and catch fish ?
Or should I get some perverse pleasure and showing some restraint as Damian would suggest .
Given the conditions at the moment and not fishing at night and by going at the wrong time and end up blanking .
Damian when you talk about learning to show restraint . I think you should be talking to the bankers and not Anglers .
Banks are loosing millions and they are still paying out bonuses
 
Jon Berry said:
Pedantic, perhaps, but there's an adage about glass houses - and if someone publicly describes a long-standing poster's contributions as jibberish/gibberish, they'd be advised to look at their own offerings first.

Bored now, I'm off.
Click to expand...



Same here........
 
This has been a good thread about night fishing with some interesting points of view. There seems to be a majority in favour of it which is to be expected on a barbel fishing forum. A lot of anglers have to night fish in winter but some people, myself included, just prefer to fish at night. The anticipation seems heightened somehow.

Some of the better known anglers deride night fishing as being the last resort of those who lack the skill to catch in daylight. Who cares? Maybe us night owls could counter claim that the daylight brigade are scared of the dark! It's all good fun and barbel anglers should live and let live. We get enough hassle from the matchmen imposing never ending rules and ban on us!
 
Joe, the banks would argue that not being able to employ the right people would mean that the they would lose a great deal more, and seeing that there seems to be a going rate for bankers, they're obliged to pay that.

'Going at the wrong time and blanking'? It makes it sound to me like the pastime of engaging in nature in the process of catching fish is quite clearly not enough, then quite clearly, Joe, it is not an engagement with nature which you seek, nor those who fish stillwaters in England for barbel, pumpkin fish or sturgeon, year round.

Do we not come from nature? Why so do we contrive to be seperate from it then?

Damian
 
If you dont want to night fish then dont , if its allowed and not causing a problem for residents or landowners then its ok , I do an overnighter every other week right through the season and every other week an after worker into dark , my shift pattern of working 11 days and then having 3 days off result in me needing time to chill , I do 24 hours on the bank but my rods are not in all the time , I use it to recharge and get some peace and quiet , it annoys me when I hear people who night fish do it because they cant catch during the day , we all know that weather and water conditions effect when fish feed , I have caught at all times but have found between 1am and 4am have been less productive
 
I've spent a lot of a lifetime fishing at night, for sea-trout if not for barbel, and have nothing against it of course, except when a few barbel wide boys believe that they can join (or not join) some club with "No Night Fishing" in its rule book then take its fishery apart in the hours of darkness. This happened on one bit I used to fish merely for fun - short "nothing serious" daylight sessions after barbel and chub and, just as often, with a float rod for whatever came along - but once the Night Shift took over, I stopped: the fishing became the silly, backleading, super baits and rigs, total stealth and balls-out serious affair (which I can do rather well when absolutely required) and the mindset that goes with it that I had joined the club to avoid. "This place feels raked - turned over - now, you know, Paul. Not the place you could have a few hours on and maybe catch, or maybe not, and not be fussed..."" one old-timer said to me back then. I agreed with him and was soon gone.
 
Damian Kimmins said:
Joe, the banks would argue that not being able to employ the right people would mean that the they would lose a great deal more, and seeing that there seems to be a going rate for bankers, they're obliged to pay that.

'Going at the wrong time and blanking'? It makes it sound to me like the pastime of engaging in nature in the process of catching fish is quite clearly not enough, then quite clearly, Joe, it is not an engagement with nature which you seek, nor those who fish stillwaters in England for barbel, pumpkin fish or sturgeon, year round.

Do we not come from nature? Why so do we contrive to be seperate from it then?

Damian[/QUOTE

Damian , so are you suggesting there should be some kind of curfew as when anglers are allowed to be on the banks and by fishing in the dark we are not engaging with nature .
Have you ever been on a river bank in the dead of night ?
Damian having been on a river bank at night and heard sounds from animals and birds that I would never have heard had I of been tucked up in bed .
So yes Damian I have engaged with nature as you put it .
When I go fishing either in the day time or in the dark . I still sit there in amazement as to the things I see , That I would not of seen had I been sat at home .
As I said one of the many reasons why I go fishing is to catch fish and if I feel the best time to go is when it is dark then so be it :)
Click to expand...
 
Wasn't it good old Dick Walker who said '' First find your fish , then fish for them at the right time '' Is night time the right time ? Well in my experience the right time is noddy time as I think Stef Horax put it , i.e. an hour either side of dusk :D I seem to recall a previous thread on night fishing which seemed to indicate that fishing well in to the night was not that productive and the classic dawn and dusk were the most productive
 
Last edited:
I agree Joe , I was on the trent last year and heard something in the grass behind my bivvy stuck my head out and came face to face with 2 deer , seen countless bats , heard owls , foxes and god knows what else but its certainly a different world and wont stop going overnight
 
Mike Hodgkiss said:
Wasn't it good old Dick Walker who said '' First find your fish , then fish for them at the right time '' Is night time the right time ? Well in my experience the right time is noddy time as I think Stef Horax put it , i.e. an hour either side of dusk :D I seem to recall a previous thread on night fishing which seemed to indicate that fishing well in to the night was not that productive and the classic dawn and dusk were the most productive
Click to expand...

Not sure there are any real hard and fast times, they vary from river to river and depend on the weather, time of year etc. I must admit to finding from 1 am onwards not usually that good so rarely fish past that time.

As for engaging with nature, fair enough but I go fishing to catch fish. If I just want to walk or sit and watch nature and the birds etc. go about their business then I am not going to lug a load of gear about to do it. I will go for a walk. But I have often enjoyed blank sessions for all that, after all the anticipation is a lot of the fun, and I do love the wildlife, night or day. But the reason I go fishing is to catch fish and therefore, as Joe says, fish for them when I feel the chance of success is highest
 
If you fish at night according to some it's noddy fishing, if you fish during the day with maggots you're buying your fish, and if you fish long sessions you're simply boring the fish into submission. I catch as many during the day as I do at night now that I spend as much time fishing in the day. I used to fish mainly at night due to work and family commitments, but have more flexibility now. Early mornings are probably the best time to be on the bank, but I have trouble staying awake on the drive home so don't bother much.

Nick C
 
I go when i like, where i like, for as long as i like, couldn't careless if some say its wrong to night fish, i go out to catch BARBEL !
 
Essentially, emulating situations in other aspects of life, it is generally a case of "right place,right time" in respect to fish captures. On the ouse one season the majority of my captures & other anglers captures appeared to come after the sun had clocked off. Two seasons later you couldn't buy a bite at night.
Other factors obviously play a part in feeding times irrespective of the time of day & as long as anglers respect their enviroment & fellow anglers i have no issues.

Kind regards
Andy
 
I couldn't quite remember where I had read this excerpt and where indeed I might find it to be able to relay it's message, but here it is, from his 'The Conquest of Happiness', Bertrand Russell, in his lucidity;

The human animal, like others, is adapted to a certain amount of struggle for life, and when by means of great wealth homo sapiens can gratify all his whims without effort, the mere absence of effort from his life removes an essential ingredient of happiness. The man who acquires easily things for which he feels only a very moderate desire concudes that the attainment of desire does not bring happiness. If he is of a philosophic disposition, he concludes that human life is essentially wretched, since the man who has all he wants is still unhappy. He forgets that to be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.



Damian
 
I know that Russell line well. Chimes with my old Burgerization of Angling riff, paraphrased for the conveniently hard of understanding with this "I want it - and I mean ALL of it, the biggest and best, in my net, on my scales, then in an impressive piccie, without any effort or much thought or time spent on my part - NOW, and will kick up a heck of a fuss - even blame someone or something - if I don't get it." line.
 
And, Damian, the specific relevance to night fishing is?......fingers on buzzers. A deathly silence ensues :)
 
Last edited:
Interseting stuff from Daminan, and in the right context undoubtedly relevant. As far as fishing goes it could very easily be applied to places like Clattercote where catching good sized carp is ridiculously easy, and many other commercials no doubt. I have never found it easy to catch a lot of barbel without a great deal of effort though, be it night or day.

This quote reminds of an incident a few years ago. I don't rmember the name of the angler involved but he had made his plans in the closed season for a lengthy campaign on Wraysbury, where a carp of record proportions lived. The plans were laid and the mindset right for a determined, prolonged effort to land this fish. It was to be his single aim for the season and he was prepared to put in the time and effort required for fishing the type of water Wraysbury was then. He caught it on the very first session! I can always remember his comments in the press, " I'm delighed to have caught this fish, but now have no idea what to do for the rest of the season"

Although we can do nothing about this kind of scenario it does, I think, reflect the point Damian's trying to make, and that quote from Bertrand Russell illustrates it very well
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top