Night Fishing

[classicrod]

How many of you guys fly fish after dark? I don't mean just during the Hex hatch but during non-hatch times as well. I know that there is a hard core group of night fly fishers the relly do well with large dries like deer hair mice, etc. I sure would like to give it a try this season any information that you could pass along would be greatly appreciated.

[Steve]

I've only really tried it during the hex hatch and on a couple of other occasions. I find it really hard though, not really knowing where you fly is going, or what tree its going to get hung up on.

[Bob T]

I have been throwing flies at trout at night for years. The fish that you catch are by far larger than you would catch in the daytime. First, you must know the water that you are fishing real well. Even with that you must be prepared to trip and maybe take a dunking once in a while. I always carry a wading staff with me at all times and use it to feel for limbs in the water. You have to move real slow at night. I mean real slow. Big trout at night are real spooky and will hide at the slightest disturbance. You must know where big trout lie in the water. By fishing durning the day you can see the deep holes and sweepers that enable big trout to hide. Use big flies such as deerhair mice or big streamers. Big moth flies work real well. If you wade slow you do not need to throw out much line. This decreases your chance of hanging up. And you will hang up. This type of fishing demands patientce. Throwing my fly in front of downed timber is my favorite way of fishing at night. You will know when you have a hit. They usually blast it. Try to get the fish out of deep holes or deadfalls real fast. If they find these it is very hard to horse a big fish from these places. Use your flashlight as little as possible and always face away from the fish when you use it. If they see any unnatural light you can kiss them goodbye. They do not become big fish by being stupid. It takes a little practice to cast and wade in the dark and the darkest nights are the very best but when you see the shock in the eyes a a 20 inch brown as you release it, it makes it worth while to know you fooled a big trout for maybe the first time in its life. Also you do not have to worry about somebody fishing your favorite hole often. It is a lot of fun.

[Steve]

Bob, does it help to use a flashlight with a red lense?

[Bob T]

Steve, I would imagine that would be okay but I have never tried it. I usually use a flex light on my vest and turn completely away from the fish while I retie a fly or repair a leader. Another point that I forgot to bring up on my earlier post is the size of water that you fish on. If you fish on a larger type of water you may fish downstream if you are very careful. This makes it easier to swim your fly in front of logjams. You would wade on one side of the river and cast across to the other side and swim your fly in front of any obstruction. This allows you if you are lucky to make a couple of casts in front of the jam to guage your distance. Most places that I fish are quite small and it is imperative that you fish upstream. You have less margin of error this way but I love small streams. It is a challenge to take a large brown out of small water. Also I use a larger net at night than I do durning the day. Catch and release is much easier if you use a net.

[gmaschke]

Steelhead fishing is getting more popular at night. One reason is that there were less anglers and more room. Under the right conditions the steelies will slam the flies rather than foul hooking or lining. I always got discouraged during the runs on the big rivers because although I dont mind sharing the fish and conversation, I would rather not fish then get into a big crowd. Then the arguements start and there goes my fun. I found that night fishing seems to be a group of people that feel the same way. One suggestion stay near shore and dont go alone. The river can be dangerous at night.

[classicrod]

Bob, Thanks for all the good information. What time of the night do you find the most productive? also what size rod do you use to cast those bigger flies.
I have been fly fishing since the early 1970's but have never given night fishing a fair try, this is the year I do it!

[Bob T]

Classicrod, The best time seems to be between midnight and 4 AM. Its not the easiest or the most convienent time to be awake but the most productive. I usually use at least a 5 weight rod for this type of fishing but if I decide to use really large flies and I know there are really large trout around then I will arm myself with a 7 weight. Mostly its the size of the fly that matters. I have used a 3 weight on occasion but that is a really lite weight setup. Its fun to play the fish on but is a bear to cast large flies with. It takes a while to get used to fishing at night and every year that I go out there when it is dark, the first time feels strange. I have a friend that goes with me on occasion and we take turns fishing while the other one enjoys a ginger ale. It is nice to talk to someone and is nice to show a nice trout to someone but yourself. Make sure that it is a good friend though so you can make sure that no one else knows you secret. Just kidding.

[Steve]

I'm always afraid I'll get a hook in the eye when its dark, since I can't wear sunglasses.

[Bob T]

Steve, I hooked myself in the ear once on the Manistee river. This was durning the daytime and I was afraid to pull it out. Gave it a couple of pulls and finally just cut the leader and continued fishing. When I got to the car I looked in the mirror and gave it one last tug before I gave up and went into town for help. It came out okay with very little bloodshed. I bet I looked real nice with a size 16 black ant in my ear.You learn to wear a good size hat at night. On a good dark night, which usually means the best fishing, you can wear your sunglasses. It won't make a difference. Ha Ha