N/C PA NIGHT FISHING

[rrt]

I just re-read Jim Bashline's book about night fishing for big trout. Though I have not fished at night for a number of years, the book made me wonder this: Is night fishing still as popular in n/c PA as it was when Bashline's book appeared (1974)? When he wrote it, he opined that in n/c PA, you weren't really a (fly) fisherman if you were not a night fisherman. Just wondering.

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Last summer while living in coudersport and fishing alot i can tell you atleast on the allegheney some in the know locals i knew did .... and sometimes did get some very impressive browns

 

[Swattie87]

I didn’t personally see it, but my brother, who was fishing the next bend upstream of me, said he saw a guy gearing up to do so some mousing as he was walking back to where we parked at dark. This was last week on First Fork.

And I know some guys who night fish while on backpacking trips and deliberately pick campsites with big pools near them for that purpose.

Is it common, I don’t think so though.

 

[mossyoakpenn]

Ive done it before and want to do it more but cant find anyone to go. Its different to say the least….I know one other guy who did it regularly but hes no longer around.

 

[Mike]

I have never run into anyone or any hint of anyone possibly night fishing on the 4 popular trout waters that I have night fly fished. Additionally, in a career of speaking to TU Chapters, fly fishing organizations, and with a cross section of the angling public, no angler has ever directly mentioned night fly fishing to me except a few anglers from NC Pa and NE Pa, and 3 of those 7 in addition to me have been PFBC biologists. Two have been relatives of one of the biologists and another has been a lifetime fishing companion of that same biologist. It does seem to be an old NC Pa tradition and probably the only reason why I started doing it was my friendships with colleagues who were already doing so in NC Pa.

 

[Bamboozle]

I used to do it a lot on the Letort when it was technically illegal to fish after sunset and after that restriction was finally eliminated. It paid off more than a few times.

I also used to fish the Susquehanna until the wee hours of the morning.

Even though folks might not consider it night fishing, if the fish are cooperating at certain times of the year at certain places, I am seldom off the water before 10:00 or 11:00 pm.

If you roll overnight still water fishing with bait for catfish, eels & bullhead into the mix, that was something I did ALL the time as kid.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

A friend of mine’s father took me night fishing for trout in Warren County back in the late 1950’s. I believe we used worms, and I don’t think we caught anything the couple times I went with him, but I remember that he told me about the big trout he caught at night. I also learned a lot about the importance of stealthy approaches from him when fishing during the daytime as well.

 

[JeffP]

I think I shared this before. My friend who owns the cabin we go to in Ingleby hosted a bunch of us. This was before his new cabin was built. We hike in and camped near the old bridge abutment. We basically drank all day but I went fishing in the evening. The water was really low and I didn't catch anything. As I was leaving 2 fisherman were just getting to the water to night fish. I think the one was a prof at Lycoming College. It was his "thing." I don't remember any specifics but he had some accounts of huge trout he had caught over the years. I wish I could remember what all he said.

 

[Bruno]

I had the opportunity to go out with @Cougarbaby it was really fun to be out on the river late at night. I would not have been able to do it without his guidance. Literally I would have been lost and never made it off the river Bashlin's book is one of my favorite reads.

 

[The Rodfather]

While it's not N/C PA, the Dauphin County League of Chubsmen primarily fish the evening hatch into full blown night fishing these days. Mostly due to availability but also it's a way to beat the heat as well.

We usually get together to fish at least 1 night a week if not more and in the recent weeks, we have decided to begin expanding our range a bit to see streams throughout the commonwealth.

It's a different kind of fishing for sure, but it's still quite productive.

It's imperative to know your stream very well before going out at night for your own safety And/or go out with a buddy.

Here are some photos from the other night when we were bangin the Brandywine.

Ran into a couple nice 15" smallies which was a fun fight.

 

[Prospector]

For 4-5 years a 3 generation family rented a cabin near us on kettle. Our location is popular and just might be the largest hole on the creek. I know they night fished it a few years. Out of courtesy, I never asked them how they did but they used big wet flies and mice. So as noted in previous posts here, some people are still giving it a shot. I also know a wild stream near my camp that folks fish in a huge hole at night.

I’ve only fished for smallmouth after dark in western PA. An older guy enjoyed going so I went with him a few times a year until it became too hard for him.

 

[TroutHunter814]

Don’t know anything about night fishing for trout, but isn’t it true, you can’t use lights, because of spooking fish?
If so, how the heck do you navigate around?

 

[Bocianka1]

The Troutbitten podcast season 8 (6 episodes) are all dedicated to discussing fly fishing at night. I believe they primarily fish central PA. Worth listening to.

I've tried it a few times up in that area and had some success. the strike from a brown at night is a real thrill. It takes some planning and has its share of challenges which is why fly fishing at night is not more popular. But there are still a small percentage of fisherman who enjoy the challenge. I've never run into others fishing at night when i've gone out though so it's certainly not hugely popular.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

This isn’t about night fishing in NC PA, but I night fished for trout in MT on and off over the years, and there were several years when I slept in the back of my truck along one of the well known MT rivers that I did some pretty serious fishing at night.

For a couple years there was a guy from Washington state staying next to me. He was sleeping in the back of his Subaru, and we fished together at night. We fished a small back eddy that the trout moved into to sip spinners, or whatever else that came into that eddy.

The trout lost most of their daytime wariness, and you could cast dry flies to them no more than a rod or two lengths in front of where we were standiing. Whenever we hooked and landed a larger trout - one over 15” or so ( and we caught quite a few over 20”) that guy always turned on his flashlight and got out his tape measure so we’d know just how big the trout was. Then, we’d laugh a bit together and release the fish before we resumed fishing.

One year I didn’t see that guy when I was there. We must have been there at different times, but the following year he was there when I was, and he told me I missed being there the year before when he caught a 36” brown trout at night. Knowing how meticulous he was in measuring the bigger trout, I believed him.

Here’s a picture of a 37”, 32# brown caught at night in MT several years ago. Not caught on a fly, but on a lure, and the state record brown trout.

 

[rancid waders]

Night time is the right time

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

I expect it's a niche activity. I'm not hanging out late enough to confirm this since I can't consistently hook anything on an underwater fly during the light of day.

 

[Mike]

Don’t know anything about night fishing for trout, but isn’t it true, you can’t use lights, because of spooking fish?
If so, how the heck do you navigate around?

With my toes. Seriously! I get a good feel for the situation with the front of my boot, the same as I would when walking in very muddy water or electrofishing. At night I’m usually moving pretty slowly but steadily to get from point A to point B because I don’t want to spook the fish, which might be much closer to me than when fishing during daylight hours. I also don’t want to fish in wet clothes for much of the rest of the night. There are even occasional sites where I don’t enter the water because I can fish from a gravel bar. Similarly, there are often sites where I’m only standing in 1-1.5 ft of water…just far enough out to clear my backcast from the trees or shrubs. I think I’ve only hung up in a tree or shrub twice at night, and the hang-up was at eye level.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Haven't night fished in a long time, but when I did, it was on the Letort, Sherman's Creek, and Logan Branch. Caught some really big browns. Used to hit the white fly hatch on the Susky donning a head lamp and catching bass and cats on top. Good times

 

[troutbert]

When he wrote it, he opined that in n/c PA, you weren't really a (fly) fisherman if you were not a night fisherman.

Nah. There are many very good fly fishermen who don't night fish.

I've done some night fishing and have had some success. But never really got in the habit of it.

The mean reason is that IT'S DARK. You can't see much. And much of the enjoyment of fishing is what you see out there.

The main motivation to night fish seems to be large trout. But I've caught large trout at night and it just seemed much less interesting than catching them during the day. And streamer fishing during daylight hours also works well for catching big trout.

The other drawback to night fishing is that it messes up your sleep pattern.

 

[tomgamber]

Man, I have enough trouble walking and seeing in the daylight.