night fishing

[maffetaj]

how many guys night fish? meaning fish from lets say 8:30pm on into the night?? I talked to a few guys recently on penns and thats seems to be when the larger fish are always caught. This means blind casting into the dark water and going by feel for hooking and catching fish. Maybe I need to work on my skills and get in on this fishing after dark!? I have fished and night on a large lake with spinning gear and deep sea on a boat but never fly fishing late night....... if anyone have tips and advice please do tell

 

[jifigz]

I night fish a lot or bass and walleye, but not trout. But if i were to night fish for trout then it would be the same basic principle. I am always fishing streamers or some type of surfance disturbing fly when night fishing. On these types of retrieve it is easy to tell when you have a fish since it is an active type of retrieve and you can feel when there is pressure on your line. I think people fish some dries at night during the green drake hatch on Penns and that I would guess is more guessing than knowing. I don't know, but never look past the opportunities for bass and walleye on the fly.

 

[JackM]

I have but not frequently. The eyes adjust, and the moon, when high, can provide a lot of illumination. Still the ears take on an enhanced role at night for fishing dries.

 

[krayfish2]

You better know the water you're fishing for safety reasons and be able to cast for an hour, eyes shut.....no tangles. Otherwise you're just practicing low light knot tying or swimming in waders

 

[Shaner]

I was out the other night till dark latest I got one was 9:10...I was not on penns just a local small stream

 

[pcray1231]

meaning fish from lets say 8:30pm on into the night??

In late May/June, 8:30 isn't night, it's evening. Things often don't start till then.

So, to answer the question, virtually every outing. Fish till fishing becomes extremely difficult, flip on the flashlight, and start the trek out. Not unusual to get back to the car at 9:30 or 10:00.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

I fish with mouse patterns late at night quite frequently.

 

[pete41]

I was a very avid night fisherman when I lived in Montana----90% of my fishing was at nite,except from thanksgiving until march--- i will say it again for the hundredth time and be ignored again-don't buy the dark nites bs-- i would take a weeks vacation or two to fish the harvest moon time-- since I fished streamers no different than day time except you had the river to your self .. Also hang in there--might seem dead for hours and then --feeding frenzy time--big fish eating little fish.Modesty forbids mentioning how many Moby trout I caught but you wouldn't believe it anyway--anything less then 3 pds was consider a nuisance -now that's worth stayin up for.

 

[icyguides]

Night time is often the best time to fish when there is heavy angling pressure or a body of water with heavy boat traffic. Ditto to what jifigz said- fishing streamers or topwater flies is definitely the easiest and best way to go imo. Topwater is nice because you don't have to worry about snags or water depth and there is nothing like hearing a fish roll in the dark and then feeling your line go tight. Use heavy tippet and learn to strip strike.

 

[salmonoid]

A few of the discussions over the past few years:

Discussion 1

Discussion 2

Discussion 3

Lots of fun to do, but the only streams I feel comfortable wading at night are Spring Creek and a small freestoner somewhere else in the state. Streamers are probably the most effective fly, but I personally like fishing mice (or oftentimes hoppers, or small gurglers). They're just more fun to fish for me. Other senses take over at night or at least are more heightened (tactile and hearing). There's some debate about the effect of new moon/full moon, etc., but I ran some stats for my catches over the past few years and there was not a major difference for any given moon phase (but then again, I may not have fished enough or caught enough fish for any statistical significance - I'll have to work on that, for the sake of science). No need to skimp on the tippet either - 0X works just fine.

Most memorable night fish this year? This guy, because he was so small, he was a brookie, and he took a mouse. And I actually think he is the only night fish I landed this year, so far, so winner by default.

 

[fishngun]

Lets just say there have been times I haven't even left home for the Upper Delaware system until around 5:30 pm, and it's roughly 3-3 1/2 hours depending on where I want to park that trip. I regularly fish the lower portion of the D at night as well. The key is to know the water you're fishing.
Tips-
Be careful, have a partner, and if not let someone know where you're going every time. When wading, don't test limits, don't explore new water, dress appropriately(you'll get colder than you think at night sometimes), have extra batteries for your headlamp, bring/use a wading staff, forget about light leaders/tippets, go when you can, don't tell anyone about how well you do.

 

[krayfish2]

"go when you can, don't tell anyone about how well you do."

^ best tip ever !!

 

[Tups]

"Night Fishing for Trout" by James Bashline. A PA trout fishing classic. Great read.