ROD Am GUN Night Fishing Pleasant In Summer And Winter

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31075, 2 June 1966, Page 10

ROD Am GUN Night Fishing Pleasant In Summer And Winter

(By J. SIERS.J Most anglers who have been interested in catching big trout realise the advantage of night fishing. The winter trout-fishing season is here, and it will afford a good opportunity for an all-out attempt for a trophy fish. Night fishing has always been recognised as a highly efficient way of taking large numbers of trout. During his visit to New Zealand in the 19205, the American writer of westerns, Zane Grey, recorded that some “sportsmen” were taking up to a ton of fish during a night at Taupo.

Their method was to sit comfortably in a boat anchored at one of the stream mouths and to pay out line into the “rip.” As a fish took the fly, they reeled it in without ceremony. The fish in those days averaged up to 121 b each and were easily caught. In France, where the merits of night fishing are well-

known for their effectiveness, it is not permitted. I am in favour of night fishing, particularly in this age of the television set. Fishing on a mild summer night on a lonely stretch of river is probably one of the most relaxing experiences known to an angler; on a cold winter night, muffled against the chill, the appeal is different but always pleasant in retrospect. It may have been easy to catch trout when Zane Grey was last in New Zealand, but times have changed. The angler who wants success in night fishing must be prepared to put in an apprenticeship. The system demands competent handling of equipment because most of the time it will be used in the dark. The angler must know where to fish.

Night fishing in a lake calls for a different approach. An angler’s position in relation to a stream or river mouth is most important. Here’s where the knowledge of the “rip” and the movement of the current will ensure success. It is no good going to a stream mouth and expecting consistent results. The “rip” is not always where it may seem. The prevailing wind and the conditions generally will determine where the current of the stream or river will move in the lake. One Taupo angler who enjoys more than average success will often fish 100 yards or more from where the stream enters the lake. By careful study of the conditions he has found where the current of the stream or river swings back towards the shore sufficiently close for him to reach it.

If you go to the river mouth during the day to note the conditions, throw a piece of wood into the stream. Watch it move with the current. If it remains in the main part of the current, you will see it follow the stream as it moves through the lake. Where it swings into the shore (if it' does) is a good spot to fish. Should you fish there that night first catch your current. Once you feel it holding your line, your problems are over and you are bound to catch trout.

Night fishing in a stream or larger river demands a different technique. Find a

good holding pool and a spot where the pool gives way to medium to shallow water; enough free room at the back so you don’t spend the night cutting yourself free and where, should you happen to go head over heels, the chances of getting out with nothing worse than a bad fright, are in your favour.

What lures to use is something each individual angler must decide for himself. If there is any guide, it is more in the technique rather than the lure. An American scientist, who has just published a paper after a two-year under-water study of fish, says that at night the fish sees its prey by looking up where it is outlined against the skyline. The surface of the lake or river is like a bright mirror in comparison to the rest of the body of water. The fish goes down and then looks up. The same Taupo angler who has mastered the art of finding the current was also one of the first to use a floating line for night fishing. The effect of a floating line in shallow water would be even more effective because the visibility of the fish is restricted.