Some people just don't take well to night fishing. They get disorientated, their casting begins to fall to pieces, and they may find they lose their sense of balance in the water. But for those that can deal with these problems, the rewards can be spectacular! I do a fair percentage of my fishing at night, possibly as much as half. Yes, its nice to be out in the sun, wandering up a small stream, but if you want to catch the BIG ones, then after dark is the time to go.

Equipment and Flies For a start, use a good stout leader, and shorter than you would use during the day. A 10lb tippet is not unreasonable, any less and you will risk losing the big fish. And there is no need for a leader any longer than perhaps 7-8 feet. Another advantage of this is that there is less likelyhood of getting your fly and leader tangled. Much of the best night fishing in the South Island tends to be in the lower reaches of the main rivers. There can be some huge sea-run trout entering these rivers, and they will tend to be most active during the hours of darkness. I feel that fly pattern is less important than size and the speed of the retrieve. So a few of the patterns to carry could be: Mrs Simpson, Rabbit fly (black) a Grey Ghost, and a Red Setter. Usually sizes between #2, and #4 will be enough.

Know Your Fishing Area If you are planning a trip out at night, it really does pay to have a good idea of the area that you will be fishing. Apart from the obvious safety aspects regarding water depth, currents etc, you want to be confident that you will be casting into good fish holding water. I have been caught out with this before - wasted time spent casting along what looked to be a good stretch, only to find out later that is was no more than ankle deep!

Effects Of The Moon This part of the article may be a little controversial! The common belief is that the more moon, the worse the fishing. And in general, trout dont like moonlight. They tend to avoid it. Fresh sea-run trout are a different matter. Moonlight has less of an effect with these fish, although the longer they are in the river, the more they start the avoid the moon.

Having said this, some of the best night fishing can be had with a full moon! You just have to be fishing the right places. I have sat down on the banks of the Opihi river during a full moon, and watched the trout feeding on sedge flies. The moon was rising behind the willow trees, casting a deep dark shadow over the pool.

The trout were all rising in the shadow, not a single one rising in the moonlight. And as the moon rose higher, the shadows shortened, and the fish moved with them.

Since that time, I have fished a full moon, with good success. I look for pools or runs with a good cover of willows that cast a decent shadow. So you have to fish from the correct side of the river - it's no good fishing with the moon at your back. And a clear night is actually better than an overcast night. Cloud cover will disperse the light, and you will lose the deep shadows that hold the fish.

One last word on night fishing. If you find you lose your timing when casting in the dark, then try slowing down your whole cast. A common fault is to begin the forward cast too quickly, when there are no visual cues available. Wait just that little bit longer for the line to straighten and load the rod. It's something worth working on, because the rewards can be fantastic. Give it a try - it may open up a whole new experience for you!

And a final tip!

Heres a good tip for those of you that enjoy night fishing.

When using a torch to change flies, unhook a trout etc, it can ruin your night vision, and it may take 5-10 minutes for it to return. Try this -- before you turn off the torch, close your eyes. Then switch it off, and open them again.

You will be surprised how well you retain your night vision, compared to switching the torch off with open eyes. It really does make a difference.