Want to fish an overnighter or two but I never have. What do I need to do? Would it help to try find someone to fish with, what extras do I need? Could the great and good help me, again please?

In reply to Post #1
The bare minimum I take when doing an overnight session on top of everyday tackle is shelter (bivvy/brolly), head torch and bed/sleeping bag. Then something to eat and drink (thermos and a lunch box).

It depends on many factors how much more tackle to take. I'll bring the stove and kettle for coffee and cooking if im on the bank for longer than 1 night.

An alarm setup with a receiver is handy, you can turn your alarms on silent then and keep your receiver in your shelter so not to wake the entire lake during the night, this isn't a necessity however.

I'd write out a checklist before heading out to make sure you aren't going to miss anything vital. Going with a mate can help you get into it and it's nice to have a beer or two with company but it shouldn't dissuade you from going.

In reply to Post #1
It's exactly the same as days but you stay the night mate

In reply to Post #1
. . .warmth, comfort, a decent headtorch and t-making kit.

The sleeping bit in terms of the above is up to you - the actual fishing 'actively' and in the dark you have to experience yourself (we all had to experience it the first time) but if you start on an easy open water type swim with lots of room and a low bank (minimal vertical distance from terra firma to the waters edge) you should be fine . . .organize everything in daylight so everything is at hand and you wont go far wrong . . .

If you catch you wont get much sleep anyway - just don't fall in . . .and beware the bogey man in the night . . .!

In reply to Post #1
The Bogey Man is gonna get you

Sleep with one eye open and a chopper under your pillow.

In reply to Post #5
He's a close personal fiend lol

In reply to Post #1
If you haven't fished overnight before, my best advise would be start in the summer, long evenings to get yourself prepared, its warm and the nights are short

In reply to Post #1
Don't expect too much help on here mate - just look at some of the comments below. Bunch of noddies most of them.

For what it's worth, try fishing a few hours into dark before committing to a full night. That way you'll get familiar with fishing in the dark. Unlike many idiots you meet these days, you only need a decent head torch and a small hand torch, like a LED Lenser. Most of the time, you won't need them, as your eyes will adjust. I never even use a light to net fish, you just don't need to. Why people feel the need to light their swim up like Piccadilly Circus I don't know. I'd say start in the warmer months and obviously the nights are shorter, which will help. Have things you need to hand and don't have gear strewn out all over the place, keep things neat and organised. Take some extra warm clothing, just in case. I always take a stove for warm drinks and I usually do myself a cooked breakfast in the morning - a ham omelette is my favourite, rather than a greasy, burnt sausage and bacon. Each to their own. Anyway, extra kit - bedchair, sleeping bag, small torch, headtorch, insect repellent in summer - that's it. You don't need a bivvy most of the time and I don't' even use a brolly on still, warm nights.

In reply to Post #1
Hi mate,

I would advice you to go with a friend for sure its much better to have someone there in the dark if you are not use to it. U can go late in the evening and if you dont feel comfortable just bounce.
How i prepare is i bring warm clothes a blanket(Things to keep me warm) a good head torch, heater, stove everything that will make it a more pleasant experience. Warm sleeping bag a shelter. I find the evenings quite relaxing just always make sure i have everything with me so i can relax and turn of my brain from the everyday life. When it comes to actuall fishing in the night i do most of the work during the day, remember my spots and wraps if i want to recast during the night but usually i just chill out.

Hope u have a lovely time.

In reply to Post #1
Your already on the track Goggy by asking the question.
Know your peg, you don't want to go arse over tit into the drink in the dark.
Position yourself at as best an angle to get to your rods quickly.
Have your mat and net out the way but as near the water as possible.
Stay quiet.
Fish in the edge for a bite a time as it's easily repeatable.
Look forward to it.
Good luck

In reply to Post #5
And keep an eye out for Purple Aki.

In reply to Post #11

He's not down Swindon way now is he

In reply to Post #11
If youve got a bit of a bicep and you can squat him he's on ya 😬

In reply to Post #1
The only stupid question is the question not asked😉

Keep everything tidy, make sure you know where everything is.
A single night, especially in summer you may be able to get away with a flask of hot drink and a sandwich, but there is nothing like waking up and having a decent cup of coffee and breakfast, so you may want a stove.

The point about a torch, I don't use one unless I have to. I would much rather not light up my bivvy when I get a run. I can see without it to net fish, so it is only there for 'emergencies', unhooking fish or retackling, stringers or bags.

In summer if it is dry there is nothing like sleeping out under the stars, although I do always take my brolly at the very least.

In reply to Post #8
Omlette = noddy

Left over Potnoodle (bland flavours only) is the hardcore carpers breakfast of choice . . .

In reply to Post #1
One thing to be careful of when night fishing is visits from Roland Rat. I guess there are rats on every water nowadays. So I put my unhooking mat up high on a tree, and landing net in a position where they can't reach it (but close to your rods). Other than that, the advice already provided is fine.

In reply to Post #16
That's good advice, disgusting animals

Same as me, use the trees to hang stuff in, minimumal gear on the ground

Quick story....

One of my mates is frightened stiff of rats

We once went on a social and he favoured a swim, pushed everybody else out so jumped in it, turns out it was called, the rats....

Anyway, in a quick summary when the light dropped he was seeing all kinds of things happening outside his bivvy, around his net and rods, a few hours later he came running into my swim asking for shelter, a swarm of squealing rats had run all over his swim and over the roof of his fox 1 man easy dome with the sealed “rat proof” groundsheet! They were followed by something trying to eat them, suspect a mink

In reply to Post #1
Massive tip from me. Warm clothes

A decent tent, bed and a sleeping bag and you halfway there. Drop in the water or get wet with a fish and things can change rapidly. A change of clothes is essential for me, even if you keep them in the car, as is a puffa jacket nowadays for me, super warm when required

In reply to Post #1
Some good advice already given, one tip that follows on from the last comment is rather than a spare set of clothes, I always pop on my chest waders after netting a fish if I'm lucky enough to catch. That way your are pretty well protected against getting wet. I learnt that one the hard way one very cold night had a good fish at 11pm got soaking doing self takes and then spent the rest of the night literally trying to survive 😀.

In reply to Post #12
I think they have Purple Ronnie in Swindon.

Much safer.

I once had a 2 week carp trip going around various rivers in the south of France , i thought i had enough clothes , it was May bank holiday and unseasonably cold at night , went to freezing most nights , i had the huge carp suit everything , but , every night , my feet were like blocks of ice , luckily where i was i was able to make a small fire

Nice cup of coffee in the morning , as previously mentioned , essential , with a grapefruit for me !

Also , on trips i always take hand wipes to give my hands a clean before eating , weil's disease , a mate of mine was ill for months with it , never went fishing again after !

Oh yes , a head torch

In reply to Post #21
Yeah, I've always got little bottle of that antibacterial hand cleaner (not hand wash, but the stuff that evaporates) in my carryall for days or nights.

Another good tip which I've recently started doing is going to sleep in a pair of sliders, just taken them along just for sleeping in. If you wear them in the day, you'll get all mud and crap inside your sleeping bag. No faffing around trying to get boots or trainers on when you get a take in the night.

In reply to Post #7
I tend to agree with this one.
Playing and netting a fish in the dark on your own is a totally different ball game to daylight hours.
Not too bad on a wide open water, but throw in a few overhanging trees, a lily pad or three and some reed beds or other snags and it can be a recipe for disaster.
I love the seclusion of night fishing, but that's about it. I'm personally there for last knockings and first light so will bring my rods in when it's sleepy byes time and make sure I'm up at the crack of.
The Summer months are the times I go.
I personally would not get any pleasure from sitting in darkness, freezing my tits off from 4pm until 7.3am the next day.
But we're all different.

In reply to Post #21
Amazing how many people get caught out with the cold weather, add water, accelerates the process of freezing

Mentioned it before on here a few years ago, on one water we had to pack a lad up once, brought virtually nothing with him, dropped in, in a sleeping bag shivering like mad! Packed all his gear away and loaded his car, off he went!

That's why now I always have a shelter with a front on too, done the hardcore brolly thing over the years, nothing like wind and hail blow under it in the middle of the night, everything piss wet through, not to mention getting up to turn it around and re-peg it in the middle of a force 10 with added water

To be fair, even though the carp tax really pisses me off there are some decent shelters around nowadays

In reply to Post #24
Particularly true in spring/autumn, my first overnighter was late spring, daytime temps in high teens/low twenties, no rain forecast..
Couple of jumpers and a light sleeping bag will do
Couldn't sleep at all, shivering all night, heavy dew came down at sunset and a bit of a frost about 3. I had to wind in and go back to the car to warm up

In reply to Post #1
organization is king. keep your gear to hand, clear path out your bivvy to your rods and make sure your net is to hand.
keep yourself tidy to keep vermin to a minimum as the rustling noises are amplified by 100 at night
sort yourself a stove and take an empty flask, cant beat a brew fresh in the morning or night if you need a warm up after sorting your rods, i use the empty flask to store boiling water for a quick brew at night if you've got wet or cold, been a life saver.

my personal situation is different to most, im an amputee so ensuring my ''bite routine'' is sorted is key for me. leg ready to slide on if i have a fish, trainer or boot ready for my other leg to slip on and im ready to go.
you wont get it spot on first time, but carp fishing is just repetition at its core, youll get a routine and a specific way you set yourself up.

plenty hot drink, good food and a warm bed youll be well away.
cant beat that alarm going off at 5am and watching the sun come up.

tight lines.

In reply to Post #26
Also fish safe.

A stove is for cooking or doing a brew - not for warming a bivvy. You will have a good chance of carbon monoxide poisoning if you use it aa heater and it's often fatal.

Bivvies or brollies are extremely flammable - remember that when cooking in the doorway - we all do it at sometime if we are honest.

BBQ's of any description are never to be brought inside a bivvy.

Freshwater only in your brew - never lake water.

Otherwise just be organised before dark, clothing warm enough for the conditions, and plenty of garlic, wooden stakes, silver bullets, crucifix and priest on speed dial for the night monsters

Familiarize yourself with your swim, near and far away.

Check for trip hazards etc, know where the waters edge is and if possible mark it. I have a white 6' length of conduit that I lay across the front edge of the swim where I will stand when playing a fish and I know that I am safe from stepping into the lake or sliding in on the darkest of nights if I do not cross it, it is dual purpose as I use it for other things, ie prodding stick, flicking weed off my line at the rod tips etc. I also have white landing net handles which also do the same purpose and are easier to find in the dark and also to stop me standing or tripping over them.

Look around your swim close and far away and visualize what it will look like in the dark. Single bushes etc that are a distance away silhouetted against the sky on a night will turn into aliens, people, monsters etc as they seem to move and have you quivering in the back of your bivvy. Always remember, the monsters you see are only in your mind but dwell on it and they will become real.

Never watch horror films, they too will prey on your mind when the grass starts rustling after dark. I started night fishing when I was about 12 on my own and a fan of Doctor Who in the good old days, after dark, I would be convinced that there was "Cybermen" walking about all night. One pond I fished, every evening after dark and morning, there would be a loud metallic bang which petrified me and had me out from under the umbrella looking for the "Cybermen". It took me about 3 months to discover it was a 40 gallon steel drum about 100 yards away dumped in the bushes expanding and contracting with the heat. It is rare to find 40 gallon drums on lakes doing this, but plastic bottles discarded by anglers do the same and even air pressure rising or falling as well as heat will make them go "Pop". It took me almost a year to find a plastic bottle in one swim that would do this, I found it was lodged up a tree behind the swim hanging by a piece of string.

Always keep as much stuff packed away on a night, just to help having to pack up and go home in the dark.

Try and find out who else may be fishing on the lake, not only will it be useful to have someone to help if you need it, ie take pictures of a good fish etc but, it will be benificial after dark when the wind drops and sound travels better if you hear them start talking either to someone else or on their phone, or in the late evening if they are having a party and start making a racket or even start shining a torch and you then start wondering who it could be.

Don't know if it has been mentioned previously but have some insect repellent, Mosquito's come out at dusk, some waters may just have a few, some none, some like the lake I fish now, they flock out in droves and with the mosquito mesh across the doorway you can see them and look carefully you can see their probiscus pokeing through the mesh trying to get you, but it only takes one in your bivvy to make life hell as you hear it buzzing about, not knowing when and where it is going to strike. I liken them to the "Alien" in the first Alien film if you get one in your bivvy, its it or you and a case of who gets who first. In the process you can wreak havock in your bivvy trying to find the blighter. Also carry some antibite antihistamine cream for when you do get bit.

Rigs, to save messing about in the dark if you catch etc, have 3 or 4 identical rigs already made up and baited and with stick mixes on if you use them and have plenty of stick mixes premade. And keep them in a container with a lid on, otherwise they will attract mice or rats or even sweet fruity smelly baits will attract slugs into your bivvy and they will find them no matter how high off the ground they are and eat them.

Also complete rigs made up without the "Hook rig" itself. ie just leadcore and lead attached. I have a small box with 8 sections from a craft shop and it holds about 16 rigs of just leadcore and lead etc so that if I get snapped off, badly tangled because of an eel etc, damaged landing a fish, cracked of etc, I can just get a complete rig out of my box and tie it on, then just add my hook rig. Probably about 2 minutes to do and better than making another from scratch with swivels and bead etc. My box contains about 4 helicopter rigs, 4 inlines, 4 leadclip and 4 chod rigs all ready to go with leads on and just need a hook rig attaching.

To help find your marks if you have to recast in the dark, do a rough sketch drawing of the features etc on the opposite bank and mark it with arrows as to which feature you are casting too and the distance if you have not marked up or you suspect your mark has moved.

If I was fishing now, I would probably think of a lot more things that I do, but just get out and enjoy but do not let your mind ruin it. At times you can be your own worst enemy.

For an overnighter (24hours or so).
This is the UK, dress warmly, stay dry, take a shelter, a bed chair and warm sleeping bag, torch(with spare), and spare clothes(in vehicle). As far as gear goes that's it, although I wouldn't be without my brew kit.

Your food of choice, couple of litres of tap water and antibac hand gel. Forget the carpy, moss in your crack, garbage. There are rats on every fishery and Weills disease can ruin your life.

At first make sure you arrive with plenty of daylight left to get organised and set up.

You don't have to fish through the dark but if you do then a set of alarms will be needed. Don't miss the whole first light/last light thing. Magic.

Relax and enjoy the experience, don't over complicate your thinking.

In reply to Post #29
cant stress enough the importance of a cup of tea/coffee
you cant beat a fresh brew in the morning rather than a flask, but if its all youve got go with it.


just enjoy it its great being outside.

In reply to Post #28
. . .have you (like me) partaken in hard core drugs at any stage in your life . . .?

Just sayin . . .

In reply to Post #31
Was thinking the same myself or he may like smoke?

Sounds like a bit of paranoia going on there

I'm not afraid of the dark

I think when you have spent enough time out at night it becomes just like the day except you cant see as far! However, the odd noise now and again

In reply to Post #30
just enjoy it its great being outside.

Exactly that for me, there's nothing much better than being by a nice lake, at one with nature, few carp along the way, great place for some time alone, to unwind and relax, magnificent

In reply to Post #30
The sound of a kettle coming to the boil at first light is a sound like no other.....

In reply to Post #34
Or, depending on the lake, the sound of the morning spod barrage and popping of cans of Stella. Opening your eyes to see a light mist rolling across the lake, then realising it's herbal......

In reply to Post #35
Some really sound advice here. And it's a sensible question if you've not been before.

I'd go with a mate the first few times. Go somewhere you're familiar with and not to far from home.

Headtorch x 2
warm clothes, paying attention to a hat and warms socks, spares or more in the car.
water, anti-bac etc. Pot noodles, can always take them home. Plenty of tea and biscuits. A caramel digestive is essential for me.

In reply to Post #36
for an night

decent stove for tea/coffee etc and a decent meal. i take simple things to heat up, ie homemade spag bol or chilli
decent sleeping bag
decent pillow
decent comfortable bedchair, comfort is every thing
head torch and spare batteries unless you have a rechargeable one, then power pack is essential just in case you run out of charge
Phone, for obvious reasons, if you have a PB you want to tell you mate/s to get photographed or share the capture, add to that if you have an issue or emergency.
few slices of bread and some sausages or bacon for brekkie.

apart from the above, just take what you normally would for a day session.

for longer sessions or france, take anything you can or fit in your car for spares and comfort

thats about it for me anyway

In reply to Post #37
Can't argue with any of that but I'm sure you'd agree UK weather=shelter.

In reply to Post #38
a very essential thing i missed off my list

yes, a decent brolly system ( ive got one of the first versions of the FOX supa brolly, i love it)

In reply to Post #39
Thanks for the advice my friends. I have most of the kit needed(still need a head torch) will let you know how I get on, once we can, cheers all. If anyone is in the southwest and could put up once in a while with a grumpy 62 year old drop us a message, cheers again.

In reply to Post #32
. . .have only had two weird noise occurrences . . .neither under the influence

One was a slurping noise (was fishing under a 60" oval at the time) that got louder and louder and louder . . .got out of the bag to find 10x hedgehogs scrabbling up the back of the brolly and drinking the condensation water - it looked like a bizarre animation at the time!

Second I did **** myself . . .was under my trusty Big Z and had the infill on and half letter box opened. Heard a really weird breathing noise right outside the bivvy that I initially ignored (thought it was another member taking the piss)
It went on for about 5mins so eventually I picked up a spare storm pole and stuck my head out of the opening . . .only to be confronted with the face of a huge male deer, antlers and all who snorted loudly in my face! (the syndicate lake backed onto a golf course where herds of deer ran free) . . .I shat myself and sprang back onto the bedchair effectively collapsing it and covered in deer snot . . . . (trusty JRC Coccoon . . .not)

These days I just sleep and need the remote on full and positioned right by my head to even register . . .

In reply to Post #1
Just read this thread, tells you all you need to know LINK

In reply to Post #42
. . bloody hell Chuffy - is that thread over 10 years ago now . . ? I am old . . .

In reply to Post #43
I know mate, that's more frightening than anything

To the o/p

Don't say candy man 3 times 😲👍

In reply to Post #41
We live to tell, wouldn't fancy the antlers through the tent

I have heard some good story's over the years, all part of and adds to the enjoyment I suppose

In reply to Post #32
I have woken up with a horse standing outside my bivvy, its head inside sniffing me.

That and sheep coming around the bivvy.

Hedgehogs are definitely the noisiest though. Constant snuffling and scuffling.

In reply to Post #47
the wonders of night wildlife hey mate!

once you tune yourself in, its amazing what you hear at night

In reply to Post #47
Squirrel under my bedchair was the best one for me, also woke up to a bit of noise outside my bivvy looked up and there was a fox outside my bivvy door starring at me, seen all sorts though because one of my lakes is in the middle of Dartmoor so there is plenty of wildlife around

In reply to Post #48
In reply to Post #47
the wonders of night wildlife hey mate!

once you tune yourself in, its amazing what you hear at n
I prefer sleeping outside fishing over sleeping in my flat.
Currently at night I get a buzzing noise coming from Ipswich docks, whereas by the lake I can tune in or out to nature.

Even constant coots chattering at night isn't off-putting.
However Sky getting up to chase muntjac deer does wake me up; her lead is attached to my bedchair😖😆

I didn't wake up when she managed to catch a rat that decided it wanted to come too close though. It won't make that mistake again...

In reply to Post #50
actually I've just remembered my worst overnight occurrence . . .and one others may have also experienced.

It wasn't actually during the night - it was in the morning when I woke up . . .slept under a brolly and woke to the dawn chorus as ever.

Opened my eyes and realised I couldn't see out of one of them at all - panic ensued - the carping gods had decided to blind me in one eye for putting steel hooks in their beautiful creatures . . .

It wasn't until I put my hand on my face seconds later to rub the now redundant eye into life that I pulled off the biggest slug I've ever seen - it was like a f*cking alien black sausage beast feeding on my retina . . .almost vommed (I hate slugs) but pleased to realise that the carp gods liked me after all . . . I don't even have a funny wink now - promise!

Did have a phase (my OCD was way worse when I was a hardcore brolly user) of putting a little magic circle of salt in front of the bivvy / open doorway after this debacle. . .don't bother now and haven't been bothered by slugs since . . .

I was laid on my bed back in the 80's at Pilsworthy when my bivvy started shaking and could not work out what was happening. When I rushed out to look, a cow was leaning over the fence licking condensation off the top.

Mentioning slugs, one night I wanted a drink of water so I picked up my water bottle and as I was drinking, I could feel something on my bottom lip, which I thought was my finger, but it was odd because I could not feel my lip on my finger. After finishing my drink, I put my torch on to look, and there was one of those great big brown slugs across the lip of my water bottle and to think I had my lip on the great manky b*****d. Since then, I always wipe the top of my bottle to swipe anything away when I drink in the dark.

But, the most hair raising night I have ever had was when I heard something come running up behind my bivvy very late at night snarling, then it went berserk running back and forth from side to side round the back of my bivvy, growling and snarling and going mental. I swung myself out my sleeping bag and sat on the edge of the bed thinking, if it wants me, it will have to come in and get me because I'm not going out to face it and the moment it appears in the doorway it would have got stabbed with my knife. Eventually, I heard it go running down to the next peg and could hear it no longer and about 10 minutes later heard it go running down the road on the bank opposite and it was still growling and snarling. To this day, I have not a clue what it was, my suspicions are it was one of the farmers Jack Russell's and two of them would walk round the pond everyday ratting in the margins during the day on their own, but I never encountered them on a night, or it was a fox, and I suspect, maybe they took a disliking to my isotopes on my indicators. It did not even help the situation as there had been sightings of a "big cat" for a few years around the ponds. Luckily, I never encountered it again.