Rawthumb:

Really even though it is at night you still have some available light to see. I very rarely use a light of any kind since it drastically puts off the fish.

A couple of summer ago I guided a night trip on the Norfork. We entered a public access and walked about a mile to the spot where we wanted to fish. It was on a moonless night with a little cloud cover. We walked in the river since I was more familiar with the river than the potential hazards on the bank.

I told the two guys I was fishing to stay right behind me as we walked and there would be no problem. Since it was their first night trip I think it was a little disconcerting for them to walk in the river waiting to fall into a deep hole, trip on a log, or catch a tree limb in the eye. All the while you could hear the noises of the dark in the woods along the bank. We spooked a heron on the bank which made a loud squack and flew into the air only a few feet away. Even I jumped a little.

We spent the rest of the night catching lots of fish including several good browns. Nothing huge but several good fish over 20 inches. One of the guys caught his largest brown of about 25 inches. When we took a picture the flash killed the fishing for the rest of the evening. Any light at all and our fishing was over.

If you want to learn to night fish you need to learn the post you intend to fish first. Make a few land marks on where the holes are. I will often line up the limb of a tree to find the direction. I'll tie a piece of mono on my fly line at the correct length of footage to the middle of the hole for distance. If you prepare in the day light hours it can lower the stress level of the night considerably.

John Wilson

http://www.flyfishingarkansas.com