Why do you go fishing in the dark? Surely the point is to enjoy the scenery and relax?
When fishing for trout and sea trout on rivers, you often get a good hatch of flies around dusk, and the fish rise for them hungrily. Maybe it's their last feed before the light comes back. The bats, and fish, can get their own back, as it can be difficult to wade back to the river bank in the dark without falling into deep holes and going for a swim!
We bought a bat detector last year, as the developers for the land next door denied there were bats and we knew there were. Only a cheapish one, it amplifies bat sounds so you know it is a bat and not a bird. We get a lot around our top oak tree at dusk. At the frequency we had, we thought mainly pipistrelles, although there was something bigger as well. The other week, a lady from the local natural history society did a walk around with me, she has a super duper detector which actually identifies species. Many we didn't actually see but the detector picked up. We had Natterers, Noctules(the big ones), Leislers, a Brown Long eared Bat right outside my front door and lots of Common Pipistrelles.(tiny ones). This summer I have picked up some low flying bats when the nightcam has picked up the foxes and deer. Moths at night flutter quite slowly. The bats fly really fast, and even when slowed down to 10% speed in the processing, all there is is a white blur.
Obviously I have never been fishing but the image of someone standing by a river in the dark trying to catch fish is amusing but also scary. Don’t fish sleep at night?
Some fish sleep at night, others go hunting. Tropical fish often tuck themselves into crevices and caves, while sharks hunt at night. Diving at night is quite different to the day, a lot of fish will hunt others that are exposed by divers torches.
Obviously I have never been fishing but the image of someone standing by a river in the dark trying to catch fish is amusing but also scary. Don’t fish sleep at night?
I wouldn't be 'by' the river, but actually in the river. Often waist deep, wearing chest waders. It can get problematic when the clouds cover any moon that is out. Trying to move in fast flowing rivers in the pitch dark can get quite scary.
Bats will catch small stones, pebbles when thrown up into the air. Better still use mealworms, they love them.
Bats will mistake a blob at the top of a thin pole, stick or aerial for an airborne insect. An old radio aerial is perfect, hold it up in the air fully extended and wait.......... You'll have a bat sat on the back of your hand ..... They attempt to catch what they think is a flying insect (the knob at the top of the aerial) and slide down the aerial to come to rest on your hand!!
Good fun... but don't do it too often though. Once, twice, then leave them alone to continue feeding undisturbed.
Posts
The bats, and fish, can get their own back, as it can be difficult to wade back to the river bank in the dark without falling into deep holes and going for a swim!