Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • S P R I N G 2 0 1 7 24 Three women go on an entertaining fishing reunion trip: www.distinctlymontana.com/fishing172 DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL WHAT YOU'LL NEED • LIGHT SOURCES ARE IMPORTANT WHEN NIGHT FISHING. Many anglers use "black lights" and fluorescent line. A black light produces scant visible light but considerable ultraviolet light. e radiation emitted by a black light will make anything with fluorescent material in it glow brightly. • FLUORESCENT LINE GLOWS WHEN EXPOSED TO BLACK LIGHTS AT NIGHT. is is helpful for both tying knots and detecting fish bites. Since black lights produce much less visible light, they shouldn't spook fish as much as regular lights do. • A FRONT-MOUNTED LIGHT ON YOUR BOAT IS A GOOD IDEA since you want to keep yourself visible to other boaters that may be fishing in your vicinity. Always bring along flashlights. Place one in front of the boat and another near the back. DO'S AND DON'T'S Do not venture out at night on unfamiliar water for your safety. • BE FAMILIAR WITH THE SHORELINE SURROUNDINGS AND SKYLINE, SO THAT YOU CAN FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO THE LANDING FROM WHICH YOU DEPARTED. It's easy to get lost on the water at night. e shoreline looks much the same at night and many familiar landmarks that you can see during the daytime appear murky after it gets dark. • A KEY ASPECT OF NIGHTTIME FLY-FISHING INVOLVES WADING QUIETLY. Anytime you set foot in a stream, you show your whereabouts to fish. Splashing into the water hurriedly to get to a spot that you know holds lots of fish will likely drive fish to different holding areas. • DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MINIMIZE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS. An organized boat is a must. Take along only the minimum tackle you'll actually need for night fishing. Make a point to put away all rods, reels, tackle and accessories that aren't being used. • DURING THE DAY, WHEN A RIVER IS ALIVE WITH BIG MAYFLIES BEING PLUCKED FROM THE SURFACE BY AGGRESSIVE TROUT, CHOOSING A BIG COFFIN FLY IS LIKELY THE WAY TO GO. When water is cold and the sun is high and fish are wary, you might choose a heavy nymph to cast just past the nose of a fish. • IN THE DAYTIME, FISH HUNT PRIMARILY BY SIGHT. At night, how- ever, a fish's vision takes a back seat to its hearing. Fish most certainly hunt by sight at night as well, but due to little available light, a fish most often hears its prey before it sees it. And so, a Montana angler at night should choose a fly first on how it will be 'heard' by a fish. is equates to a fly that moves or "pushes" (displaces) water. e fly should be 'noisy' but subtle. Good examples are deer hair heads, collared bucktail, and big woolly buggers.

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