The final evening was devoid of promise. After five days of near perfect fishing conditions we could hardly complain that the afternoon of our last day had deteriorated into a howling northerly and streaked grey sky. Far to the west, light rain was beginning to veil the peaks. We did not need a barometer to know that the air pressure was falling and that a cold front would hit some time during the night.

The towering forest slopes on the north shore of the lake offered the best chance of shelter, although even with a mountain at our backs we were not beyond the gale's reach. Black spinners, the solitary cause of a handful of smallish rises, were periodically banished to the boulders by prying fingers of wind.

Lindsay valiantly persisted with the spinner feeders. For me, it was a case of going through the motions. The conditions offered little inspiration, and less was promised later with the sheets of rain inching forward. My fishing was all but ritualistic. Tomorrow, before light, we would be heading home-I did not want to spend my last few hours by the cabin fire.

We were not surprised when the evening lull failed to eventuate. The spinners had departed and the caddis did not fly out to replace them as they had done on previous evenings. The offshore rainbows that had sporadically worked the windfall vanished as well.

"Well, we know where the spinner feeders were concentrated," said Lindsay, "so maybe we can pick a few up after sunset, fishing blind." I thought this optimistic logic at best.

The sun had long disappeared behind the tier to the west, the wind shrieked away as usual, and not a fish could be seen in the last vestiges of light. For want of a better option, I joined Lindsay and we hobbled over the rocks to where the spinner feeders had worked earlier.

Black Muddler Hook: TMC 9300, #8 Thread: Black Tail: Black wool tag Body: Black yarn Rib: Silver wire Wing: Crow Head & Collar: Dyed black deer hair

Craig's Nightime Hook: TMC 700, #6-10 Thread: Black Tail: Red wool Body: Black chenille Rib: Silver wire Wing: Blue pukeko breast feathers (or sub) Topping: Yellow cock hackle Beard: Black cock hackle

I had just finished an unhurried knot connecting a Craigs Night-time to my leader when I heard it. Silence. For the first time in hours, the wind had died-at least at lake level. With surprising speed a mirror of calm water replaced the ripple and chop, reflecting the muffled half moon. What caused this abrupt lull I can't say, but with it came a renewed sense of purpose in our fishing. The cold that had gathered with the wind lost its edge and in the pale light, moths and caddis could be glimpsed above the water.

It isn't an exaggeration to say that I anticipated the first swirl even before I heard it. Among the apparitions of reflected clouds and forest, I imagined the faint, spreading rings. There it was again-another, closer disturbance, probably the same fish. I led it with the Craigs, allowing the fly to settle for a second or two before beginning a slow strip retrieve. Third strip, and YANK! The fly was hit savagely, but for some reason the fish did not stay connected. My lifting of the rod followed through to become a backcast and the fly was delivered once again to the patch of water still shimmering from the strike. There was not the chance for a single strip before the fly was whacked once more. This time the hook bit. For all my subsequent care in playing the first trout I had hooked in hours, the torch light eventually revealed the Craigs buried firmly in the scissors of the 1.2 kilo brown, with no chance of coming loose.

While I was playing the first trout, others arrived. Distracting swirls and clipping sounds seemed all around me. Having landed my fish, I wasted no time in tracking a new victim. The Craigs was bumped, then bumped again. No hook-up though. Caught up in the sudden excitement after hours of nothing, I forced myself to slow down and evaluate the situation.

The whole aura of the night had changed by the minute. From bleak, to awakening, to alive. While the first trout to hunt inshore may have been on the lookout for anything food-like, now an ever-increasing number of moths chased the reflected moonlight to their doom, and caddis by the hundred laid their eggs. The disturbances of the trout were no longer ambiguous in their form, but clearly rises. It was time to try a surface fly.

The downtime required to replace the Craigs with a Black Muddler was worth it. The next trout I cast to engulfed the fly, as did the one after. Even when the chill wind began to return and the rises disappeared, a couple of lingering trout hit the fly cast blind.

We ambled back towards the car engaged in the cheerful banter that you only hear between anglers that have enjoyed some success. As we packed the rods away into their tubes, Lindsay looked back towards the lake, once again cut by the prefrontal northerly.

"Night fishing saves the day again!" he exclaimed with unintentional irony, "All is forgiven!"

THE TROUT'S PERSPECTIVE
Those new to fly fishing, still struggling with the concept that a big trout will find then bother to eat a tiny little fly, are floored by the very idea of fly fishing at night. Looking down onto the expanse of a dark river or lake on a moonless night, it seems absurd to suggest that a virtually scentless artificial fly could be located by a fish.

However, consider night fishing from the trout's perspective rather than the angler's. To begin with, a trout's eyes absorb three times more light than ours, and whereas anglers are always looking down at night, trout are frequently looking up. Hold your hand above your head and it will be clearly silhouetted against the night sky even on the blackest night. Then imagine the available light multiplied by three. Add to this the acute ability of trout to detect vibrations through the water, and suddenly fly fishing at night begins to make more sense.

On top of all this, there are some very good reasons why trout should be actively hunting (and therefore catchable) at night. Darkness offers concealment from predators, increasing the confidence of prowling trout to venture widely, and attack vigorously. Some major trout-prey organisms are most active at night-mudeyes, yabbies, crickets and moths for example. Additionally, prey that may be on an even footing by day can suddenly find itself at a disadvantage when night gives trout a visual edge. Lower water temperatures offer further advantage for night-feeding fish during summer. No wonder so many large trout become almost exclusively nocturnal!

Black Deerhair Hook: Mustad 80000BR, #10-14 Thread: Black Tail: Dark moose hair tips Body: Dyed black deer hair Hackle: Black cock hackle

Black Nymph Hook: Longshank #8 Thread: Black Tail: Natural black squirrel tail Body & Thorax: Seal's fur, black Rib: Silver wire Wing Case: Black raffene

THE ANGLER'S PERSPECTIVE
There is no doubt that trout have the upper hand after dark when it comes to sensory perception. That does not mean we should give up on our own senses. Those first few steps away from the campfire or cabin lights may leave us enveloped in darkness, however, if the temptation to use a torch is resisted (at least once you reach the water), you will be pleasantly surprised by the development of your night vision.

Without wishing to sound like a mystic, have faith that you will be able to see in the dark and you will find you actually can. I am not suggesting that night will become day, but even in starlight it is extraordinary how much you can perceive with enough effort and confidence. Features like slicks and bubble lines, rises, the disturbance where your cast lands, and even the fly can be seen at times.

The use of any available reflected light-the glow of a distant town, the last remnants of sunset-will enhance visibility, as will altering your elevation. Alternate between standing up high on the bank and crouching low at the water's edge to see which gives you the better view. As with daytime, looking from the exaggerated darkness of 'shade' towards open water enhances visibility, while the reverse reduces it.

Hearing comes a close second to sight after dark, and at times surpasses it in importance. Once again, it can be a pleasant surprise to discover just how effective ears can be in locating not only the sound of a trout disturbing the surface, but its direction and even approximate distance. Being able to hear a fish take the fly helps considerably with timing the strike, while the sound of a missed take may suggest a fly change, or another cast as quickly as possible!

SUITABLE CONDITIONS
It is easy for anglers to fall into the trap of treating night as a distinct, short period like midday, dawn or dusk. That is a mistake of course, because an average night has all the variation and duration of an average day. On a given night, you can expect temperature, wind and light intensity to vary as the hours go by. Food availability will similarly change; just as there might be a mayfly hatch on a river during mid-afternoon in autumn, so a certain species of caddis will typically lay its eggs in the early hours of the night, or the mudeyes might migrate from midnight until just before dawn.

So the dangers of trying to generalise about the light conditions for night fishing are obvious, as is trying to generalise about the best times of night. Nevertheless, there are some night fishing conditions I feel more confident about than others.

First of all, water clarity. This one is simple-the clearer the better. As a benchmark, I like at least a metre of visibility. On lake or stream, I prefer a smooth water surface, although I concede that ripple can be advantageous on bright nights. When it comes to time of year, my favourite period is from December to April. Though there are the usual variations for altitude and latitude, in most places this period offers reasonable night temperatures coupled with clear, unruffled water (lack of wind on lakes, lower flows on rivers).

As for light (or lack of it) I prefer starlight alone, or less than a quarter moon. During significant moonlight, seek out the 'shade' of mountains, cliffs or trees. Even localised shade (a single overhanging tree) can produce ten times the action of moonlit water. One full moon night on the Kiewa I watched Pete Murray take six trout from the shadow beneath a single red gum, while I could not attract a take from the remainder of the same large pool.

LOCATIONS
Any water that holds trout is a potential after-dark fly fishery. If the conditions above are also met, then I am likely to get excited about that potential. This is particularly so where the daytime fishing opportunities are constrained by angling pressure, or if the water holds large trout (especially big browns). I must admit though, even a creek full of half pounders is a welcome target if it flows near the camp-ground base that I haven't managed to reach in daylight!

When it comes to identifying specific hot spots on a certain river or lake, there are several ideas you can factor in. As I've already mentioned, my first choice most nights is for smooth water, meaning sheltered bays or the quieter pools on rivers. Flat water makes it easier to detect fish, and makes it easier for fish to find the fly. Another commonsense tactic is to return to areas where trout were concentrated by day. Yes, trout may move around after dark, but browns especially should not stray too far from their daytime haunts.

Rips, bubble lines, backwaters, windlane remnants or any other current related food concentrations are worthy of extra attention after dark. Do not worry if these areas were devoid of activity by day-the trout frequently wait for the cover of darkness to move in and gorge at leisure.

Fuzzy Wuzzy Hook: TMC 700, #6 Thread: Black Tail: Natural black squirrel tail Body: Red chenille Hackles: Natural black hen

Sunset Fly Hook: Mustad 9672, #6-8 Thread: Yellow polyester Tail: Natural black squirrel tail Underbody: Yellow thread Body Hackles: Rear yellow, middle hot orange, front black Head: Yellow with black eye

While all the above are good starting points, by far the best night fishing method, and the most exciting, is to sight fish (or should I say sight and sound fish) by walking lake shore or the river bank (with particular attention to those special locations), watching and listening for feeding trout.

This style of fishing is really what attracts me night after night. There is the delicious half-certainty at every step in the process. Was that a rise? Is the fly on target? Did a trout just take it? And when you lift the rod and the quiet night changes to a chaos of splashes, stumbles and spray, you wonder ... is it just a nice fish on the end, or the monster of a lifetime?

FLY SELECTION AT NIGHT
I have prepared the table hereabouts to match some favourite night fishing flies and methods with particular conditions. Note that the table is a guide as to where to start-it isn't foolproof. For example, you will see that I dislike a full moon, and if I must fish under one I will resort to small flies. Yet one calm moonlit night, with Robert and Mark, my theories were temporarily turned inside out.

We were hunting rises from the boat when we came across a pair of beauties mopping up in a slick left over from a windlane. It was my turn for first cast, so, confidently I presented a little Black Deerhair (while feeling a bit sorry for Rob and Mark for choosing a great big Sunset Fly on such a bright night). My smugness soon evaporated when both trout swam under several perfect presentations. It was replaced by mild humiliation when 'my turn' expired and Mark picked off one 2-kilo rainbow first cast, Rob taking its twin minutes later.

A final comment about fly colour - more than half of my favourite patterns are mostly or totally black. This might seem the worst colour for night fishing, but black casts the most intense silhouette. Some other patterns, like the Sunset Fly and Craigs Night-time are quite colourful, but as colour virtually disappears from the visible spectrum in low light, I doubt that the trout see any more than varying shades of grey.

			Conditions	Location	Method
Black Muddler		RIVER	Mild, little wind, moderate to low flow. Quarter moon or less	Flat pools with little moon.	Moderate strip/pause/strip retreive.
		LAKE	As above, with at least occasional rises.	Around logs or in bays that featured good pre-dark activity.	As above.
Craig's Night-time		RIVER	Not a favourite river choice.	Fair option in pool tails.	Swing in arc across current.
		LAKE	Cooler nights, early & late in season. Also during mudeye migrations.	Steep lake edges, rock walls, deep holes in weed, submerged channels.	Moderate to low pulsing retrieve. Be wary of fish taking 'on the drop'.
Sunset Fly		RIVER	Low half moon or less, any flow less than flood.	Backwaters & tails of pools.	Moderate strip/pause/strip retrieve. Downstream swing across pool tails.
		LAKE	As above.	Near rips, currents, or food slicks. Particularly good on rainbow trout.	Moderate strip/pause/strip retrieve.
Black Nymph		RIVER	First half hour after dark.	Whenever fish are rising, or were rising earlier.	Swing fly down & across so it passes just upstream of rises.
		LAKE	Bright nights.	Around the shallower margins, particularly if lake is rising.	Steady retrieve - figure 8 or frequent small strips.
Black Deerhair		RIVER	Mild conditions, twilight, and later on brighter nights.	In the vicinity of rising fish.	Dead drift, occasional slight twitch to attract attention.
		LAKE	As above.	As above.	As above, but try slow twitched retrieve if other methods fail.
Fuzzy Wuzzy		RIVER	Bright & dark nights. A good standby in cold weather.	Versatile - works in most water except faster runs & rapids.	Fish deeper water, down & across.
		LAKE	A good choice when there is little surface activity.	Off deep shores and rips, but also good around marshy shallows.	Steady strip/pause/strip retieve, slowed down in deep water.