My son has started fishing this year and keeps going on about 'night fishing' with his friends and needs a tent. We have looked at the ones you can buy from the 'Fishing shops' and I can't understand why they are so expensive? Two man tents going for over two hundred pounds, could my son use a 'normal' 2/3 man tent for fishing instead? Could somebody give me advice on what my son could use as a cheap alternative instead. Thanks for your help.
I would have thought that a green two man dome should be perfectly adequate. A lot of the specialist fishing tents are basically that. Some have special camouflage print based on british woodland leaves, whcih may justify part of the price, and others are specially designed to be able to keep an eye on the rod/s and to make a quick exit when you get a bite
Sunncamp make a fishing tent which I believe is called the 'Angler' and is only around £70. It's got an inner tent for sleeping, and also a small porch with three forward facing windows. It's a yukky brownish colour though
The prices you can pay for some of the fishing 'bivvies' does seem pretty high... The higher priced models tend to be 'quick erect' ie: five minutes and they're done. They're also well made and of better materials (ie: they won't leak!)...
Some of the cheaper versions are of 'dubious' quality (won't last five minutes on the bank) or take a month of sundays to erect, particularly on uneven banks and weigh a ton too (not good if you're carrying your gear a long distance around the bankside)... Be careful when you buy 'tents' instead of 'bivvies' some angling clubs have wierd & wonderful rules about these things!...
If you come across 'tents/bivvies' with loads of pegs to bang in. You'll soon find you wont be particularly popular with your fellow anglers (noise and vibration carries a long way through water!). 'Screw in' pegs prevent this problem and are a lot easier to use on gravel banks...
As in camping, it's better to buy the best quality fishing gear you can afford, as poor quality equipment will soon let you down...
I bought John a cheap camoflage dome for 19.99 its on its fourth season. They need a porch you can sit under on a chair/ box and enough depth behind that to fit the rod or pole. Ours has eight pegs and with those flipping bite alarms going off all night no one had better complain to me about the noise of banging the pegs in.
------------- Good friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget.
Quote: Originally posted by Jan P on 02/10/2006
I bought John a cheap camoflage dome for 19.99 its on its fourth season. They need a porch you can sit under on a chair/ box and enough depth behind that to fit the rod or pole. Ours has eight pegs and with those flipping bite alarms going off all night no one had better complain to me about the noise of banging the pegs in.
Hi, Jan...
A lightweight 'fishing shelter' is a bit different from a 'bivvy' for night fishing, as you'd soon find out, if you spent a few days (and nights) by the side of a big windy gravel pit in one!... I know what you mean about the irritating 'bite alarms' (most have volume controls, which seem to be permanently stuck on 'high' for some reason!) but the sound doesn't travel through the water in quite the way that 'banging in' pegs does. Any angler who's had Carp or Tench feeding in his swim, will know how annoying it is to have someone turn up and start whacking 'bank sticks' or pegs in, a few yards away. Result... Fish disappear like lightning... Grrr...
Best wishes and 'tight lines' (if you fish!)... Andy...
I have the Sunncamp Angler bivvy and it's a perfect and relatively cheap starter bivvy for short sessions, say one or two nights, during the better months of the year. It's now stored away for when 'Grandad's Little Angler' is old enough to join me night fishing.
The more expensive bivvies, like the JRC STI twin skin that I now use, are of much better quality, erect very quickly due to their 'pram-hood' design, clamp down like a limpet and are for longer sessions and use throughout the year whatever the weather. Check-out my website for a few pics.
Remember he will also need something to sleep on and a good sleeping bag - it's surprising just how cold it can be around three to four o'clock in the morning no matter what time of the year. Also a good flask with a hot drink in it.
Don't want to worry you unnecessarily, but for safety it is also better not to night fish on your own. I'm in my fifties and have been fishing for nearly forty years but would still not night fish without a buddy or two around - and besides the safety aspect, it makes it much more fun.
Make sure he is there with plenty of daylight left so he can get everything set up and familiarise himself with his surroundings before dark.
Oh yes, and don't forget the spade and a bog-roll!
Many thanks for all your info, will definately take it on board. My son who is 15 will only go fishing with his pals (4 of them, one is 21 and been fishing since he could hold a rod and is quite knowledgeable!!). Anyway he has caught the bug (and boy is it costing me and the OH) he is also an Air Cadet so has plenty of sleeping bags, good quality roll mats etc. Will probably look into buying a decent (not too expensive) tent when he does go night fishing.