Interesting article about fly color for bass and trout >
https://www.flyfisherman.com/editorial/does-fly-color-matter/365180
https://www.flyfisherman.com/editorial/does-fly-color-matter/365180
Fly color
- Thread starter afishinado
- Start date
A good article.
For me and I'm gonna generalize, but it's shape, size, drift and color last. Especially when it relates to dry fly fishing. Then the time of day, clarity of the water, speed of the riffle, time of year are all factors.
Basically I'm rolling the dice every time I go fly fishing.
For me and I'm gonna generalize, but it's shape, size, drift and color last. Especially when it relates to dry fly fishing. Then the time of day, clarity of the water, speed of the riffle, time of year are all factors.
Basically I'm rolling the dice every time I go fly fishing.
tomgamber
Well-known member
I'll agree with that. If just use presentation instead of drift to cover more ground. And luck, you can always use luck.
REDNECK_FLYFISHER
Member
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2015
- Messages
- 132
Being colorblind I used to think I would not be able to fly fish because of it. I was told when I was younger that color really mattered . I am glad I didn't listen to these people and tried any way. Color may matter but I worry about size and presentation.
MKern
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2006
- Messages
- 3,822
Saw a speaker once who said that everything is a shade of grey against a back light. He tied all dry flies in either light, medium, or dark grey and stated that his hook-up ratio didn't change from traditional patterns.
Kinda makes sense. Hold anything up to a light or the sun and it all appears grey.
Not saying a fish's eye sees the same as ours does though.
Kinda makes sense. Hold anything up to a light or the sun and it all appears grey.
Not saying a fish's eye sees the same as ours does though.
I have to agree that lots of times guys put too much emphasis on the wrong things, including exact color matches.
Some also go too far in the other direction, and generalize too much.
I agree with the rest that shape and size are probably at the top of the list.
Regarding color, I try to be in the same general ballpark colorwise as the real thing, without being obsessive about it. I figure that even if the trout can't discern the fine differences in my artificial fly coloring, they also can't discern a real insects true coloring either, but at least my offering looks to be the same shade of gray or green or purple as the real thing, without worrying about biological or anatomical details in the fish's eyes.
Some also go too far in the other direction, and generalize too much.
I agree with the rest that shape and size are probably at the top of the list.
Regarding color, I try to be in the same general ballpark colorwise as the real thing, without being obsessive about it. I figure that even if the trout can't discern the fine differences in my artificial fly coloring, they also can't discern a real insects true coloring either, but at least my offering looks to be the same shade of gray or green or purple as the real thing, without worrying about biological or anatomical details in the fish's eyes.
With dries, he's probably not too far off.
But with the rest of the stuff that we fish subsurface, or bouncing along the bottom, they aren't backlit, so I think that coloring matters to a point. To how much of that point though I'm not sure, so I try to be generally close in color.
