Furled Leader Color

jay348

jay348

Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2011
Messages
744
Hey everyone, need an opinion here.

I recently began making my own furled leaders out of uni tying thread. The one I've been using is a green/tan combo like this:

http://www.shop.cutthroatleader.com/76-Camo-Furled-Leaders-76-camo.htm

I love how it fishes and I've caught a bunch, but my question is this: Based on what a fish sees, would any other colors work better or worse? I've fished one in olive too, and it looks invisible on top of the water (to me), but is the solid, dark color more visible to the fish?

Or am I over thinking this?
 

Let's look at it this way... Pick up all your leaders, whatever colours you've made. Grab some tippet too.

Now, lay down. On your back. Position some light above your head, the sun's good coz its warm and will relax your muscles, but try not to stare into it. Or, stare into it. What do I care? Just don't blame me when your eyes burn out to nothing. Hell, all I'm gonna do is laugh at you.

OK, good, you down there? Comfy? Great, got some light above your head? Awesome. Now, pick up a dark coloured leader. Hold it above your head, what colour is it? Pick up a light one...what colour is it? You mean, they're basically the same?! Thin dark lines of material and all that? What about the mono, I mean, its clear, right...it can't...Wait, its basically a thin darker line, too?

In other words, I doubt it matters too much. Its the thinness of the thing that makes the ultimate difference. Obviously, things like the thin, clear tippet are going to transfer more light being, well, clear, but even that'll leave something across the surface, more so when its sitting in the water's meniscus and that much more visible.

Remember, the fish is stupid enough to ignore the giant metal spike coming out of the fly's ***, and that's about to go into his mouth an inch or less away from his eyes, a spidery line across the surface can't be nearly as much of an issue.


 
I use Blue Sky furled leaders for all FF. They are a light greenish color.
I don't think the color is a big deal, like gfen said, there is a big metal hook sticking out of the butt of the fly. And how many times does the orange or yellow fly line cross the area we are fishing for a fish to take there anyway. I try to be as stealthy as possible but I don't think leader color is a big deal.
 
cool. i figured it wouldn't matter a ton.

troutpoop, do you use those in the winter as well? I was thinking about it and could see ice being a pain... but any more so than mono?
 
I haven't have any issues using the furled leaders, period. I like them and they give me versatility, IMHO. I tie on one or two lengths of tippet depending on the use and length of furled leader.
I use the shorter, 5'8" leaders for most uses with some 4X and then 5X.
If fishing for spooky fish I may add some 6X or switch to the still water leader from blue sky which is much longer and do a similar deal with tippets. Works for me and they turn over easily.
 
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