line question?

[ryguyfi]

What color is your line? I've seen many colors, and pick the attributes of my line rather than the color. I have three reels, one line is dark green, one bright green, and I think the other is white (can't remember). Just wonder if anyone likes any particular color, and why?

 

[tomgamber]

I like a duller color best but like you said it about the performance. My newest line is gray.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

I bought a Monic clear line I think that is the way to go,have yellow, green,and tan. I don't think the color make a difference with most fish just as long as your leader is long enough .Clear water spooky fish I think the clear would be better.i know that the fellows in New Zealand use tan or brown lines no green or yellow.They also often fish 12ft. or longer leaders.They are after really wild fish in gin clear water.Spot and fish.Tough fishing for sure.

 

[jayL]

I never put much thought into it, and doubt that the fish care.

I have peach on my 4wt, chartruse on my 5wt and 9wt, and some ugly drab green on my 3wt. The 6wt line I just bought for my new rod is chart. as well.

I do avoid shiny reels though.

 

[pcray1231]

I try to go for drab colors, my current line is Rio's "camo", a dark green. I don't know if having a bright yellow or chartreuse would make any difference at all. In most cases, probably not, but why risk it?

 

[JasonS]

I'm not too concerned about the line color and whether a certain color will spook fish. I pick the line that will best work for the rod and particular application. If I have a choice of colors then I will pick one that goes good with the rod/reel. I have an olive line on my ZeroG, it really ties the outfit together.

 

[CLSports]

I never really thought the fly line color mattered all that much until this weekend. I went out with a buddy and forgot to bring my reel so I borrowed his for the day. It had a dark olive line on it. I didn't notice that this line was a problem all day until late in the evening when the sun was setting and there was a good glare on the water. I was casting a size 22 griffith's gnat to a few risers in a still pool. All of my reels have lines that are somewhat lighter in color than what I was using on his reel. I found it very difficult in this particular situation to determine the distance and direction of my casts with this dark line since I could not see it very well. I guess I am used to seeing my line easily when I shoot a false cast or two. I use that to determine distance and direction of my line before the final cast. I was basically blind casting to these risers which I really needed to pull off a very precise presentation in order to catch them. Long story short, I didn't get any of these fish and put them down after about 10 bad attemps. Lesson learned for me . . .

Rob

 

[flyfishermanj]

Guys,

Try to think about this from a fish's perspective? I would think whatever the color of the line it's silhouette would be dark. No matter the color of your shirt your shadow and silhouette is dark against a lighter background. I think the color of the line is more for the fisherman than the fish. As CLS just stated. it helps with knowing the distance and drift of your cast.

JH

 

[tabasco_joe]

We had a presentation from Ozzie Ozefovich at our TU meting last spring. Ozzie is the guy who puts out the underwater videos of trout. He says he can see trout react differently to bright colored lines. He suggests using dull colors like grey, olive, brown.

Bruce Fisher of Penns Creek Angler also says in his experience bright lines scare fish.

On the flip side I asked George Daniels and he didn't think it mattered if you used a long leader.

I tried dying a few lines and it's possible to make bright green or orange lines into a nice olive color. That's the way I go now.

 

[vern]

Hey Tobasco Joe
What dyes and dying technique do you use?

Vern

 

[tabasco_joe]

I use Rit dyes. Wash the line with a mild detergent. Heat the water to below boiling, Add the dye. I use a gallon milk container with the top cut off. I make a loose coil with the line and use wire tie wraps loosely around it to use as handles while I agitate it in the water. It takes a few minutes of agitation until the dye takes. After you get the color you want takes the line out and rinse it off in cool water. Afterwords I use a line conditioner before re-spooling. (I dry the line pror to conditioning.) I've been doing this a few years and haven't noticed any negative impact to line reliability. Of course they are harder to see, but that's the point.

 

[vern]

Thanks Joe,

I'll give it a try!

Vern