Fly Color

Stevie-B

Stevie-B

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Joined
Oct 25, 2006
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414
I was reading one of the stream reports and it mentioned catching fish on a blue copper john. This reminded me of an article that I read how trout are attracked to blues and violets. Does anyone use blue colored flies on a regular basis?

Steve
 
I had mentioned the blue copper johns. Coincidentally I just picked up Meck's book on tandom rigs. In there he mentions a blue sub-surface fly. I didn't make the connection until you posted. I'll check tonight and see more details. Meck also has been promoting his "Pittsburg Steelers Egg" which is a black and yellow pattern. In his fly tying video he claims someone did research and found one of the trout species (forget which also need to check) reacting to black and yellow more than any other color combinations.

During the winter I fish San Juan worms in the LL Heritage section. I have noticed that rainbows seem more likely to take red while browns tend to take green.
 
tabasco_joe

I believe it was Mech who wrote the aritcle on the blue flies. He said something about how they died a bunch of fish eggs different colors and the fish were eating the blues first.

As far as black and yellow goes, growing up in Missouri all that I fished before picking up the fly rod was a black and yellow marabou jig. Worked on rainbows and browns, wild and stocked. Never had much luck with it here in PA though.

Steve
 
I'm very interested in seeing where this particular post leads, because it's not only a very interesting topic, it also opens the door, if just slightly, on the old "match the hatch" scenario of course!? (but, then too, all the beautiful fish I've caught over the years on a Royal Coachman, sort of goes a long way on at least partially destroying that theory anyway!?)
"Colors of flies" have always intrigued me so I'm also interested to see what others have had luck with, color and color combo, wise/ "which fish, attracts to which color the most", etc.
When fishing for Sea Run Cutthroat, we almost hide our flies, in shame, lest someone else see them and look at us sort of funny", but the colors we use, are the only color combos that seem to work time after time, and on quite large trout!?!
"Chartreuse-body, with a hot pink butt, crystal flash-down wing and canary yellow hackle over that", is just a hint at what we use!?! "Borden's Special", "The Caballero" and the "Spruce Fly" are a few that have wilder than most color combos but work like a charm, for not only Sea Run Cutts, but also in smaller sizes, for West Slope Cutts and the occasional Rainbow as well!?!
I've also had great success using the "Blue Bottle Fly", for, both Rainbows and Cutthroats, in answer to your question of; "Anyone,else, use blue colored flies?"
Thanks, Stevie-B for the post!
 
Stevie-B wrote:

As far as black and yellow goes, growing up in Missouri all that I fished before picking up the fly rod was a black and yellow marabou jig. Worked on rainbows and browns, wild and stocked. Never had much luck with it here in PA though.

Steve
Click to expand...

Whachinz 'tink at some fish'll take a bite outta da Black 'n Gold?
Yinz er nutz! And it'll never work on dem Brownies!
 
I figured that in this part of the state the trout would be pissed to see those colors and strike out of aggression. :-D
 
Isn't there a book called "What the Trout Saw" that covers color and fish behavior? I know I read something about this. A lure designer tested color at various depths. Blue is most visible at greater depths, 20' or more. So I am sure that it would be more effective at some depths than other colors (which turn black).

I'd say what is just as important as color is hue. The amount of light given off by the blue may match another color. The blue may appear green in a few feet of water. The hue or the color that the blue appears to be could be a match for a bug that is active right now.
 
Interesting thread, I've sometimes used blue when fishing for Steelhead on the Erie Tribs. Back when I used to do that anyway.

In John Nagy's book, Steelhead Guide he says:

"Blue is the last color visibile to a steelhead before nightfall and the first color it can see in the morning."

He goes on to say:

"Reds and oranges have a longer wave lengh and become less visible due to absorption versus the shorter wave lengh colors such as yellow, green and blue."

I tested this once while fishing on the Erie Tribs and had great success just before dusk. My blood dot was blue with a chartreuse dot and I picked up a dozen fish in the last hour of the day. I fished all day and didn't get so much as a strike, but that last hour saved my day. It was cold and there was snow on the ground. Also a ton of anglers, even in the winter. Not a shock on the Erie Tribs, that's part of why I don't enjoy it anymore.

Back to the point though, from what I've read, the depth of water and the amount of sunlight and then obviously the clarity of the water have a large impact on what color fly will attract fish.

There used to be a website called Steelheading101.com that's no longer a published page, but the author had very good detail on what colors the fish see throughout the day based on the spectrum of light and which would be most effective.

While your question seems to be specific to trout, I would expext similarities between behavior of trout and Steelhead.

Hope that's helpful.
 
as an avid night fisherman I can tell you from experience that color doesn't mean diddly squat at night.A 2/0 or 2 streamer in black,white,blue,yellow,olive,red or any combination will work equally well.
However its been my experience anyway that a 2 or 4 marabou muddler used as a big trout locator-not to be confused with catcher-when there is light,works best in white or black-a little less so in olive,brown or yellow-and a waste of time in blue or orange or other vivid colors.
Streamers incorporating the vivid colors in olive can work.
By locator I mean one that will get a look over by larger trout.
What if anything this means,I am not sure only that it seemed to bbe a pretty reliable ROT.rule of thumb
 
I've always thought that blue was particualrly good for attractors, for both trout and bass.
 
My personal experience...

As far as the vivid colors go, red and pink gets more rainbows and brookies, green seems to get brownies.

For low light fishing, you can't beat solid black. It gives the strongest silhouette.

The silhouette point leads me to an observation I made while tuna fishing one time. We used "camo" line, which was made of about 5 different colors. It was almost a tie died color. The idea is that the fish can see the silhouette of a solid line, but the camo pattern broke it up, just like camo clothing works. Anyone ever seen this? It was years ago and may have been a passing fad.
 
JayL.............. Yes, I not only remember "Camoline", I have a spool of it and it's as you describe.........."like tie died". It is still in use, for salt, in certain areas I guess and still available from "World Wide Sportsman", via Bass Pro shops!
I don't use mine, anymore, and was going to string beans and tomatoes with it, until I realized if I did............ I may not be able to find my garden again!?!
 
Meck wrote an article about the Blue Berry. It was basically an egg tied up in blue. He said that it was his go to fly when nothing else would work.
 
Ryan,

I believe that is the same article I read. If I remember correctly, they ran (or someone) an experiment with real fish eggs died different colors placed in a tank to see which the fish preferred. The fish were all but fighting over the blues.

Steve
 
I'm surpised no one's made a "camo" fly line.
 
I tried that camo flyline. I switched it out for a bed spring. Far more castable and much less of a problem with coiling.

I would just go with a tan or olive flyline. Or maybe a long leader.
 
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