What do you think? Does the color matter? If it does matter, how do you get the color leader you want?
Allan
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What do you think? Does the color matter? If it does matter, how do you get the color leader you want?
Allan
I use Rio Powerflex leaders/tippet; doesn't appear to have any color. Freestone, pocketwater, tailwater, spring creek - the fish don't seem to care.
Regards,
Scott
To me, dry flying means no color at all for the tippet.
In fact, to inject a subject that was recently discussed on another thread, I prefer to use fluorocarbon tippet on most of my dry flies, except those insanely small pesky flies, like Tricos and such. All of my dry fly leaders are tapered mono, either Rio or Frog Hair but as I said, I prefer to tie on fluorocarbon tippet.
Larry ---sagefisher---
The question as I read it was about leader color, not tippet.
I use fire orange flurled leaders, only for all my dry fly fishing.
For nymph fishin, I prefer fluorocarbon flurled leaders I make from 2 lb.
It is clear but I should care less about color.
While looking to buy a new fly line while out in NY at a FI with the late
JC & LF, as I was having a problem making a choice of color. I asked JC and he said,
pick one you can see easily if you want to look over your shoulder to see how
your back cast is doing, the fish should care less.
So, for until someone can prove to me that the fish care, I use my orange flurled leaders
for dry fly fishin. I do manage to catch a respectable number of fish.
Denny
I am with Denny on this one. I use an Electric Yellow furled leader 99% of the time when dry fly fishing. The other 1% it is Electric Orange or some other bright color that I am testing. If bright leaders spooked fish they would be belly up in the streams from starving to death.
Brad
My opinion is that for nymphing a highly visible butt section of the leader can help as an "indicator," but for dry fly fishing leaders should be "invisible." When dry fly fishing, the point of reference for a strike is the fly and not the leader. When one needs to "see" the leader, for example when fishing fishing flies IN the film, the greased leader technique is the method of choice.
While a high viz leader may not put off all the fish, I think it spooks some fish especially when you happen to cast over a fish or if it floats over a fish. If you can see it better for your backcast, the fish can see it better in the air. The sad truth is that you will never know about the fish that you spook.
Would a turkey hunter use a fluorescent shotgun or deer hunter a day glow rifle? Why use a high viz leader which will be part of your tackle that is closest to your quarry other than the fly itself?
To those that say that the color of a leader floating over a fish does not matter because the leader is a "shadow," I reply a leader is translucent and the fish see the color quite well.
Read The Angler as Predator or listen to Gary Borger's recent podcast http://www.askaboutflyfishing.com/
I use a 5.5' two-tone Olive furled uni-thread leader pretty much exclusively for trout. Works perfectly on even the most techinical of streams for me. My tippet is clear FC.
I think Silver Creek covered this perfectly and I do exactly what he suggested. I use a yellow Amnesia butt leader for nymph fishing and an Airflo poly leader for dry fly fishing. The only thing I'd added is that when fishing very small, low floating, hard to see flies, I sometimes add a small dab of strike putty to the tippet a couple feet ahead of the fly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Silver Creek
The reason I mentioned tippet is because my leader rarely stays intact very long, either due to fly changes or break-offs, so I have to add tippet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Denny
Regards,
Scott
Then there is the fact that some people tie the fly directly to the leader and do that until they have used a foot or so of leader, then they start using tippet. Personally I always use tippet, but that is just me. Larry ---sagefisher---
John,
I also use strike putty for hard to see flies like spinners at dusk. Just as important as being to locate the fly is detecting subtle drag. When the strike putty drags, recast.
I'm sure you also know that there is a phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark strike putty that you can hit with a UV light for night fly fishing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnstoeckel
If your theory on leaders is correct, that phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark strike putty should not cause any problems at all...
Brad
15 ft. Leaders clear as possible 6x Tippett makes a difference keep that fly line out of sight ,for dry fly fishing . If you don't care if you catch fish any color will do.
My error in not phrasing the question I wanted to ask properly. I meant to say the terminal portion of the leader or tippet and specifically when fishing dry flies. The reason I posed the question was that I recently reread THE COMPLETE FLY FISHERMAN, Notes & Letters of Theodore Gordon. Several times in his writings he(Gordon) mentions the negative aspect of a floating leader(the impression of the leader 'on' the water frightens the trout) and that the color of the 'leader' may be important. I have a feeling that with the material at that time, gut and horsehair, he was most concerned with the last few feet nearest the fly.
I think he was writing about fishing in water that was clear, not off-color or quick moving. If you've read Gordon's Notes & Letters what do you think and/or do you think his opinion was valid.
Allan
BillySpey,
If you don't care if you catch fish any color will do.
Hum, I average 35 to 50, 12 to 16 inch cutts per outing of about 4 hours. I fish from a pontoon in high Mtn lakes. Crystal clear water and fish rising so cast to them. MY Bright orange flurled leaders are only about five ft in length and I add a 3 ft tippet.
So, I think that whatever works for each fly fisher in your home water would be perfect. Do not assume someone else needs to use what you prefer and that they do not care if they catch fish. I find your statement insulting and are numbers actually all that important? I'd say presentation is far more important than color of a leader. Just my 2 cents worth.
Come fish with me and I will & can show you. More than one way to catch fish.
Denny
Anyone recall reading about the very difficult trout that was only taken after the fly was attached to a tippet constructed of black thread? I think it was written by Schwiebert,...and possibly told in Trout. As I remember, the lesson relayed was that it wasn't so much the color of the tippet or possibly the size of the tippet that mattered as much in this scenario as it was the thread's incredibly limp quality which allowed for a better presentation.
Since I only catch the most suicidal trout, any testing of this theory done by me would be pointless.
In an article in "Fly Fisherman" many years ago, George Anderson wrote about using red Amnesia mono for his dry fly leader butt sections. He insisted that the color made no difference, even when fishing the Paradise Valley spring creeks. Just another view.
Chuck
I use Berkley "Big Game" mono in Fluorescent Chartreuse for my leader butts in either 40# or 30#. Helps me to see takes and gage distance. My terminal tippet is clear mono or fluorocarbon depending on wet/dry application. I think the biggest issue if fishing upstream presentations is to NOT line over catchable fish in their feeding lanes, and get a natural presentation. When this becomes near to impossible, scout out your approach and 'feed' line and leader downstream to deliver the fly. I think a nice soft delivery and a good drag-free drift trumps color any day! The leader material and construction should be such that it instills confidence for the fisherman to consistently achieve good drifts/presentation.
I use white cotton thread (mercerized) for my furled leaders construction. Just like your blue jeans these furled leaders last forever and a day...
You can also used colored cotton thread (mecerized) with each of the two runs a different color or shade of color, depending on the stream/river coloration...
~Parnelli
I spent 4 years perfecting my "Big Furled Leader Formula", that have have sent out at no cost to the party requesting the CD, to flyanglers all around the world...
Listen to The Angler as Predator podcast featuring Gary Borger. It ill be available free for only a short time.
Gary discusses leader flash at about 43 minute in and earlier he addressed fly line color specifically high visibility fly lines.
http://www.askaboutflyfishing.com/po...how_130807.mp3
http://www.askaboutflyfishing.com/index.cfm#
Rene Harrop fishes and markets a 14 ft leader.
People tend to form conclusions based upon their personal experiences. I believe it all depends on the fishing conditions. If you are fishing spring creek type water which is also heavily fished, I think you would/will find a relatively long, clear leader is more productive. Personally, I don't like fishing the really long leaders. I like the 9 ft. variety, but I understand why others opt for the longer leaders. It does offer additional ability to avoid micro drag for a longer period of time during the presentation - at least that is my personal belief.
As I said, depends on fishing conditions. A really long leader is hard to handle in a tiny little stream where your casts are very short..........