Does flyline colour affect fish catching?

[saflyfish]

I was wondering what difference fly line colour makes on catching fish.Does a bright line eg.white,flouro orange prevent strikes by fish?Does a camo line catch more fish?

Suggestions welcome

[Jed]

I think if you have an appropriate length leader and tippet then no. In crystal clear waters my fly is 13 - 15 feet from the end of the line, otherwise 8-10 feet.

jed

[BigFlatBrook]

From the trout's eye, the light source behind the fly line silouettes the line and washes out the color. The same effect washes out the color of a dry fly and makes it less important than you might think. At least, that's the way I'm currently thinking.

There's a feature on FAOL somewhere that demonstrtes this effect for dry flies, but you can extrapolate the principle to fly lines. I temporarily can't remember what it's called, but I'm sure you could find it.

So, in my opinion, buy a fly line that you can easily see on the water and fish those Adams'.

[featherchucker]

What Jed said! The other week while pond fishing, I saw a few casts into new water spook a number of fish from their spots right next to the shore in skinny water. Particularly when the presentation was more like heavy ordinance than feather soft and stealthy. I use green, neon yellow, and yellow orange lines and the fish that spooked saw the line and ske-daddled while it was still incoming about a foot and a half above the water. Some fish also spook when you "line" them by over passing them with a retrieve. And on the other hand, some hungry fish will strike the flyline like trying to smash a bug.

An Orvis employee I spoke with last month was switching his 10 wt albie reel to clear line to avoid getting it cut by fish during a blitz.

good presentation, stealthy watercraft, sufficient leader/tippet length should allow you to use "psychedelic" line if you so choose......IMO and 2 cents. HTH.

Steve

[Newfoundlander]

I've heard somewhere that a neutral colour line such as a white line is best, but I'm sorry I don't really know the reasoning behind it.

later
MIke

[This message has been edited by Newfoundlander (edited 08 December 2005).]

[mantis]

I believe Jed has it right. Still, I favor muted color fly lines. Any color line that slaps the water or lands over trout in shallow water can spook them...Just natural instinct.

[blue gill]

In my experience it depends if it is sunny or over cast. And in my opinion you should be less worried about the color of your line but what color and how big a splash your strike indicator makes. Just my opinion.

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Alex

[alaskanfishguides]

I have had fish hit the strike indicator as well. Another vote for Jed. Instead of focusing on line color, we should focus on presentation and stealth (ala Featherchucker and Bluegill).

[Olive_Matuka]

From the fish's point of view, the opaque line will be noticeable regardless of color, especially on sunny days, because they will be looking up from below. Then of course, there's the issue that fish see different colors than we do, so orange to you is not orange to a fish. Jed has iit right - as long as your line is nowhere near the fish and the leader is doing its' job, no worries.

[lee s]

It seems that color is more of an issue to us, generally. We like stuff we can see first. We find most of our spooked fish from the line, is from the line SHADOW. By the time it splashes, most have departed anyway.
Fish must be able to see above the water. Else why do we spook some just casting over them and have some take a bug before it even hits the water? Many consciously keep their false casts away from above their targets.
Yep, agreed, stealth and presentation #1. Line color generally for us.
....lee s.