Saw a purple fly posted here yesterday, one of Wally Wiese's go to BWOs.



In seven years fly fishing down in SE Idaho on moving water for trout, I don't recall ever hearing a reference to the "Purple Haze" or any purple flies for other than Steelhead fishing. If I did hear a reference, it was so isolated and irrelevant that it didn't stick.

I get up here to Western Montana and was promptly informed that the "Purple Haze" is one of the, if not the, most important flies you can fish on the moving water around here, and that is a lot of moving water. When I asked one of the local experts ( and it might have been the guy who came up with the fly in the first place ), I was told that it had something to do with how the color purple is visible in water. Honestly, the explanation didn't make a lot of sense to me. But that is on me, not on the guy who gave the explanation.

So when I saw Wally's fly yesterday, it got me to wondering again about the purple craze and what it is all about. Thought maybe some of the BB members would have some experiences and insight into the whole thing, and could shed some light on the subject.

John

P.S. I'm not knocking the fly or the color purple, or any advocates of purple flies. Just trying to get more information and opinions.