Best Color for Dry Fly Leaders?

[Silver Creek]

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.

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.

[Kaboom1]

If your theory on leaders is correct, that phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark strike putty should not cause any problems at all...

Brad

[billyspey]

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.

[Allan]

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

[Denny]

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

[Bugsy]

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.

[Chuck441]

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

[appalachian angler]

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.

[Steven McGarthwaite]

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...

[Silver Creek]

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#