Trout flies and color

[oldster]

I have read from several "Experts" that fly color doesen't matter. If so I am wasting a bunch of time and money on stuff I'm tying flies with. Think about it! if color doesen't matter would our flies all be a boring dull grey? Would the beautiful traditional flies exist? I know a lot of great tyers who go to a lot of pains to get that bug they are tying just the right shade and that has been the traditon since Dame Juliania wrote her Treatisie. For myself, I really enjoy creating flies that imitate the size, shape and COLOR of Insects. I think color does matter. At least It gives me confidence in the thing on the end of my leader if it looks like the real thing. I believe that confidence in the fly that you are using is one of the greatest tools we use to catch fish And mine are going to match the size, shape and color as best as I can make it. What do you think?

[FishnDave]

When the trout aren't biting copper/brown, I try black. If they aren't hitting black, I'll try white. If those 3 fail (which is seldom), I'll try flies with more than one color...like olive/black or orange/black for example.
Some days the fish show definite preference for one color over another. That tells me color DOES matter.

I can't speak to precise color matching to a natural fly/nymph/pupa, however, simply because my fishing isn't that sophisticated yet.

[rainbowchaser]

I don't know of anyone who says that color does not matter at all at least in the part of the fly that is in the water (wings are another matter). I do believe that it is near the bottom of the scale of importance. For me the most important factor is presentation including movement in the materials followed by size and then silhouette of the fly. When I am satisfied with all of those things I will try to match the the color as closely as I can. While I try to have fairly exact matches for the insects I expect to encounter I have caught many fish with general imitations chosen by that criteria. I also admit to fishing colorful attractors at times but who says I have to be consistent. I'm doing this for fun!

[malevo]

Color also became important when we arrange them in contrasting pattern. think about the zebra pattern. All black with silver stripes.
M

[Panman]

I think that both color and size are quite important. I fish a small walk in lake that has a good population of brookies. I usually carry three different colors of flies. These flies are all the same size and the same pattern. Brown ranks number one ,black number two and grey a distant number three. This has happened on several trips to the lake.

Also size seems to be important. I think fish are prone to ignore flies that are too big or too small.

Tim

Tim

[malevo]

In my experience color matters more when fishing under the surface. However, fly colors change when wet depending on the materials. What you think is orange when dry, it could become a brown under a couple of feet of water (assuming good water clarity). On top, you can get along most of the time with light vs. dark colors. For example a light gray dun to fish a sulfur hatch.
M

[Byron haugh]

I have read from several "Experts" that fly color doesen't matter. If so I am wasting a bunch of time and money on stuff I'm tying flies with. Think about it! if color doesen't matter would our flies all be a boring dull grey? Would the beautiful traditional flies exist? I know a lot of great tyers who go to a lot of pains to get that bug they are tying just the right shade and that has been the traditon since Dame Juliania wrote her Treatisie. For myself, I really enjoy creating flies that imitate the size, shape and COLOR of Insects. I think color does matter. At least It gives me confidence in the thing on the end of my leader if it looks like the real thing. I believe that confidence in the fly that you are using is one of the greatest tools we use to catch fish And mine are going to match the size, shape and color as best as I can make it. What do you think?

Who are the "experts" you have read?

Trout do have color vision.
It is one of the last features a trout makes out when approaching an insect or fly.
If you have good presentation, good size, and good shape, why not also have good color????
Why not?
Most real experts I know say it can be an issue, so why not take it into account???

What is the possible advantage of not using appropriate color?

Here's my question: if there are rusty spinners on the water, do you think a green spinner would work as well as a rust colored one?

[sagefisher]

There are those rare times when you could toss a kitchen sink out and get a fish, then, color really doesn't matter.

However, those are very rare times and the rest of the time color and to a lesser degree, size, do matter, very much.

Since we never know for sure just what will peak the interest of the fish at that particular time and day, that is why we have so many colors of the same style of fly.

Rainbowchaser brought out a very good point. Presentation is far more important than color. No matter what the color of fly, if you don't present it properly then you will not catch near as many fish.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[Byron haugh]

I also listed presentation first.
However, one's presentation is not the issue when deciding whether or not to match the color of the insect you are imitating. Your presentation abilities are extremely important, but they are what they are. Then, it comes down to picking the correct size, shape, and color of the fly to imitate the insect.

If you were to take two fishermen of the same presentation skills, then it comes to the fly as to which one might be the more successful.

[johnstoeckel]

IMO presentation, profile, and size trump color. A lot of days, I could probably do as well with a well presented Adams or Royal Coachman in the right size than with a more exact colored imitation. However, there are certain conditions, certain lies, and certain fish where that more exact imitation might be needed and who's to know in advance when you might run into that situation. So I try to match the size, profile, and color of the bugs that are on the water -- just in case.

Also, for me, learning about the different bugs -- what they are, when they hatch, what size and color they are -- and having flies to match them adds to the enjoyment. of the experience. That is, it's more fun to catch a trout during a fall BWO hatch on a Baetis dry fly that I tied for that hatch than on an Adams.