Caucci/Nastasi on Color and fly tying

[Byron haugh]

I found my book by Caucci and Nastasi on a rather scientific approach to color in fly tying. They explain how color is perceived, thus recreated. They discuss its importance in fly tying/fishing; and they offer a rather organized standard for producing various colors.

This is the outside slip cover of their book in the late 19780"s:






The book has about 13 color plate pages like this one. They are intended to represent "standard" a color selection guide for tiers. The idea was to produce a standardized method, through which, a tier or fisher could accurately communicate colors to another tier/fisher...........versus saying "Sort of a light olive" which is so different between the "eyes of the beholder".

If you look closely, there are "formulae" at the bottom of each color chip which then allow one to produce that particular color through another dubbing mixing chart provided.

The color plates provide about 1,200 specific colors with their make-up formula........





The formulae above are to be applied against this chart which shows how much dubbing of each primary color is to be used to produce the 3-color mixes required for any of the 1.200 color chips.






I may not have explained it quite accurately, so correct any errors I have made in my explanation.

Yes, it never became the accepted standard as intended as it seems no standard in fly tying is ever accepted.

It did offer an intriguing method of being able to create or recreate any of 1,200 specific colors by measuring the amount of 4 dubbing primary colors against the formulae provided.....................

[Uncle Jesse]

Back in the late 1970's or early 80's Dr. Loren Hill working with bass fishing organization did quite a bit of research on color perception factoring in depth, water clarity, etc. The Color-C-Lector which would tell you what color lure to use at the depth you think the fish are holding.

[jszymczyk]

I remember some of the fuss over the "Color-C-Lector" device back in the 80's on the Great Lakes. If it said to use red, some joker would use green and catch as many fish as anyone.

I also remember reading the C/N book mentioned above and even as a kid thinking "yeah, let's STANDARDIZE a THOUSAND colors for flies.... right"

Anyone who has fished more than a few times has experienced instances when color seemed to be the absolute deciding factor, and other times when color made no difference at all. It is only one of a billion or so variables which are constantly changing, and one of the reasons fishing is so much fun. Attempts to put absolute values on those variables, and then use them to exactly quantify results, almost never work....

[Byron haugh]

Again, their attempt was to allow for the accurate communication of color between fly tiers/fishers by demonstrating a way to easily replicate a specific color. Their method was also "spectrumized" as you were mixing various proportions of 3 primary colors to replicate a specific color.

As to importance of color, as compared to the size and construction of a fly, they say this:

"We would rather fish a fly with the correct size and construction in the wrong color than one with the right color and the wrong size and construction. This is not to say that we would be successful with the wrong color - chances are, we'd fare rather poorly if the color wasn't at least close. For, while color isn't the primary component of a good imitation, it is a significant element."

[catskilljohn]

I have always been interested in the "Spectrumized" dubbing by Al and Bob, and have all their books, dubbing selections, hand guides, etc. They are sort of hero-like to me, and the Comparadun is a very killing fly on the Delaware system, probably the most used and popular dry fly on those waters since the 80's.

While the Color Guide book is interesting, I would highly recommend purchasing the pre blended dubbing from the DRC rather than trying to replicate the blends from the primary colors. The "pinch method" is pretty crude, and if you had 5 guys try it, I almost guarantee you would have 5 different colors when they were done.

I do agree with size and construction being of more importance than color, but when fishing over those finicky Delaware trout...you need all 3 components to be successful! Good post Byron. CJ