Orange Post/Catch Rate--

[lastchance]

Hi All. I didn't want to jump the resin post thread so I began this one. Do you ever notice if your catch rate is lower with a brightly colored post like orange or red? I guess it's my imagination, but I feel like i don't get as many takes. I dunno', just wondering.

This is not meant for argument, but just an exchange of thoughts and ideas.

[ScottP]

Bruce,

Since I started using brightly colored posts (and orange is my favorite), or at least incorporating some color into them, I find I'm catching more fish, probably because I can see the fly better. White posts look great, but when I fish them in moving water they often disappear among all the foam in the feeding lanes. It may not be the case on small spring creeks with gentle flows that allow the fish to inspect every thread turn, but I don't fish that kind of water very much; one tailwater that I fish often has supposedly "educated" trout that see a lot of fishing pressure and they don't mind the bright posts. Just my 1/50th of a dollar.

Regards,
Scott

[Bruce Norikane]

My results are the same as Scott's.

I've been skeptical about bright orange, but the advantages for small flies in ripply, foamy water won out for me. I used to reserve the hi viz for tough viewing conditions, but last year I tied most parachutes in hi-viz orange. I also add orange "hotspots" to hard to see flies like Griffith's Gnats. Although these are hotspots intended for my eyes, I sometimes think the fish like them too.

I use both bright fluorescent orange EP fibers and spooled antron that is marked Fluorescent Orange. The EP Fibers are much brighter and more reflective, and sometimes I think they are too much, so I go with the antron. Both catch fish.

I've caught some large browns in fairly slow water with orange posts. Last Friday, I spent the whole day fishing ants in the calm water next to the bank, and I had a great day on some very highly pressured water. I alternated both white and orange posts and several of the biggest browns took the orange.

It's a paradox for me, because last year I switched off orange Thingamabobbers to transparent ones or more subtle Aussie wool indicators. I convinced myself that it made a difference in hard fished waters. It doesn't make sense that an orange indicator floating a few feet above a nymph would be more alarming than an orange post on a fly, but I switched, and now I only use the orange bobber in heavy current.

I have some fishing buddies that are very reluctant to use my hi-viz flies. When I offer them a choice, they pick the natural.

[NJTroutbum]

Have never noticed a difference.

[whatfly]

Just depends on the situation. Sometimes you just have to fish the pattern you cannot see.

[Joe Billingsley]

I used to use dun or tan posts to match the wing color of the fly I was tying. I now use black, pink, orange, red, reflective pearl, and whatever else I can see better. I catch just as many if not more fish now because, as Scott said, I can see the fly and the take better. I know La Fontaine said the wing is the first part of the fly that a fish sees, but with a much lower riding parachute fly I believe the the body of the fly in or just under the film is what gets them to strike, not a hatch matching wing color.

Of course, I've been wrong before.......

Joe

[redietz]

I agree with those above who catch more fish with the brightly colored posts, for the reason stated: I can it better. The only parachute pattern that I usually fish is an ant, so the color of the post is never going to match any wing. I tie with a variety of post colors (orange, red, yellow, green, white) and use the one most visible for the conditions. I doubt that the fish ever see the post.

[SRT]

I do like fishing parachutes, and tie both White and Orange posts regularly (sometimes yellow, or pink but I find them less visible in most situations). If there is any chance that I will have trouble seeing a fly, an orange post is used. I have noticed my catch rate increased. I think this is 100% due to my being able to see the fly, and get a better drift. I would prefer to use a white, or dun post, as they more accurately represent the wing, but any benefit of the representitive wing is lost with a poor drift.