Paint Hooks?

[Allan]

Years ago I bought a bunch of hooks from a tier who had to stop tying. He had painted, or maybe it was nail polish, the shanks of about 1/4 of his dry fly hooks white. At the time I asked him why and he told me that the white shank kept light color dubbed bodies closer to the color of the dry dubbing material when the fly became wet. Since then I've occassionally done this - paint the shank white -. Now I'm not saying this actually helps or makes a difference in terms of fishing success. I'm simply asking if anyone has heard of this technique and has done it. If so, any opinion?

Allan

[Byron haugh]

Have heard of this, but if you are dubbing over a thread base???????

[whatfly]

Sure, an old technique that I've read about, although never observed. As Byron says, not much point on modern flies with a thread base, but considering the more translucent nature of silk, I guess it was a more common technique is when silk predominated.

[NJTroutbum]

I've never heard of painting the shanks. But I have heard of tying with white thread.

[Byron haugh]

Why white thread v. One the same as the color of the intended dubbing or similar?

[NJTroutbum]

It is said to bring out the color better when wet with silk and floss bodied streamers. Never tried it myself.

[redietz]

I've certainly heard of it, but never done it. Touching wraps of white thread up and back are what I usually put under floss.

I have, however, painted hooks red and just fished the bare hook. It can be surprisingly effective.

[Ray Kunz]

What is the red paint supposed to do? I note that some hooks are available pre-painted.

[Byron haugh]

Tiny red aquatic worms.

[okflyfisher]

I have tried white fingernail polish on the hook for for cream zebra midge pupa s with thread and fine wire rib over the polish. it helped get closer to the right color when wet.