Trout flies and color

[herefishy]

I don't exactly remember Gary LaFontaine's theory on colors and light, but basically it was based on "gray day gray fly" type stuff. Certain colors for certain atmospheric conditions. I'm sure color has something to do with why fish grab something, I'm just not sure how to conduct even quasi scientific testing. But I do think it would be foolish to fish a hatch with the wrong color. Now if there weren't an active hatch, who knows? There are plenty of tales of using hoppers during a trico hatch and catching fish.

[redietz]

If your fishing over trout in catch and release areas size color and silouette will always be important .

You'll never hear me argue against silhouette -- as seen from below.

I do fish over trout in heavily pressure catch and release areas at least once a week, and usually more often. I've experiment with color extensively over several decades, deliberately fishing flies with colors that don't match the hatch, often in a two fly team with one that doesn match the hatch. (Of course, only to human eyes; who knows what fish perceive.) Color matters very little, especially compared to factors like how high does the fly float (for dries) where in the column it's presented (for wets), whether it's moving or dead drifted (for both), size, impression on the water, shape, etc. For a dry, parachute vs. compardun vs. conventionally hackled all matter far more than color. Composition of dubbing -- does it trap air bubbles? -- matter more than it's color.

As I've said, color sometimes does matter -- if it's a case of visibility, or a case of presenting the appearance of motion.

Presentation starts with fly selection -- no matter how much floatant you put on a beadhead, for example, it's going to be hard to present as a dry fly. (Extreme example -- but a high riding dry doesn't make a very good emerger, etc).

It may very well be true that an Adams or Griffith's Gnat don't work on your waters -- although I've taken nice fish on difficult streams like the Letort on both -- but I'd bet that factors other than color are involved.

[redietz]

The latest (March/April 2014) issue of American Angler has an editorial on pg. 72 by Bruce Ingram titled. "Confessions of a Color Heretic" in which he states, "the color of our flies rarely has anything to do with whether ... trout ... strike our offering."
.

I agree with you that his logic was very flawed, even if do think that color is low on the importance scale.

Do you have any data on how many times a fish needs to be caught and released on a fly before it learns to avoid it? I've released trout that immediately, before swimming off, grabbed the same fly that I had just taken out of their mouth, now dangling in the water, while I reviving them. I've also broken off fish, and retrieved my fly immediately after when they took an identical fly. They must learn at some point, but I don't think it's from a one time experience.

I think you're making a possibily unfounded assumption in your truth table (which remind's me of Pascal's wager) and that is that "wager for color" necessarily means that flies are more effective if color matters. Let's assume for sake of argument that color does matter. What we perceive as the correct color (in a fly that is not yet wet) may look entirely different to the fish, especially after it's wet. Wager "for color" if this is case may cause us to not try a more effective fly which doesn't appear to us to be correct.

[jszymczyk]

Bottom line... If color DID NOT MATTER in some way, then everything out there would be the same color. And things would be extremely boring. So YES, color matters, in about a billion different ways, which is probably about the same number of ways in which it does not matter... That being said, there is no way we as fly tiers can REPRODUCE the colors and the way fish interpret them- by using our materials compared to the natural substances that fish food is made of. We can probably get close, but it is not possible to know for sure. I'm just happy that fish are willing to be caught.

[Micropteris]

From my own personal observations color like any other variable, depth, presentation, size, shape, profile, vibration, speed, smell, visibility, movement, electromagnetism, etc...... that will trigger a response from a fish sometimes matters and sometimes doesn't. I fish a lot of teams of flies to give the fish an instantaneous choice and the results can be surprising, even fly location on the team can be factor on certain days. Once you think you have the fish figured out, they can make you feel pretty stupid the next time out, it can be quite humbling.

There are days where fish will have a preference of selection and there are days when they won't. Some days one specific variable is the trigger and other times it doesn't make a difference in the world. There are many reasons in favor of and favor against any of these variables. It is always interesting to see these debates and watch people argue with each other until they are blue in the face. Fishing boils down to playing the game of selection which personally I believe where the fun of it is. I love the great diversity of flies and gear that target all these variables. It keeps things moving and makes me think, and pops my fat head when I need it.

[Silver Creek]

I agree with you that his logic was very flawed, even if do think that color is low on the importance scale.


I think you're making a possibily unfounded assumption in your truth table (which remind's me of Pascal's wager) and that is that "wager for color" necessarily means that flies are more effective if color matters. Let's assume for sake of argument that color does matter. What we perceive as the correct color (in a fly that is not yet wet) may look entirely different to the fish, especially after it's wet. Wager "for color" if this is case may cause us to not try a more effective fly which doesn't appear to us to be correct.

An angler only has to match color once when color matters for the truth table to be accurate. Whether an angler can always match color does not invalidate the truth table. Result will always equal or better when we try to match color.

[oldster]

Well stated Micropteris, I totally agree.

[Chuck441]

Several years ago I was fishing a small spring pond in Wisconsin. The trout were unusually active, and I had little luck catching any at first. Then I put on a small bright orange scud pattern- and I saw some race to it from yards away. It wasn't that they could now see my fly, because they pretty much ignored the same pattern in subdued "scud" colors cast close enough to be easily seen. Fun time- but only the orange worked that day.

Chuck

[Byron haugh]

Right Silver

[Buddy Sanders]

If you take the 'truth table' that Silver posted as accurate, then you'd have to say that color matters.

But if you use logic on it, then you have to realize that 'trying to match color' is where this theory has some issues. If I 'try' to match color, who's to say that I'm correct as to that color? It only proves that if I keep trying to 'match' color, then when I finally catch a fish, I believe that I've successfully done so. On the same stream, another angler 'trying' to match color may find an entirely different color that catches a fish, and he believes that he's found the correct color as well.

On any given day on every water in the world, there is not 'one' pattern that is the only one that 'works', nor is there 'one' color that only works.

In reality, though, I think we are overanalyzing this whole thing. Trout are fish, and not very developed fish. To try to apply any logic to individual trout behavior gives them much more credit than their pea sized brains deserves.

Where I believe that color, or any other factor of your approach to fishing, matters, is in angler confidence. THAT is, in my experience, the most important factor in success. If you believe it matters, then it does. If you don't believe it matters, then it doesn't.

I have colors that I like to fish because they work for me. I seldom look at natural forage color in making a fly decision. I just fish what I have confidence in.

ymmv

Good Luck

Buddy