I was talking to Jack Hise tonight & he mentioned that the fish wanted only black legs on his surface bugs the other night. I have NEVER had any success with legs of a contrasting color. One day, I lost my last white spider with white legs, which was just slaying large gills. I put on white with black legs & not another hit! Other times, same story. White on white, yellow on yellow (my favorite for gurglers), black on black, etc all work fine on spiders, beetles, poppers, & gurglers, but mixing body & leg colors just doesn’t work for this old boy, other than, at times, white legs on a dark popper/sneaky pete. I am beginning to think it’s a “confidence thing”, & there’s a lot to be said for that. What have your experiences been with rubber legs?
Mike
As far as I’m concerned legs on a fly make for silohette and that is about it. I don’t think color makes much difference. I think that about body color also. If the fish are biting, they are biting.
But it’s when they really don’t want to bite… that is the rub…
Mike,
Legs of most insects aren’t variegated. The leg color would be light to dark, depending on water clarity. Tying on a little flashabou might get their attention.
Doug
Humm…I tend to Never use legs that match the body color…They may be both of light or dark color but never matched…Might have to tie a few spiders up with matching legs and see if I’m missing something!..lol
Most of my flies have matching leg color. It just works better for me.
Since the matching colors work so weel for me I just don’t try other combinations.
Rick
I use all black legs - on spiders, Madam-X, beetles, anything with legs - black. Don’t have a real reason as to why, it’s just what I do. I guess it’s just one less thing to worry about when fishing and tying.
The glare from my white legs after a long winter has been known to scare fish (and women). :?
Mike,
I think that leg color is so unimportant that I NEVER use rubber legs on bass flies.
I’ve found that it doesn’t matter to the fish, so I just leave them off. Speeds up the tying a bit.
Only patterns I use them on now are foam spiders and few trout flies…on foam spiders I use either black legs with black bodies or black/white striped legs with grey bodies (only colors you need).
Confidence is the key, though. If you have confidence in matching colors, then use matching colors and vice versa.
Good Luck!
Buddy
Legs for bass… not important.
Legs for bluegill…very important. Bluegill seem to love anything with legs.
Hey Mike,
If I may suggest tying them all in white and carrying a black and yellow ?Sharpie? to color them on sight, or tying more in white.
Sean
P.S. next good rain will bring in the steelhead. a few have already been caught close to the mouth.
Mikey,
I’m with BBW on this. Leg color is for the fisherman, not the fish. It’s like putting body spots and doll eyes on top of the STP frog that Betty ties. The fish don’t approach the fly on top of the water in a Buick and say; “Hey, nice spots and eyes on that frog over there. Pull over and let’s go have some lunch.” Think what the fish is seeing from below the surface against the bright sky…a silhouette. If he’s hungry he’s going after it, if not, oh well!
I had several colors of leg material to match/contrast the foam beetles we tied at the classes I taught this past weekend for Women In The Outdoors. The ladies chose colors they thought were “pretty,” then went and caught blugills with them. All color combinations were represented, and the fish didn’t care.
If you are more confident with a color combination, then by all means tie a boat load of those so you never run out. That being said, I know where you fish and they’ll eat virtually anything that hits the water. We really need to get out again.
Joe
The gentleman who started me tying at age 14 always used white legs, whatever color the fly was, and he always caught fish.
Sean…we MUST get out soon! I’ll call you.
Joe…That pond IS sorta special, isn’t it? BTW, the fish in that pond wouldn’t be caught dead in a Buick…only in a Caddy!! 
All…I DO think it’s a confidence thing although in one pond I fish, you can actually see the gills come up under a spider, beetle, etc & either hit it or swim off…I don’t recall EVER getting a hit there with the dark legs/light body combination. Could just be the body of water…all white & all yellow are just killers there.
Mike
Use what you have confidence in. (like that hasn’t been said in this thread 5 times already! :lol: )
probably why I catch nothing on muddler minnows, I have no confidence in them, therefore I do not put the effort needed into fishing them. Hence them not catching fish for me, and me not fishing them lol.