With all this talk about what the trout see and whether or not it’s natural and whatnot, I though “why not start a thread about what we think is natural and like.”
Now, do you guys like shiny crap on your vest?( forceps, nippers, retractors etc) to be flashy silver and gold? or matte black?
Also with other things you can think of, do you like dull stuff or bright shiny fly fishing gear?
A LOUD colored chest pack/vest? or dull tan/beige/or sage?
The shiniest rod finish you can find? or the mattest black?
and any other examples of bright/shiny v.s. dull/ matte?
Tons of questions i know.
But I have answered these questions myself and think it would be cool to hear others opinions on these.
I also notice more and more different colors/ finishes of rods, tying tools, vest accessories, fly line colors, leader tints, tippet tints, indicator colors and whatever else. All to make us dig into our wallets for a new color or slight change of a different product, But isn’t that what they want to accomplish?, then change it next year to make us purchase more STUFF.
As for my opinions(as if anyone cares :lol: )
I get matte black forceps, nippers, retractors and whatnot that do not shine sunlight into my face at an important moment.
A sage colored chest pack or a tan vest.
matte black rods.
I have black clamps and matt finish nippers, a sage green vest, and wear medium colored (pale blue or beige) shirts and a khaki hat when fishing for trout. All very stealthy feeling to me (don’t know what the fish think). And a sanded or matt finish rod (now) and white indicators. You are almost standing over the fish when fishing pocket water, so your outline will be all wiggly from the current. If on smooth water, stay low. If you blend in with the surroundings, all the better.
I use to run the state pay-to-play ponds here in Connecticut
When the sun was right, I could see light reflecting off of the stuff on peoples vests from 100’s of yards away
No retractors for me and I keep the other stuff pinned inside the the pockets of my vest.
I really like the built-in retractors that came on my chest packs.
They dont break like all the other metal cord/ nylon cord ones, and theres no as much fumbling.
I prefer to be drab, in what I wear and what I carry. Not so much as to keep the fish from seeing me, although I think that helps, but to keep all the other stuff from being bothered by me. When the mink swim up to you, or the heron lets you wade within fifteen feet, it is worth it to me.
I like camo, or dull earthtones. I try to stay away from chrome accessories on the vest. I like any reel as long as it’s not shiny.
After being selective about all this, when on the stream, then I start waving my big white arms around to cast. doesn’t make alot of sense.
At least a spin fisherman can lob sidearm, not me, I gotta sneak up and them wave my arms to cast. Big sneakup there.
Bob
While I haven’t thought much about the “shininess” (is that a real word?) of things on my vest, I have always worn earth tones while fishing, especially in the Rocky Mtn. streams of home. Tan vest, tan, green or brown, (maybe white) shirt, and obviously the waders are earthy. When wet-wading (which is the ONLY way to go June through August) tan or olive shorts.
I suppose I do have shiny stuff though, and that is something to think about. My last pair of hemostats were from a Dr.'s office (so they were really shiny) but my new pair has a duller finish. My rod has a pretty shiny finish and my reel is matte black. Just turned out that way though, no forethought for me.
But now I have something to think about and a good excuse to buy more stuff!!
Amen to that! One day last winter I decided to go trout fishing and forgot it was the last weekend of shot gun deer season. As I come up out of the stream, there stands this guy with a shot gun looking my way. I was wearing a dark green valour sweater underneath a tan fishing vest.
I usually don’t give much thought to what I wear. I suppose for the most part they are earth tones. The only thing that hangs from my vest is a pair of nickle colored nippers. And I doubt that’ll make much difference.
On the stream or on the flats? No matter what I would avoid shiny things as a sudden flash of reflected sunlight will tip off the fish that something is wrong especially in shallow water.
Since most of my fishing is “up North,” I favor the tan, green, or camo in clothes since it blends well with the trees and vegetation in the background. Matte graphite rods and green lines seem OK. The few times I have fished the Backcountry from Islamorada, however, I realized that white and light blue would be the best way to blend in with the blackground (clouds and sky) there.
The clothes are easy to find. There are white and clear fly lines for the tropics; but are there white and powder blue rods and satin finished silver or blue reels to go along? Or would such things be unmanly?
Gramps I think this is a bad idea! you will look like a huge brown trout looking for a meal. All the fish for miles will be skedaddling for the high country.
I prefer dull , it more matchs my personality.
I wonder about what the color my boats hull should be, do I go light so it is less noticeable from below or as I have often thought go with a dark color as the fish seem to like to gather in the shade of an anchored boat. maybe camo? Does it make a difference? I don’t know the answer to that one.
I do know it is wise to have a sound dampening mat 0n the floor of your boat to keep the noise down.
