Fly Line Colors: by Mr. G.
Mr. Gink
line they are using will catch less fish in the long run. There are
many reasons why. Some shops sell the majority of their fly lines in
bright colors such as orange and for photography reasons, this is a good
color for action photography.
When I'm reaching out for steelhead on the great North Western Rivers of
the United States as found in Northern California, Oregon and the State
of Washington, the contrast of our back grounds we cast against, are
important. Why is this?
To reach out and get across a river that is swift and deep, requires a
fly rod with power. To get that fly line across fish that are sitting
in very clear water means the line has to have speed and to deliver it,
it requires height to get there before it touches the water. A high
line against a forest green canopy that is bright such as a white fly
line or an bright line of orange will spook your fish whereas a color
matching the pine and green will not.
The object of the passion is to deliver the fly up and across so the
stream will swing and entice. AFTER the fly line settles upon the
water, your floating or sink tip line will not be of consequence any
longer as a spooking agent because invisibility is determined (or
detachment) between the fly line and the fly due to the length and
diameter of the leader. What fly lines do, is they deliver leaders that
turn over. On the end, is the Fly of the World that is of interest to a
fish not interested, really . . . in eating anything. What we all are
trying to do is jar his memory to think he still wants to eat. WE tease
them until they respond. The reasons for their reactions are many.
That is really another subject.
Color of Fly Lines are indeed important also under water. Trout can see
all the way across a crystal pool and that means they can see very
bright sinking fly lines and/or floating fly lines waking or dragging.
Such large fish which include mostly Browns and Rainbows can get line
shy very easily and many before you have them trained to be line shy.
One should remember this.
Dull brown fly lines may match the dirt banks of opposite shores is one
consideration. At other times, if the sky is real blue, blue will do.
Other times green will match a very green, under water pasture and on
those fluffy, cloudy white days, white may be just the ticket. We can
never make fly lines perfect matches to the contrasting things trout can
see but we certainly can improve our chances of fooling wise trout if we
understand one thing. These creatures have eye sight that is very keen
and we need every natural advantage we can muster.
If you spook water ouzels readily, you have a problem. How many people I
see who go astream and who do not pay attention to the wildlife around
them is without exception . . . foolish or untrained fly fishermen not
aware of the world around them. There are different kind of noises in
our outdoor activities then what we imagine which have nothing to do
with sound. Some of those considerations are Movement, Contrasts,
Shapes, and Backgrounds. Most fly fishermen think in only two levels.
The fly verses the fish. Fly Fishing is really a multi-media
challenge. The deer is always twitching and talking. Watch the ears
and with the fish, watch the fins and the subtle movements. If even one
moves when you cast, it knows something about you, you don't know.
Moral: Know yourself astream so wildlife never sees you or knows you're
there.
It is more difficult then you can ever imagine.
I have read many postings of many individuals in ROFF over the last
several years and there is one person I would guess is fairly savvy out
east in what I say.
But then again, he never fishes out West either.
--
DCWDFF
mountains of bullshit. You never know when you will hit us with one of these
treasures.
Big Dale
plan...@my-deja.com
green and sky blue fly lines in all the popular weights and
configurations ? Not SA, Cortland or Orvis. GG Fly LIne Co. ???
>
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Charlie Choc
>-Well sure, great, good thoughts. So who's selling dull brown, forest
>green and sky blue fly lines in all the popular weights and
>configurations ? Not SA, Cortland or Orvis. GG Fly LIne Co. ???
Cortland makes pale olive ones (I have a 3wt), I also have some sky
blue 9 and 11wt lines but don't remember who the mfg was (Orvis
maybe?). FWIW.
--
Charlie...
Rusty Hook
> -Well sure, great, good thoughts. So who's selling dull brown, forest
> green and sky blue fly lines in all the popular weights and
> configurations ? Not SA, Cortland or Orvis. GG Fly LIne Co. ???
My WF8F and DT3F lines are Cortland.
My WF4F and WF6F/S lines are made by SA.
All are green.
George is right. Color makes a difference.
If you don't want to believe him, ask Jack Dennis or Gary LaFontaine,
and probably many others.
--
Rusty Hook
Laramie, Wyo
c...@uwyo.edu
V. Ursenbach
blue lines. You might not find exactly what you are looking for
though. Do you want a floating, sinking, or intermediate line? What
weight are you looking for? Are you looking for a WF, DT, F/S, I, ST,
S, or L line? What color are you looking for?
There are a lot of things that you need to choose about your line.
Color is only one of them. You might have to give up something. For
instance let's say you want a clear line that is a DT3F. Almost all,
well all that I've seen, clear lines are intermediate with a sink tip
instead of floating. Also, some companies don't sell a clear line in a
3 weight. They only go down to a 4 wt. Sometimes you can find a
camouflage F/S line with a clear tip.
What you need to do is decide what are the most important
characteristics you want in your line. List everything you want in
order of preference. Order of preference is the key here. Include
things like cost and track record. Then start at the bottom of the
list and include alternative traits that you are willing to settle
with. Continue up the list until you refuse to make an alternative
choice. Then contact all the line companies that you can think of and
ask for a catalog. They almost always have a free catalog to send. Go
through your list starting at the top and fill every characteristic
until you come to one that you can't fill. That's the line you should
get regardless of the last characteristics you have on your list.
You might find the color you want and I'm sure you can, but you might
also have to give up other characteristics that you also want.
Another thing you can do is to post your list on ROFF and see if other
ROFFians have a recommendation. Between everyone here, I'm sure
someone is familiar with a line that would be perfect for you,
including color.
--
Vern
My ROFF page:
http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/ResortRd/v_deloy/ROFFintro.html
Tom Littleton
Interesting and observant post. For clear water, I have used a medium
greyish olive 3 wt for years. Used to have to dye them myself(very,very,gently
and slowly), but current DT from Airflow is about right out of the box. Also,
have experimented for 3 years with a clear intermediate, mostly a 6wt WF for
smallmouths. Has proven deadly during clearer summer and fall flows. When
waters are more turbid,or even choppier riffle flows, I don't seem to notice
much line sensitivity if you aren't flogging it around carelessly. My two cents
worth....
Tom Littleton
plan...@my-deja.com
>
> George is right. Color makes a difference.
> If you don't want to believe him, ask Jack Dennis or Gary LaFontaine,
> and probably many others.
>
> --
> Rusty Hook
> Laramie, Wyo
> c...@uwyo.edu
>
Didn't say a thing about disbelieving him. Just wasn't aware those
colors were readily available . I fish SA lines in gray and peach (
they call it something else ).
Bob
plan...@my-deja.com
Charlie Choc <cc...@mindspringyourpants.com> wrote:
> plan...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
> >-Well sure, great, good thoughts. So who's selling dull brown, forest
> >green and sky blue fly lines in all the popular weights and
> >configurations ? Not SA, Cortland or Orvis. GG Fly LIne Co. ???
>
> blue 9 and 11wt lines but don't remember who the mfg was (Orvis
> maybe?). FWIW.
> --
> Charlie...
Thanks Charlie, I'll look into the Cortland. Not my favorite line
company but I'd love an olive colored flyline.
Rusty Hook
> Didn't say a thing about disbelieving him. Just wasn't aware those
> colors were readily available . I fish SA lines in gray and peach (
> they call it something else ).
One of those "go figure" kinds of things.
Cortland and SA make their less expensive lines in green, and their
high dollar ones in colors like peach. The lower-end lines work fine
for me, so that's what I use. better colors too ;^)
The exception is a "spring creek" line that one of them makes.
It's green, as I remember.
--
Rusty Hook
Laramie, Wyo
c...@uwyo.edu
JeffC 1474
>green and sky blue fly lines in all the popular weights and
>configurations ? Not SA, Cortland or Orvis. GG Fly LIne Co.
Orvis sells a dull grey color. Cortland sells an olive color. Several have a
"clear" sink line. "All popular weights and configurations"? I guess not.
Frankly I don't understand all the neon lines either - it doesn't make much
sense to me, any more than wearing neon shirts. Like lures with fish scale
finishes, I think they catch more fishermen than fish.
Regards,
Jeff
JeffC 1474
>Color is only one of them. You might have to give up something.
Don't forget - don't get too caught up in the hype for super-specific line
types. They can be adjusted. For example, the Cortland "Spring Creek" lines
are not only camo olive, but have a more delicate WF taper. If you want to
make it like a standard taper, just cut off the first 4 feet of line. No
rocket science here (rocket taper maybe). Want to turn WF into Bass? Cut off
4 feet. Want to turn Bass into Pike/Muskie? Cut off a few feet. I'm sure
there are similar issues with bonefish, etc. etc. I'm not saying you can
change the actual taper and turn a line into Wulff Triangle Taper, but there
are adjustments you can make.
Regards,
Jeff
Charlie Choc
>The exception is a "spring creek" line that one of them makes.
>It's green, as I remember.
Cortland has WF and DT 444's in Olive. Hook&Hackle carries them.
--
Charlie...
DCWDFF
>--
I have a 3 weight olive line that was made by Jim Teemy who had Gary
LaFontaiine help him design. It would be very good in a spring creek setting as
it is a weight forward, but has a very long front taper for use with small
flies I guess. It does not work very good with the Cap Spiders which are tied
on the crappie jig.
Big Dale
Walt Winter
> Rusty Hook <trout...@my-deja.com> wrote:
>
> >The exception is a "spring creek" line that one of them makes.
> >It's green, as I remember.
>
> Cortland has WF and DT 444's in Olive. Hook&Hackle carries them.
> --
> Charlie...
Actually Charlie, the Cortland 444's are peach colored. The 444
Clear Creek is a dark olive available only in WF, sizes 2-6.
http://www.ezflyfish.com/444clearcree.html
The 444 Lazerline is available in Light Olive, Orange, or Chartreuse
in WF (2-10) and DT (2-9)
http://www.ezflyfish.com/444lazser.html
These are the lines available from Cortland this year. I don't carry
SA so I can't comment on them. I believe Orvis does have a olive
wonderline.
Airflo also has a Dark olive 7000Ts series available in sizes WF3-8.
http://www.ezflyfish.com/air70float1.html
One other note concerning this thread. Although line color probably
has an influence in seducing the wily trout, I believe it is
minimal. Stealth & Presentation are the all important maxims to live
by.
Walt
--
Ezflyfish.com: http://www.ezflyfish.com
http://auctions.yahoo.com/booth/ezflyfish_com
Used, Rare, & Out-of-Print Books:
http://users.boone.net/wgw/brbg.html
Charlie Choc
>Actually Charlie, the Cortland 444's are peach colored. The 444
>Clear Creek is a dark olive available only in WF, sizes 2-6.
>
I was thinking of the 444 LazerLine, as you mentioned.
--
Charlie...
Wayne Harrison
i am fortunate enough to have just that line on my t&t 8'2wt.
damn thing is amazing. i can walk down the center of snowbird creek
standing straight up, singing "dixie" at the top of my lungs, firing
false casts out in front in all directions, and the brown trout hover
around my feet as if hypnotized. funny thing is, if i change to my
burnt sienna version, the damn fish spook in front of me for yards.
thank god for that hard to see olive color!
wayno
Charlie Choc
>thank god for that hard to see olive color!
>
I suppose. I lost mine right after I took it out of the box.
--
Charlie...
Wayne Harrison
too good, duc, just too freaking good.
wayno
Jeffrey Miller
the same results...i can sing dixie and fire false casts in all
directions, but once it goes to burnt sienna, things get spooky
jeff
Wayne Harrison wrote:
>
> On Thu, 02 Mar 2000 09:17:04 -0500, Charlie Choc
> <cc...@mindspringyourpants.com> wrote:
>
> >Walt Winter <w...@boone.net> wrote:
> >
> >>Actually Charlie, the Cortland 444's are peach colored. The 444
> >>Clear Creek is a dark olive available only in WF, sizes 2-6.
> >>
> >I was thinking of the 444 LazerLine, as you mentioned.
> >--
> >Charlie...
>
> i am fortunate enough to have just that line on my t&t 8'2wt.
> damn thing is amazing. i can walk down the center of snowbird creek
> standing straight up, singing "dixie" at the top of my lungs, firing
> false casts out in front in all directions, and the brown trout hover
> around my feet as if hypnotized. funny thing is, if i change to my
> burnt sienna version, the damn fish spook in front of me for yards.
> thank god for that hard to see olive color!
>
> wayno
Steve Zimmerman
>--
>Charlie...
Same thing happened to me just today. I strung up sweet little bamboo rod #2
with Cortland Spring Creek line and then set it down to tie on the fly. When
I looked up, I couldn't find the bamboo rod. It had completely disappeared
in the grass due to the camoflauge of the line. Bummer dude. I had planned
to donate that rod to the clave.
--Steve
V. Ursenbach
In article <GUDv4.19$A3....@saturn.ipass.net>,
--
Vern
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.