Does color matter when we select trout fishing lures or flies. How often does fly tyers and fly fishermen ask that question and speculate about it. This is a difficult question to address, but I will weigh in on the matter.
Trout have an extremely keen sense of smell thought to be thousands of times stronger than humans. They also have very keen hearing as well; and sound travels through water five times faster than air because water is heavier than air. By using their senses of smell and sound they can detect other species, time to reproduce, find food, detect predators, etc. It is thought that these senses are more important than colors. First and foremost, the most important thing to do is to match the food available to the trout at that time, in other words, “match the hatch”. But, there is some evidence that appropriate colors under certain conditions will improve your chances.
Here is a summary of the information on the subject:
In clear water when fishing on the surface the reds and the oranges often are best.
Chartreuse and white or red and white produce the most contrast and are the best combinations under any light.
Black, due to its contrast is the most visible color under most conditions and best at night.
Use darker colors like black, blue and violet under low light or when fishing deep.
Use more artificial material like tinsel that reflect polarized light when light conditions are low.
Use fluorescent colors like green or chartreuse in greenish waters or deep waters.
In the end result, color is more important to the fisherman than it is to the torut!
More details:
We humans can see what is called the visual spectrum of light. The colors within this spectrum are determined by wavelengths of the light, with the longer wavelengths being red and orange, the shorter wavelengths are blue and green. Trout may see colors that we do not including ultraviolet.
When light enters the water it quickly becomes scattered and absorbed causing the intensity to decrease and the color to change. The longer wavelengths are absorbed more quickly and will penetrate into the water to a much shallower depth than the blues, greens and violets. This has a direct bearing on how the trout will perceive a fly. At a horizontal or vertical distance of three feet the water will dissipate the reds and oranges making them appear gray. Hence the old adage is true. Use dark colors if the water is cloudy or other low light conditions such as morning or evening.
A fluorescent color is one that will be bright when exposed to a light with a shorter wavelength. As a result, the depth of water will not affect the color observed by the trout as much. The fluorescence is mainly due to the UV ultraviolet light, which is especially dominant on cloudy or dull days. On bright days, the UL effect is less and there will be little or no fluorescence. Research shows that a fly with fluorescent color often will attract trout. In greenish waters the brightest colors will be green or chartreuse.
Polarized light can be sensed by trout, but not by humans. Light travels in all directions, while polarized light travels in only one plane. Polarized light is more available at dawn and dusk and also fish scales reflect polarized light. Bucktail is a relatively poor reflector of polarized, while tinsel and other artificial materials that mimic fish scales are good reflectors of polarized light.
Please comment on yor experience with colors when trout fishing.
Headwaters of Deep Creek as it heads toward Bryson City.
Hellgrammite that trout also love.
