# Does Color Matter



## wannabflyguy (Aug 21, 2014)

Somebody who I know, that without a doubt has way more experience than I, recently told me that color has nothing to do with whether a fish takes your fly or not. What do you guys think?


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

I tend to believe it doesn't matter. It's the action of the fly that gets strikes. I base this off the fact I have caught hundreds of fish in complete darkness. 

It does depend on the fly though. For example, an egg pattern in black isn't going to fish well, where a chartreuse or pink egg will catch fish after fish. 

Eggs don't "swim" though.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

I feel size and profile are most important. IMO dry flies color isn't very important. Color of wet as well as streamers is important dependent on water clarity.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

Perhaps the better way of putting the statement is, color is the last of many factors in an effective presentation.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Color of certain things matters, to me the fisherman, anyway. The thing that jumps out to me is para post material. White parachute posts on dries or Klinkhamer style flies are worthless to me. Put them in a trout stream with some flow, especially if there's any glare, and white posts disappear on the water in glare or oxygenated water with bubbles. I can use a post half as tall out of hi-vis orange and spot it on the other side of the river. I know that's not the intent of the question, but it's a case where color on a fly can matter.


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## lunker23 (Jun 28, 2013)

All colors matter!


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## grant778 (Nov 22, 2014)

I think the size of the fly is most important, though color plays a bit of a role in my opinion. I'm not a person who ever tries to exactly match a hatch with dries, I'm more of a "close enough" kind of person, and I don't believe slight variations in color will affect if a fish takes a fly. When hatch matching I think size is most important, followed by simply if the insect is light colored or dark, but not specific colors. As far as wet flies I always go with dark flies for dark days and/or muddy water, and light flies with clear water and/or sunny days. I don't think this really impacts anything though. I think the more important thing is to go with smaller flies in the clear water and larger flies in stained water.


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## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

My experience indicates that while size and profile is important, color does matter. I have been out numerous time fishing caddis on southern streams, using a tan or brown body caddis with not much happening but seeing fish chasing them out of the water. Grab a caddis as one is flying by only to see it is green bodied so I change to that color and it is game on. Likewise with Sulfurs, have been using a lighter yellow bug with few next to no takers then switch to a deep yellow one and again, fish are all over it. The bugs that I used were tied identical in both cases, only difference was the color and that happend to make all the difference.


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## Yakphisher (Jul 9, 2013)

In clear waters and mainly rivers yes! But I also found using a certain color of flash material is the key also. Presentation is the key but on small streams with super clear and low water. Stealth becomes the most important key ingredient before presentation on many native trout streams in PA and WV and smallies streams like in southern Ohio. Colors will be less important but matching the hatch, i.e. subtle patterns and small size which are prevalent.

Muddy & dirty waters will requires darker colors, more flash and noise like rattles and larger patterns so the predatory fish can key on.


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