# Fly Line Color



## ARReflections (Jan 7, 2011)

Searched the forum threads and didn't find one addressing this topic so I thought I would "cast" this one out. Do you think the color of your fly line affects the presentation? I have heard that fish could care less about the color of your fly line. This however does not make sense to me. If we use different flies/lures and color seems to be important depending on water condition and what not then why would the line color not matter? I realize the leader may be so long that the fish may not notice the fly line but still it would seem a fish would still notice that nice chartreuse line laying across the surface and in my case smacking the surface... Otherwise we would all be fishing with a black dry flys or maybe the colors are for us .

Any thoughts? theories?


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

I would fish clown colored fly line if I could. As it is, I fish white, neon yellow, and neon green, and.... well I catch some pretty good fish 



















The brown was 26" and I fooled it twice in one season, once on white line and once on yellow. The steelie was 29" and I got him on the same neon yellow line and a great big white indicator, if I remember right 

My theory is it doesn't matter. Fly line color is so you can see it when casting. I can't remember who did it but I think it was Monic came out with a clear fly line for saltwater fishing, and a lot of casters hit themselves with flies because they couldn't see what they were doing. Good casters, too. So get something you can see. The fish don't care as long as it lands light on the water and doesn't go right over them. Clear would be better, yes, but it's nigh uncastable and nobody makes a clear freshwater line as far as I know.

Just fish


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## crkwader (Nov 7, 2008)

clayton, 

a few companies now offer clear lines. Monic, Rio, Cortland and I believe Scientific Anglers. I actually use the cortland little tunny (which is a clear green/brown) for my muskie set-ups. do I think they work? hell no, I still havent caught a damn muskie 

I am with Clayton though in saying fly line color doesnt matter all that much. I have orange, peach, neon green/yellow, white, grey, clear camo, brown and green.


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## RonT (May 4, 2008)

I have most of the fruit colored plastic lines, and a a few silk lines ranging from Tan to Dark Green.
My (furled) leaders are typically 7 1/2', with ~2 1/2' of graduated tippet added on. Some are dark, some are varigated bi-color some are clear (mono).
R


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

It only matters if you are fishing saltwater bones but it does not for all other species. Use whatever is cheap on the wallet and can see.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Oh BTW did someone say they cant catch amuskie on a fly? Ummmm look below! Crkwader not sure where u at but I be out this week in a north central location if u want to tag along.


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## Andrew S. (May 22, 2010)

I don't think fly lines are brightly colored primarily so you can see them when you cast. On the east coast, most of our striper fishing was done at night (and we didn't hit ourselves with the flies very often!)

It's so you can see the line on the water, for mending, detecting strikes, seeing drifts, etc. That's why it's the floating lines that are brightly-colored, where as sinking lines are often very dark or clear.

If you think color matters, get under your floating line and look at it against the light sky. It will look essentially the same, whether it's white, yellow, green, etc. 

So, no, I don't think it matters to the fish.


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## crkwader (Nov 7, 2008)

Flyfish Dog said:


> Oh BTW did someone say they cant catch amuskie on a fly? Ummmm look below! Crkwader not sure where u at but I be out this week in a north central location if u want to tag along.


hahaha, no FFD I realize its just me that cant catch em on the fly. I know it can be done:

http://www.thirdyearflyfisher.com/stillsmusky.html

thanks for the invite this week FFD, but at the current moment things are too busy in life for me to even think about fishing. Maybe later in the year if the offer still stands!


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