fly line color dos it matter

[rbaileydav]

what do you guys thinkd.....does fly line color matter to the fish..... flourescent guady vs drab and subtle. I have my own opinion which runs to subtle but what do you guys think

DD

[hootie]

It may not matter to the fish,although I suspect it does,but it matters to me.I prefer muted colors and on my reels are SA's XPS lines in Gray.The newest line is an Orvis Trout DT line in a light green that Orvis calls willow that I bought when Little River Outfitters was out of the SA XPS I have used for the last ten years.

[jeepster]

I think you catch more fish with the dark lines. I notice how well you can see someone casting a bright line through the air over the water and that can’t be good. I don’t want anyone seeing me including the fish. I use a dull light green for nymphing so I can see the drifts very well and I’m targeting fish on the bottom. I use a dark green or a mustard line for anything looking up.

I used to use light gray floating and dark gray sink but the lines I like don’t come in that color anymore so that’s another issue. It use to be simple.

[samhall]

That is a great question. I think it might, but when you look at the entire picture, I think it is a very small piece of the puzzle. I think a fish refusing a fly has a lot more to do with how it looks in the water than the fly line in the air. I would venture to guess that a properly presented fly with a flaming orange fly line will catch as many fish as a properly presented fly with a willow colored line. BTW...I own both and I can't say that either line outperforms the other.

Let's face it...how many times have we made a perfect cast/drift with no result...and how many times have we butchered a cast, a retrieve and lo and behold...fish on!!!

Fun topic to discuss...but I think it is really just a minor piece of the puzzle.

[trout-nut]

I don't think it matters, I use Rio Selective and Cortland peach on most of my reels and really have'nt notice a difference. Like someone else had said presentation matters.

[mems]

Depends, Henry's fork, the ranch, olive green. Mountain stream casting up stream, no biggie. New Zealand gin clear water, no orange lines. For bones, big difference, I like the clear cortland floating line, doesn't spook the fish. Lit up mahi, doesn't make a difference. If you cast and the fish spooks, then it did make a difference. I like olive green for spring creeks and clear water. For high water runoff, it doesn't really matter. Like I said it depends. Mems.

[Lotech Joe]

I've always leaned toward darker colors for sinking lines. As far as floating lines go, I think all lines regardless of color appear black when viewed from underwater.

[drew03cmc]

Honestly, I don't think it matters. I have used orange, white, olive, green, yellow and I think even a blue and didn't notice much of a difference.

[fredaevans]

Just repeating what I've gotten out of a few UK based fly boards, but it's the size of the water (still or moving) that may bring line colour into play. Smaller moving or still water (lake/pond/ressie) a darker/drab line does appear to bring something to the Party. 'Big' moving water? Not a whit's difference although leader length could be a major/player factor.
fae

[Speyfisher]

No matter what the water, if it's a floating line, you need to be able to see it. Intermediate lines, not so much because you have a tight line to the fly and can feel the take. Same with a sunk line. I doubt color makes a whole hell of a lot of difference on a sunk line, as long as it's not some ridiculous bright color. The fish don't seem to mind a black gray, or brown rope towing a fly behind it.