Purple is Perfect
How important is the color of your fly fishing fly? I mean, I have never seen a purple mayfly or stonefly? Yet the color works so well - 5 out of 4 trout surveyed said they preferred purple.
On a serious note, I’m no fish biologist, but many studies done by actual fish biologists have come to similar conclusions.
Studies show that fish do indeed see color, but it’s not like you and I see color. They see the bluer side of the color spectrum……enter in purple. The batman nymph, purple pheasant tail, purple haze, purple clodhopper…..are all stellar and highly productive patterns. I’ve caught more fish on these patterns than I can even imagine.
This is not to say that matching the hatch isn’t important. It absolutely is. Purple has it’s time and it’s place. That time and place is not when there is an active hatch and fish are rising. That’s match the hatch time. I fish purple patterns when I need to entice a bit or things have slowed down a bit.
On a recent trip to the Rock Creek in Missoula Montana, if I didn’t have purple pheasant tails, I didn’t get bit. Same creek last fall chasing browns….Sparkle Minnow Purple Black Light Special. There are people that shun the color because it isn’t natural…that’s fine, that your prerogative. Me, I like to catch fish. Ever fish purple for a bass? Shut the front door! No buts, not cuts, no coconuts - it's awesome!
Purple can be used year round and on most patterns. If you haven’t given any love to a purple pattern….you are certainly missing out….give it a try, you’ll be glad you did.
Tight Lines and Screaming drags