Fishing The Fly Scotland

Index => Tackle Talk => Topic started by: Paul Rankine on 12/03/2010 at 15:34

Title: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Paul Rankine on 12/03/2010 at 15:34

Hi,
      Just wondering if anyone can think how it would be advantageous to have a dark floating line ?

Paul.

  :wink

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Barry Robertson on 12/03/2010 at 15:45

I have a black floater with a hot orange 7" tip , good wee buzzer line and great for seeing takes!
I cant see the advantages of having a full black line though  :z8

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Robert MacDonald-Lewis on 12/03/2010 at 19:45

I used a dark olive floating line for a season or so, can't think of a situation in which it provided an advantage.  However there were several where it was a pain in the arse, most of which have been covered in other threads recently.  Sorry this doesn't really answer your question

Robbie

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Hamish Young on 13/03/2010 at 09:21

No, not really. Had a dark-ish floating line for a bit but can't see any advantage in them other than the confidence they seem to inspire in some anglers, particularly on rivers.......  :z8

H

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Irvine Ross on 13/03/2010 at 11:24

From what I gather from postings on another forum, dark coloured lines are supposed to be almost invisible to the fish while they are in the air because they blend in with the background colours of the trees or grass on the bank. People seem have that opinion because they are more difficult for the angler to see. But of course the fish is looking up from a different position so they probably see it differently.  :z8

I guess if you are fishing very clear water (chalk streams or  NZ)  and can see the fish then you don't have to see the end of your line to tell if a fish has taken your nymph so the dark colour would not be a handicap to the angler. Anyway I'm not planning to buy one.

Irvine

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Paul Rankine on 15/03/2010 at 17:16

Hi,
     Thanks for the replies Guys. I,m having difficulty with my question too  :wink
Paul.

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Ben Dixon on 15/03/2010 at 23:38

Hi Paul,

I hate them, don't tlike anything too bright unless I am specifically setting out to fish subsurface, this case it is orange.  Can't think of any situation where I would want a dark coloured floater that I could not see.  Cream, white pale yellow, SA green, pale blue etc, all fine.

Cheers

Ben

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Mike Barrio on 15/03/2010 at 23:59

Excellent stuff ...... it is amazing how things swing round, it is not so long ago that I changed my Mallard DT fly lines from their pale cream colour to the current olive colour, as customer feedback kept suggesting :roll

This thread is interesting, as the last three months of ice have given me time to concentrate on a few projects that I was working on last year and these are almost ready for the manufacturing stage .................... :wink

Best wishes
Mike

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Paul Rankine on 16/03/2010 at 22:06

Hi,
      Thanks Ben,it's not just me then !

Mike,
         

Quote

and these are almost ready for the manufacturing stage ....................

 Mmmmm.... intriguing !

  :z4

Paul.

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Mike Barrio on 22/03/2010 at 00:17

Hi folks

My olive coloured Mallard DT fly lines have a strong following, but there are obviously a good number of you that would prefer a more visible colour :roll ....... Would you like me to consider the possibility of also stocking the original pale cream version of my DT line as an additional option?

Best wishes
Mike

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Iain Cameron on 22/03/2010 at 06:59

Quote from: Mike Barrio on 22/03/2010 at 00:17

Would you like me to consider the possibility of also stocking the original pale cream version of my DT line as an additional option?
Mike

Yes, please. that would be a good option, if available.

I switched to the Barrio  WF lines in cream, because I just cannot get on with the darker olive DT lines (had spoken with you in person about this too)

cheers
iain

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Paul Rankine on 23/03/2010 at 20:47

Hi Mike,
              I agree , that would be an excellent option.
Paul.

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Paul Garrigan on 24/03/2010 at 12:20

I have just bought an olive one but given the option i would have chosen the pale colour. If you were to have this option i would buy one and carry both!  :z16

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Mike Barrio on 03/06/2010 at 00:03

Hi guys :cool:

"Goolager's" comment in a River Don thread tonight has reminded me about this topic :z17

So to update you ..... I have ordered pale cream Mallard DT fly lines for stock and these should arrive in a few weeks time :wink

Now for the big question ...... Do I really need to continue to offer the olive ones? :roll

Best wishes
Mike

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Iain Goolager on 03/06/2010 at 00:12

Hi Mike,

Yeah, each to their own but honestly I couldn't see the line so trying to keep in touch with let alone 'lead' the flies was impossible also I was lifting off to recast with no idea where the flies were.

I've ordered an Airflo (I know you don't do 2 wt's) ridge technical but it only comes in 2 tone peach which is maybe going to be funky but I could have done with it tonight.

Iain   

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Mike Barrio on 06/06/2010 at 12:16

Thanks Iain :z16

So ..... Is anybody actually using them because they are olive?

To be honest, I think the colour of the fly line is far more important to the angler than it is to the fish :wink

Best wishes
Mike

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Jim Doyle on 06/06/2010 at 12:42

I used to use the old mahogany lines, they were great.  I found that short lining with these was very productive, there was nothing to scare the fish.  jim

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Mike Barrio on 06/06/2010 at 12:48

Hi Jim :z16

Do you not think that this is an angler's confidence thing though? With a pretty standard leader set up, I don't think the fish focus on the line, even the spooky fish?

Best wishes
Mike

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Jim Doyle on 06/06/2010 at 22:41

You may be right Mike but it is certainly easy to see when a light floater is waving about and I,m usualy quite a distance away so what effect is it having on fish close by.?    jim

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Mike Barrio on 06/06/2010 at 23:02

Yes Jim, it's an interesting one, I get the impression that a light coloured floating line is easier for us to see when we are above the water and that a dark coloured floating line might be easier for the fish to see from below the water.

Trouble is, I've never been able to question a fish about this! :z4

Hmmm, still can't make up my mind if it is worth the cost of stocking both colours :roll

Cheers
Mike

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Jim Doyle on 07/06/2010 at 08:29

I remember Richard Walker publishing instructions on how to dye lines, I think he used silver nitrate, it was a long drawn out process so he must have thought it was worth it.  jim

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Rob Brownfield on 07/06/2010 at 08:41

I think a lot depends on the weather conditions. When I have been diving in bright sunlight, anything above me was dark when viewed against a bright sky and stood out like a sore thumb, even fish with a white/silver belly.

When swiming along the edge of mangroves and looking up with a "treeline" behind, then white/pale things stood out, dark things blended in. Any stick or lraf floating by was very difficult to see.

From that i would draw that a dark line on a narrow tree lined river would perhaps blend in more to a trouts world. However, the disadvantage is that the angler cannot see the line. If the angler cant see it I would suggest neither can the fish.

I always loved the peach colour of the Cortland 444 because in low light it really seemed to "glow" and was easily seen by me.

One last thing, any of you that watch fly fishing videos, have a look at the colour of the lines when seen from underwaqter, a pale line really is obvious whilst a darker line is much less visible and even when seen, look more natural as the flotsam and jetsome around it is also dark.

Me, I use Mikes pale lines...coz I want to see them and by using a long leader I think that puts the fly far enough away from the fly line.

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Mike Barrio on 07/06/2010 at 21:56

Great feedback guys ..... Thanks!

I think I'll run with both colours for a while and see how things go :wink

Best wishes
Mike

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Ben Dixon on 07/06/2010 at 22:14

I almost agree with Rob (must be coming down with something) I like a visible line and where necessary I use a longer leader.  Never seen a flyline from underneath so can't really comment upon how it looks to a fish.

CHeers

Ben

Title: Re: Dark coloured floating lines
Post by: Andy Wren on 18/06/2010 at 08:32

Re the visability thing ,back in the day when I was a confirmed coveist slow nympher ,I would have a pink ,orange,white and mahogany floating line in the bag,different light conditions different lines ,all had their day,some days would change line several times.
My all time favorite colour for drifty boats is a dark green ,followed by a Heron gray that orvis used to do.
The Dark green one came from Masterline and was a budget one.
these days for the chalk I am happy with my straw coloured thebault silk line ,matt and visible enough !