[Rob Brownfield]

I'm really not convinced about the bright line / spooked fish thing, line on the water and silhouette is the same regardless of colour,

I hear you, but would like to add the following. Even a high floating line still has a portion sitting under the surface (same as a boat does) and therefore as a trout moves up in the water column the line is no longer sihlouetted.  Add to this ruffled water or a fast sink poly leader pulling the tip of the line under, then I think on a very clear river it "may" spook "some" fish.

There is also the issue of light reflected off the bottom of the river and back up. It is rare for something to be truely shilouetted unless over deep water. A bright line will reflect this already reflected light back more than a dull line.

Trout and Salmon investigated this many years ago with photos taken of an orange, a white and an olive line from below. The orange was very obvious, as was the white!!

As I need all the help I can get...a camo line might just be the answer

[Ben Dixon]

I've never anyone cast a line over me whilst I was under water so I couldn't say for sure Rob!

But

when pitching dries I don't like to throw line over the fish as regardless of colour it is often a failed attempt.

I think the above is true regardless of line colour and to some extent regardless of method.

Cheers

Ben

[Loxiafan]

..... and yes, I'm hoping to be able to offer an alternative colour later in the year

 

[Marc Fauvet]

hi All !
nice points Rob. this subject always winds up being like comparing blondes, brunettes and redheads... 
this is all a mater of personal preference and more importantly, of confidence.

observation has lead me to believe that the ones who want a 'camo' line are those who hardly if ever watch the line both on in the air and on the water.
those who prefer visible lines watch both as well as the fly.

personally, i go by the (my) logic that if i can't see the line i'm missing out on many possibilities in controlling it, the cast, the drift and the take when using the tip as an indicator, etc, etc, etc.

as Ben so correctly points out, the goal every fly fisher should strive for is to never 'line' a fish or where it may lay, so it shouldn't really be of any importance whatsoever what color the line is 

tip: it's very easy to color the line tip with permanent markers. (as long as you don't use a Toluene-based marker that eats up plastic)
that way those who feel the need for discretion  can have the best of both worlds...   

cheers,
marc

[Mike Barrio]

Lee Watts, Orvis endorsed, AAPGAI & FFF single handed rod instructor .... 6wt 9' 6" Helios rod, 6wt Barrio SLX line.

Check out Lee's website: www.doublehaul.co.uk



Nice one Lee

Best wishes
Mike

[Rob Brownfield]

Hi Marc,

Always brunettes!

I guess its my "carp fishing" past sneaking out in me...."If I can see it, then the fish can see it"

For me, the ideal river line would be a combination of an olive line with a 3-6 inch orange tip.

I dont cast big distances so can see an olive line enough to mend etc, but the orange tip would be great for nymphing etc.

My first every fly line was a Cortland 444 Peach Nymph tip that had exactly that, but was, of course, a pech colour for the main line.

Having said that, I have an SLX and an orange GT ine that will both be used on Sunday on the river..lol

[Mike Barrio]

Rudy van der Meer casting the Barrio SLX in the Netherlands





The photos were sent to me by Jeroen Schoondergang ..... Thanks Jeroen

[Will Shaw]

I like orange lines for casting and teaching, and cream lines for (surface) fishing. This is purely an aesthetic thing for me though, a cream line just looks right! 

Hugh Falkus, bless him, used to say that we should have white sinking lines! He was fond of a drop or two of malt though...

W.

[Peter McCallum]

He was fond of a drop or two of malt though...

More than a drop or two from what I hear

[Sieger Devries]

Are the  6-ses in Mike ???

[Mike Barrio]

Are the  6-ses in Mike ???

No, not yet I'm afraid Sieger

Best wishes
Mike

[Sieger Devries]

 Geus I'll have to wait than... 

[Mike Barrio]

An SLX stock order should arrive tomorrow afternoon and I'll update the website as soon as they get here

Best wishes
Mike

[Euan Innes]

That's good news Mike.
There's money in my Paypal account and it's just waiting for a #4 SLX 

 

[Andy Wren]

More than a drop or two from what I hear

Had a lesson with him on his ponds in Cumbria ,and yes that evening was one of the biggest whisky drinking sessions i have ever done ,Me plastered ,the Falk seemed untroubled !
Yes as too the white sinkers ,on his Spey casting course he had a dt on a seatrout rod which i cast out and was gobsmacked when it sank ,looked for all the world like an Aircel white floater ,the idea never seemed to catch on .

[Iain Cameron]

hi Mike

thanks for the excellent service, new SLX line arrived in saturday's post.

Had time to play with it today - great fun so far - was out in an open space of water for a change, lots of opportunities to mess about with circles and rolls and the like.

I know you rate this rod as 'slightly over AFTMA standards' - one nice benefit of that is that it helps me to cast off of the tip of the rod with less movement/effort so I could focus on other mechanics.  I used that today to experiment with tightening up loops on the forward cast. sometimes i got it just right, and the resulting loops looked pretty good (for my standards) - not quite sexyloops standards, but tightening up.   I think the bright orange helps too, i can see what i'm doing! just need to work on the three Rs  - Repetition, Repetition, Repetition...

A good fishing tool, and a good self-teach tool too, awesome!

[Mike Barrio]

Hi Iain

Thanks for the great feedback ..... I'm really pleased that you like the line

Best wishes
Mike

[Iain Cameron]

Hi Iain
Thanks for the great feedback ..... I'm really pleased that you like the line

I'm liking it so much that I hooked myself in the back twice on monday night. lazy casting in a right to left wind... hence the need to practice more

[Mike Barrio]

Hi folks

Here are some photos of Ben playing with the SLX at Haddo. These were sent to me by Sean Morrissey, you can see more of Sean's photography at Sean Afnan Photographer ..... http://www.afnanstudios.com/







Thanks Sean

[Rob Brownfield]

Sean was the chap who came up a few weeks back. hopefully he will be back towards the end of the season for more photo fun and some salmon fishing.

[Marc Fauvet]

lovely pics ! this Ben guy isn't too bad either....    

[Rob Brownfield]

lovely pics ! this Ben guy isn't too bad either....    

I did notice in the third photo that Ben has a problem casting a straight line

[Euan Innes]

That's probably Photoshop.....

 

[Matt Henderson]

I finally had a chuck with my SLX on Friday.  It is proper good!  My 10ft CTS 5wt loves it.  Only problem is user error!

Thanks

matt

[Rob Brownfield]

Just received my new Olive SLX. All I can say is the colour is spot on!! Light enough to see, dark enough not to spook the fish.

I have a couple of spots I want to try it on and I really can't wait.