light reflection

Moderators: William Anderson, letumgo

Fishnkilts
Posts: 703
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2020 9:40 pm
Location: Colorado

light reflection

Post by Fishnkilts » Wed Jul 01, 2020 10:36 pm

I have learned a long time ago that light penetrating through the water column reacts differently with certain flies.
For example if it's a cloudy day, darker, bland colored nymphs on the bottom of your rig works best because the light hitting the bottom of the river isn't as bright as it is in the higher water column. On bright days, you would want to brighten up the flies to get some kind reflection happening.

So in the morning, it's good to have a dull fly on the bottom with maybe a brighter fly above it. As the day goes on and the sun becomes brighter, you may want to put brighter flies on your rig to get reflection on multiple layers of the water column.

Since I'm fairly new to flymphs, I was thinking if I were to use a darker colored nymph on the bottom of my rig, with a flymph above it, what kind of patterns are out there that I could tie that have some kind of sparkle for brighter days to reflect the light better as it floats higher in the water column?
User avatar
letumgo
Site Admin
Posts: 13345
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: Buffalo, New York
Contact:

Re: light reflection

Post by letumgo » Wed Jul 01, 2020 10:47 pm

Have you looked thru the flies in Pete Hidy’s fly wallet? I think there are several brighter patterns to play around with.

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=6813&start=20#p100442
Ray (letumgo)----<°))))))><
http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php? ... er=letumgo

"The world is perfect. Appreciate the details." - Dean
Fishnkilts
Posts: 703
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2020 9:40 pm
Location: Colorado

Re: light reflection

Post by Fishnkilts » Wed Jul 01, 2020 10:49 pm

letumgo wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 10:47 pm Have you looked thru the flies in Pete Hidy’s fly wallet? I think there are several brighter patterns to play around with.

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=6813&start=20#p100442
No I haven't. Thank you for the link.
Mike62
Posts: 1043
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 3:50 pm
Location: Northern Maine

Re: light reflection

Post by Mike62 » Thu Jul 02, 2020 6:38 am

This thread reminds me that it would be a good time to go back and read 'Sunshine and the Dry Fly' again.
BrkTrt
Posts: 220
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:52 pm

Re: light reflection

Post by BrkTrt » Fri Jul 03, 2020 5:46 am

Fran Betters along with Dick Stewart and Bob Leeman had some pretty convincing thoughts on light reflection in their books.
Variant
Posts: 356
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2019 10:23 am

Re: light reflection

Post by Variant » Fri Jul 03, 2020 7:56 am

Another good source of information IMHO are Ozzie Ozefovich’s 3 videos,THE UNDERWATER WORLD OF TROUT.

Lou
In sport,method is everything.The more the skill the method calls for,the higher it’s yield of emotional stir and satisfaction,the higher it’s place must be in a sportsman’s scale of values. RODERICK HAIG-BROWN
User avatar
Old Hat
Posts: 4204
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2009 12:24 am
Location: Where Deet is a Cologne
Contact:

Re: light reflection

Post by Old Hat » Fri Jul 03, 2020 8:08 am

I agree with your thoughts on light and flies. I have a few patterns which I purposely use to make use of this idea. My Fade patterns utilize a pearl tinsel rib which adds just enough spots to make use of the bright sun. Also, the Wilted Spinach pattern is great for this as well. It uses a couple small loops of Krystal flash as a tail.

With that said, I strongly believe that tethering a flymph as a dropper with a nymph greatly decreases the effectiveness and versatility the flymph design offers. It would be like tying your hands together and jumping into the lake. It may not be life threatening, but certainly decrease your options and make swimming less effective. :D
I hate it when I think I'm buying organic vegetables, and when I get home I discover they are just regular donuts.
http://www.oldhatflytying.com
DUBBN
Posts: 1627
Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2019 3:41 pm

Re: light reflection

Post by DUBBN » Mon Jul 06, 2020 11:28 am

I totally disagree. Tethering a flymph with a dry or another nymph shows that patterns versatility. By disregarding this technique, you have essentially removed arrows from your soft hackle quiver. Options are an amazing things, and I like amazing things.

Emergers are found from the river bottom all the way up to the surface. Not taking advantage of this is in my opinion, fool hardy. I believe there are always emergers, cripples, and drowned adults all through the water column. In my opinion, soft hackles do a darn good job imitating every stage.

Many times while nymphing with an indicator, euro nymphing, or sight fishing, with weight, to actively feeding fish, I will have a soft hackle on some where in the line of flies. Letting the rig rise to the surface on a tight line at the end of the drift is a great way to find out that the fish have started chasing emergers or diving caddis to the surface. When I am catching more fish on the rise, it is time to take the weight off and start working the upper water column.

For me, the soft hackle/flymph/spider are much too valuable to not exploit "drowned" or semi-dry. This is what makes fly fishing fun. The individual spin each of us puts on it.

As far as light reflection goes, I think it plays a minor role. I do however go with flashy "bling" type patterns more when the sun is bright rather than on cloudy days, but not always. Usually a glass or plastic bead is tied on the fly, or slipped up the tippet above the fly.
Johnno
Posts: 753
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:09 pm
Location: Nelson New Zealand

Re: light reflection

Post by Johnno » Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:50 pm

The old adage..... bright day = bright fly, dark day = dark fly.

Still works.
upstatetrout
Posts: 379
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 8:47 am
Location: New York

Re: light reflection

Post by upstatetrout » Mon Jul 06, 2020 4:13 pm

All comes down to we are just waiting for the trout to make a mistake!

Tom
"We argue to see who is right but we discuss to see what is right"
Post Reply