You might be surprised to hear that most fish have evolved to have eyes that can pinpoint colours that are common in their environment. Even though they have limited vision for colours, they have adapted to survive in the depths of the water.  

Many people who enjoy fly fishing have started using this to their advantage. The question is, have you? The majority of gamefish track their next meal by spotting the contrast of colour against various backgrounds.  

This contrast relies on several things from how transparent the water is down to the season. However, there are various principles you can keep in mind the next time you fly fish. So, if you haven’t yet gotten your gear, Gold Coast fishing tackle retailer such as Fish Head will supply you with all the things you need.  

HOW FISH SEE COLOUR UNDERWATER?  

Fish eyes, like human eyes, contain cones which enable them to see in colour. Even though the strongest sense fish have is smell followed by their hearing, they do have fairly good sight for certain colours.  

How they interpret colours underwater largely depends on how far away the object appears. If it’s at a certain depth, various lights such as red will be completely invisible. However, greens and blues will be visible at a greater depth.  

This knowledge of colours and how they work underneath water in the fish’s viewpoint is essential to knowing how to fly fish effectively.  

UTILIZING THE RIGHT SHADE  

Use the brightness of the sky to dictate which colour you end up choosing. The general rule of thumb is: the lighter the day, the lighter the shade and vice versa for dark, gloomy days. The same rule applies whether you’re using flies, worms or other objects.  

The second aspect you need to watch out for is the clarity and transparency of the water. This means selecting subtler colours in clearer water such as maroons and purples. However, when the water is murkier and less clear, you want to go brighter such as yellows and bright oranges. When doing so your object stands the best chance of being seen by the fishes. It’s good to note that using black when the sky is dark will provide a strong outline for fishes.  

The third aspect is choosing the colour based on which season it is. As flies are normally darker in the fall and winter, you will want to go for darker shades. However, in the middle of spring – mid-autumn, they are normally lighter in shade.  

The rules are simple as long as you consider essential elements such as water depth, season, time of day and water transparency. As you work on deepening your knowledge, you will discover there is a lot more you can learn. This article has just covered the basics but putting even these into practice will increase your chances of success at fly fishing in a big way!  Also don’t forget to pick out the right fishing rod.