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3. Getting into a "Fly Selection rut" when Fishing, Page 3

Na... I sold it to a bass pro for 50 cents on the $. He acted like I sold him the philosopher stone.:) - Gollum jumping around with the ring.

Besides, we've talked about this before, I'm a minimalist on the stream. I don't worry about being bent over. Now tripping over all the crap in the boat and taking a bath is another matter.:)

So, I guess Maples and Aspens can see color and Douglas-fir can not?


Deer see movement and contrast, and a solid "blob" of any color whether it be hunter orange, red, or white is detected, and conversely, a moving camo clad human is easily detected, too.

Maybe the Odocoileus virginianus don't change color in your neck of the woods, but they sure do around here.
Spotted fawns to a red spring coat to a light tan summer coat to a dark brown during the rut then an almost black in the winter.

There is plenty of scientific evidence that suggests that deer can see color. Although they are color blind on the longer wavelength end of the spectrum and see it as gray this is not true on the shorter end.

Any animal with eyes that contain rods can perceive color, at least to some extent.


Not entirely correct, Tony. While it's true that maples and aspens can perceive colors across a broader spectrum, doug firs see green very well.


That is my understanding as well, Allan. The bright orange and red camos that protect hunters from other sharp-shooters (in theory) supposedly blend right in. Since ungulates also see into the ultra-violet range a little, phosphate soaps are supposed to be the big problem with concealment. Like freshly laundered denim under a black light? IMHO, nothing beats wool in the woods. Odor suppression, range of comfort, UV absorption, sound suppression, warm even when wet... The old guys had it right.

Uh, Tony, well, let's see here...

First of all, aspens, maples, douglas-firs, and other trees (and plants as well) DON'T HAVE EYES. I have a degree in botany so I'm pretty certain of this...and they also do not rely on colors for mate recognition, nor do they rely on brightness and intensity of colors to determine the health, vigor, and genetic suitability of mates. Your examples are in fact WIND POLLINATED, although some insects have been known to visit maple flowers of some species.

And yes, our deer here in Michigan are various shades of grey, brown, and white. Fawns may be a richer brown, but they're not concerned about mating, rather hiding from predators like coyotes, bears, bobcats, cougars (yep, we got 'em, despite what the MDNR says), etc...Also, I have seen deer hunters here in my state use bright yellow or chartruese colors when hunting. Deer key on MOVEMENT, sound, and scent, NOT color.

If you really think I'm full of it, as you typically do in your contrarian fashion to nearly all of my posts, I would like YOU to explain why fish are colorful and how it does or does not influence whether or not fish can see colors. Please. I stand by my argument.

Jonathon

Haven't read all of these posts, but, bugs/nymphs that reside in the weeds often take on the color of the vegetation..olive scuds for example. Fish often at least are white on the belly, and darker on the top for those viewing them either from above so they blend into the bottom, or for those looking up at them, and blending into the sky. I would tell clients when we'd pass through the shallower tailouts where we could see the bottom when they would yell out, "there's one!"..and I would tell them it was probably a white fish, or a sucker, as they roll a lot feeding on nymphs, and you get the chance to see their white bellies. I would stand for long periods of time on a low bridge just below where steelhead entered a hatchery, and when the main river turned brown, and high after a rain. Steelhead would move into this little feeder creek that had clear water, and then enter the hatchery.(Dec.-Jan) Fisherman would line the banks allowed to fish in the feeder stream, and those of us on the bridge would stare hard looking over every rock to pick out a steelhead laying next to it. Hard to do, and it was like picking out an object hidden wikthin the picture, because these trout would blend into the bottom so well.