10-15-2010, 03:08 PM
"TD shared a number of orange/pink fly-lure patterns that seem to turn on in the fall. Didn't get what they would "imitate" - hadn't thought of crawdads. Once the die or get cooked they go pretty red. Maybe I should start putting butter and lemon garlic on my lures!"
[cool][#0000ff]Color preferences and changes throughout the year could be the subject of a separate long thread...or a book...or a movie. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I think people tend to give fish too much credit for human-like reasoning and reaction. They do not have large brains, capable of reasoning, and trout don't live long enough (most less than 5 years) to learn and remember very much. Most of what they do is a combination of genetic programming, instinctive reactions and some learned behavior. They do not look at a fly or lure and think "Hey, that looks a lot like (food source). I think I will eat it." But they do respond more quickly if what you are serving is about the same size, shape and color as what they are patterning on...and if it moves right.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Why do they hit orange so well in the fall? I dunno. But having fished for most of the troutlike species around the country...and to the north...I have my own theories. #1 probability is that fall is a time of spawning for some trouts and chars...and there are sometimes eggs available in the water...either from active spawning or accidental "dribbles" by ripe females waiting to spawn. And, virtually all troutkind eagerly slurp up eggs...either as a food source or as an instinctive action to reduce the population of other young fry which could be in competition with their own for available food sources. What color are trout eggs? Most of them are orange.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Some of my best fall patterns...flies and spinners...have patches or spots of orange. And, on many fall days the orange-decorated models seem to outproduce the stuff that was doing better a few weeks earlier.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A big part of the equation is visibility. Trout also tend to hit other hot colors more readily in the cooler months. Hot pink, red, chartreuse and yellow also produce more "reaction" bites in cooler water or in waters murkied by algae bloom, storm runoff or seasonal turnovers. If they can see it better, they will hit it better.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Both white and black can be good colors...either by themselves or in combination. Good contrasting combos are also more highly visible.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I think that most salmonids and chars are genetically programmed to smack bright colors. A lot of them have bright coloration themselves and another colorful intruder in the area can incite a territorial or curiosity munch.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Who knows? I don't. But I make sure I gots lots of purty colors in my fall lure and fly boxes. [/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]Color preferences and changes throughout the year could be the subject of a separate long thread...or a book...or a movie. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I think people tend to give fish too much credit for human-like reasoning and reaction. They do not have large brains, capable of reasoning, and trout don't live long enough (most less than 5 years) to learn and remember very much. Most of what they do is a combination of genetic programming, instinctive reactions and some learned behavior. They do not look at a fly or lure and think "Hey, that looks a lot like (food source). I think I will eat it." But they do respond more quickly if what you are serving is about the same size, shape and color as what they are patterning on...and if it moves right.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Why do they hit orange so well in the fall? I dunno. But having fished for most of the troutlike species around the country...and to the north...I have my own theories. #1 probability is that fall is a time of spawning for some trouts and chars...and there are sometimes eggs available in the water...either from active spawning or accidental "dribbles" by ripe females waiting to spawn. And, virtually all troutkind eagerly slurp up eggs...either as a food source or as an instinctive action to reduce the population of other young fry which could be in competition with their own for available food sources. What color are trout eggs? Most of them are orange.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Some of my best fall patterns...flies and spinners...have patches or spots of orange. And, on many fall days the orange-decorated models seem to outproduce the stuff that was doing better a few weeks earlier.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]A big part of the equation is visibility. Trout also tend to hit other hot colors more readily in the cooler months. Hot pink, red, chartreuse and yellow also produce more "reaction" bites in cooler water or in waters murkied by algae bloom, storm runoff or seasonal turnovers. If they can see it better, they will hit it better.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Both white and black can be good colors...either by themselves or in combination. Good contrasting combos are also more highly visible.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I think that most salmonids and chars are genetically programmed to smack bright colors. A lot of them have bright coloration themselves and another colorful intruder in the area can incite a territorial or curiosity munch.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Who knows? I don't. But I make sure I gots lots of purty colors in my fall lure and fly boxes. [/#0000ff]
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