Uv

[Jeremy Hunt]

Another topic that I can add some “hype” to is UV tying materials and how trout relate to it. I’m sure there are a few of us here that have started tying with the UV dubbing that Hareline came out with about seven years ago. It started a "frenzy", and everybody was using flies tied with this material at Taneycomo. The only thing that I don't like about that UV dubbing is how purple the fly looked when it was finished. I always thought that the heavy shade of purple was just a bit too much, but I cannot say it didn't work - the fish would tear up UV scuds. I stopped fishing The Hareline UV two years ago because it became the status quo. I thought the UV bite was not the “hot” thing anymore and the trout were getting wise to the purple.

What I’m trying to get at here is that there are recent studies out that try and determine whether or not trout really key in on UV colors - the results confirm that trout are drawn to certain colors, including UV. Loon came out with the UV "Knotsense" product to help with solidifying knots. The accompanying UV light used to dry the nail knot when using Knotsense can also be utilized to let you know if materials or thread have UV in them - just shine the light on the stuff you are curious about, and it is easy to tell by the reflections. This last year, I’ve really been experimenting with UV dubbing blends and threads just to see if it increases my hook-ups. And it did. We all know trout are attracted to bright colors, and when you add sunlight and UV dubbing to the mix, the fly stands out even more.

I was wondering if anybody else has been playing around with UV, and what are your thoughts on this topic?

[fishinwrench]

I haven't experimented with it on any of my trout flys but I can tell you that the Whites and Hybrids LOVE it !

[3wt]

My quick google-ing seems to indicate that only tiny trout have UV receptors, and they switch to blue receptors at something like 0.4 ounces. I'm not so sure it's worth the effort to seek out UV materials for trout.