I mulled over in my mind what exactly does a trout see? Then I remembered a quote from some other person. Perhaps it was an author. Heaven forbid it might have been a WORLD famous fly designer! Anyway to paraphrase he asked "what doesn't a trout see?".
Years and years ago on a river far far away, I made a discovery. It was on the San Juan River in Northern New Mexico. It's a Tail water famous for lots of fish, large fish, and tiny fly’s. My first trip to the river was really fun. Visibility was probably 3 feet. Sight fishing was the key. Size 20-24 Midge Larva, and PT nymphs were the ticket. 3 days of nonstop action. Fishing till you were exhausted, losing track of how many fish were landed, or until you wanted a beer. I am not bragging. The river was that good. Any flyfishing person with a little experience could catch 20 to 30 fish a day.
My second trip to the river was when I made my small discovery. I arrived at the river to find it looking like chocolate milk. My heart sunk. I had driven 4 hours just to have the river be unfishable. I stopped in at the FloatNFish fly shop. The owner, Ray Johnson use to race Quarter Horses against my dad. One of his guides (Kelly Dennington) was the nephew of my fishing buddy and friend. I had spent a half day the previous year fishing with Kelly.
As I entered the shop Ray said hi, and then said, "why the glum face?" With a pathetic smile I asked if he had seen the river. He said "yep, if it gets any better we are going to charge you double for your fishing license." I bet I looked weird when he said that. "Wayne, I know the river looks bad, but when you get down to it you will see there’s a good 6 to 8 inches visibility. I watched you fish last year. You can read water. Fish where you think the trout will be holding. Once you find em, you will slaughter em." I asked him if I needed big fly’s. He said nope, same fly’s as you use on the Frying Pan in your neck of the woods. "Really Ray, size 20 - 24?"
At that time I was allowed to use a 3 fly setup as long as the barbs were smashed down. Regulations today only allow a two fly set up. My first fly was a size 18 baetis nymph. Off that I dropped two thread midges. I don’t really remember the colors. I fished the North Channel just before it dumped into the Texas Hole. Lots of water and a variety of holes. I went to my favorite section. A run that is maybe 50 yards long and the rock stair steps gradually towards the main current. I wasn’t there long and I was into my first trout. It was the typical San Juan rainbow. 16 inches long, but fatter than last year. I have to admit, I scared myself a little when I set the hook. I still didn’t believe Ray. It had taken the Baetis nymph. As I was removing the hook I noticed midge larva coming out of the trout’s mouth. Light Yellow, and maybe a size 22. I clipped off the bottom fly and attached a size 22 Yong Special (Yellow). I was into fish. Ray was right. The fish were eating and the fishing was great, even in 8 inches of visibility. The color of midge larva changed throughout the day, but most fish would puke some of them out and let me know what color was predominant at that time. The colors of the larva fascinated me. Yellows. Oranges, Reds, Olives, Browns, Blacks, and the fish were gorged on them.
On the third day of that trip the water cleared to maybe 2 feet visibility. The fish still took the same fly’s at the same time of day, in the same locations. This trip was an eye opening experience for me. I had been raised with the preconceived idea that trout could not see in murky to muddy water. I had been proven wrong, in a very pleasant manner. Had I not stopped into talk to Ray, I would have left, driven North to Durango Colorado, and fished the Animas River. Kind of a cruddy consolation prize, and thankfully one I didn’t get.
So, does UV play a part? I have no idea. Why is Orange only important to me when the Giant Stones are making their appearance, or if there are scuds of that color present, or of the October Caddis are around? I guess it’s because those food items all have Orange in them. Why do I HATE HATE HATE Purple? Because my son and my buddy catch fish on Purple fly’s and I can’t!
I believe the trout see more than we give them credit for. I believe they will hit a UV enhanced pattern as readily as one that isn’t enhanced, and vice versa. Getting a pattern that is somewhat representative of what the trout is accustomed to eating, in a manner in which the trout is accustomed to seeing it, is more important than UV. I still wonder though,,,
Exactly what can’t a trout see?
These are only my opinions. I have no documentation or case study’s to prove a word of what I just said.
