Simplifying the Great Debate: Fluorocarbon vs. Nylon: INVISIBILITY

I read and hear conversations all of the time debating the advantages & disadvantages of nylon monofilament vs fluorocarbon monofilament for leaders and tippet.  Once again, the real question is:  How much of the stuff you hear/read on this topic is truth versus marketing hype?  Let’s see if we can sort some of this out.

TRUTH:  Fluorocarbon has a closer refractive index to water than that of nylon.

Yes folks this is a cold hard scientific fact.  Refractive index essentially refers to a number indicating  how much the speed of light is reduced in a given medium.  I just got a headache from typing that.  Water has a refractive index of 1.3330.  Fluorocarbon has a refractive index of 1.42.  Nylon monofilament refractive indices range from 1.53-1.62.  BUT, does that really mean fluorocarbon is invisible in water?

MYTH: Fluorocarbon is nearly invisible to fish in water.

Clear back in 2001 a guy named Jeff Thomson wrote an article called, “Mathematical Theory of Fishing Line Visibility”.  Now, I can’t find that this is an actual peer reviewed published article, but I have read the presentation he did on the topic and it is pretty good.  He essentially breaks down how light refraction, reflection, and scatter in water works from a mathematical equation perspective and then applies the properties of water and fluorocarbon in those equations.  It’s painful to read if you do not have a science and research background (and even then, it’s pretty painful).  He ultimately concluded that considering all of the variables involved, in reality, fluorocarbon monofilament is not “invisible” in water.

Anecdotal evidence (a limited selection of examples which support or refute an argument, but which are not supported by scientific or statistical analysis) by many fisherman suggest that, yes fluorocarbon is less visible to fish than nylon monofilament.  So, is this true?  Maybe…

A lot of folks have reported many types of tests to quantify this (non-scientific tests, but interesting nonetheless).  People have put lengths of same diameter nylon and fluorocarbon in glasses of water, aquariums, in lakes and rivers, and looked at them and photographed them.  The majority of those folks report they can’t see a difference between the two.  Of course they all admit they are not fish under water looking at the materials with the naked eyes of fish.

My own anecdotal evidence suggests that in clear water, steelhead most certainly see fluorocarbon monofilament line when it drifts towards them and they move out of the way from the offering (no matter what it is) well in advance of it ever getting to them.  While I cannot write a peer reviewed scientific paper based on my observations, I’m comfortable saying, in gin clear water….fish can see fluorocarbon monofilament line.

YET, I do construct my leaders from and use tippet material made of fluorocarbon.  Why is that if it is not invisible and certainly costs more?  For me it’s simple.  I guide clients with varying degrees of experience.  And fluorocarbon does give me some advantages. 

Fluorocarbon has higher tensile strength at smaller diameters than nylon.  I want to give clients every advantage I can, knowing full well when they are with me they are in the middle of a big learning curve on how to catch steelhead on the fly rod.  So, it is true, fish are less spooked by smaller diameter line and if I can use a smaller diameter line that is stronger to help a client get a fish to hand, it’s a win win. 

Once someone is comfortable with proper presentation of offerings and how to land a big crazy fish on fly gear, many of the reported advantages of fluorocarbon may not be as significant.  From my perspective, I have a very limited amount of time to spend with any given client to cover a ton of material and get some fish in their hands.  In that setting, fluorocarbon limits some of the issues with presentation error and helps a little with not breaking off fish when making common mistakes fighting and landing these big fish. 

From my personal fishing perspective, at the end of the day, hooking fish still comes down to precise PRESENTATION PRESENTATION PRESENTATION.  In my opinion, the visibility of the line plays very little role in whether I hook fish.  And there a a multitude of other ways we spook fish and shut down a bite before we ever get out lines in the water.  In previous articles we have discussed that fish see a lot in an out of the water that does not even relate to line visibility.  And this does not even account for things we do unknowingly that disturb a run before we even get close to it.  We would be hard pressed to narrow why we are not catching fish down to the visibility of the line we use.  But it can be a piece of the overall picture that also should not be neglected.

To me, it’s more of an issue of making the right kind of presentation in low gin clear water than having an invisible line.  For example, swinging an offering down in front of fish presents only the offering to the fish (not the line), where drifting an offering does tend to present the line and offering at the same time.  And in the case of Steelhead Alley steelhead, they get educated to line drifting at them pretty quickly from the moment they enter the tributaries.

I’ll discuss other topics within this specific debate in upcoming articles.  Until then, if you’re gonna be in northeast Ohio or northwest Pennsylvania on business and want to spend a day on the water or you are local and just want to work on some aspect of your steelhead game…call me!  LET’S GO FISHIN’!

Fish Vision: Color Underwater

Now that we know what fish see above the water’s surface, what do they see in the water?  Let’s start with color.  

We discussed in the previous article that water has different optical properties than air.  Water is about 780 times more dense than air.  As light hits water, not only does the light bend, it is selectively scattered and absorbed.  Greater than 75% of the visible spectrum is absorbed within about 30 feet.

Here’s what you need to know and think about.  In clear water, the colors we see as red, yellow, and orange are lost first.  “Lost”, meaning scattered and absorbed.  The colors we see as violet, blue and green reach farther, with blue penetrating to nearly 500 feet.  How far light penetrates on a given day depends on the angle of the sun, the roughness of the water’s surface, and how much sediment is suspended in the water (turbidity).

Light intensity plays a big part in how a fish perceives color. Fishing on a sunny day will allow light from the sky to penetrate much deeper through the water column than on a day with clouds. Shiny colors like silver and gold are less effective when cloud cover rolls in, and can become almost invisible without the sun shining, even in clear water. The reason for this is that they reflect the grayness that is surrounding them, instead of the bright rays of the sun. Casting darker colors (like blues and purples) in low light (whether due to cloudiness, early or late in the day, or water with a high amount of suspended sedimentation) often work best by giving your fly the greatest contrast and silhouette. 

***So remember, as the sun sets (or at sunrise), cloudy days, or in stained water, colors like red, yellow, & orange will disappear the quickest. Blue, violet, and green are seen by fish much better in these low light conditions.

Now, what about all of these shiny materials and UV enhanced materials we see for files these days?  Great question!  Glad you asked.

First, there is some research that suggests that fish can sense polarized light (where we humans cannot separate polarized light from regular light).  Polarized light is unique in that it only vibrates in one plane.  I know, blah blah blah, but stick with me here.

When light is reflected off many nonmetallic surfaces, including the water’s surface, it is polarized to some degree.  Your polarized sunglasses block horizontally reflected light from the water’s surface, permitting only vertically reflected light through…thus reducing glare.

What does all of this have to do with fish vision?  It’s thought that fish that can see polarized light use the ability to help them find food.  When light reflects off of surfaces like fish scales, it becomes polarized.  A fish with polarizing vision can more easily make out baitfish and not lose them in the background of the plants and or rocks in the water.  It is also thought that fish with polarizing vision can see objects as much as three times further away.  AND, polarized light is most abundant at dawn and dusk.  Way back in 2001 a great study was done that showed in Oncorhynchus mykiss (our beloved steelhead), polarization sensitivity may provide these salmonids with an improved means of locating prey.  (That’s as crazy technical as I’ll get in these articles. I promise!) Now, this study was in juvenile fish.  There is some research that suggests that mature salmonids lose the ability to see polarized light.  And there is other research that suggests that salmonids regain that ability for a time when they reenter the rivers and streams to spawn.

Now you understand why many companies that make materials for fly tying are manufacturing “Polar” products.  Steelhead may be able to see them better, from further distances, and in lower light.  And this is how they look for food, at least as juveniles.  Think you might want to use this stuff in your flies?

What about all of this “UV” stuff (UV = ultraviolet light)?  It’s similar and pretty simple.  There is research that shows that colors that fluoresce in UV light are visible and distinct for longer distances than regular colors.  BAZINGA!  UV light is most is dominant on cloudy or gray days.  On sunny days, the fluorescence is much less.  So, under the right circumstances, we can take advantage of materials that fluoresce under UV light to gain a more visible and vibrant presentation.

All of our flies are used to imitate something fish feed on.  And at times, it can help to add in materials that can be seen by fish that can see polarized light and it can help to add fluorescent or “UV enhanced” materials to make the fly stand out.  Of course you must also understand that these enhancements could work against you when chasing fish that are in areas with abundant forage.  Fish key in on “hatches” very specifically at times because they are safe.  It is against their instinct to eat something unusual in those situations because it presents more risk to them.  So, you have to chose wisely for each situation.

Hopefully this gives you a concise little primer on why and when we use the colors and materials we use for various fishing conditions.  If you need more help drilling down your steelhead game…call me!  LET’S GO FISHIN’!

Fish Vision: Above the water

What do fish see?  I was asked this question at a steelhead exposition a few weeks back.  My initial answer was, “That is a much broader question than you might think.”  How fish see out of the water, in the water, and how light effects what they see is has been the topic of study for many many many graduate students and other researchers around the world.  It’s a great question.  And if you can have a basic understanding of a few of these concepts, it really can impact your fishing.

Let’s start with: What can fish see above the water?  First, you have to understand that fish live in water and water has very different optical properties than that of air.  Depending on the angle  light hits the water, a calm water surface can reflect up to 80% of the light hitting it.  And in rough water surfaces, there is tremendous variance in the transmission of light no matter what angle the light hits the water. 

That may sound technical, but it matters.  You are already starting to get an idea of why you can easily approach fish in some water and they are very spooky in other waters.  Surface movement of the water and the angle at which light hits the water plays a big role in what fish see out of the water.

The next concept you have to understand is that light bends (or refracts) when it enters the water.  So?  So, that allows each eye of the fish to see a certain area above the water that works in a different way than we normally see things.  Nearly everything a fish sees above the water appears in a circle (more of a cone really).  This circular window is smaller for fish close to the water surface and becomes larger the deeper the fish is in the water.  Outside of the window, the surface of the water appears as a mirror, reflecting the bottom. If the surface is choppy, the mirror effect is reduced.  In rough water this circular window is broken up and light is transmitted through continuously changing patterns. 

Yes there is a lot going on here. But you just need to be aware that fish see in a circle or cone above the water.  The circle is bigger for deeper fish and smaller for shallow fish.  You want to stay out of that cone.  To do this, you need to be back away from the fish and low to the horizon.  And there are other things that can help.  Low light conceals you even more and rougher water is further helpful.  And now you can see why fish in smooth water on a sunny day just scatter as you approach them.  

I tell folks everyday, “Know where the fish should be for the day’s conditions and fish for them in those places.”  Do not get fixated on fish you can see, rather fish the places they should be.  And those are places you cannot normally even see the fish.  Now you better understand why the fish also struggle to see you if you approach them correctly in these places.  That is a combination that makes for a great day on the water.  It also helps you understand how precise things have to be on those occasions when you are sight fishing.

Are you ready to take your steelhead game to the next level.  I can help you with that.  Call me.  LET’S GO FISHIN’!

GUIDE?

guide

n.

   a. One who shows the way by leading, directing, or advising.

   b. One who serves as a model for others, as in a course of conduct.

I tell people all of the time, "In life, you either are a guide or you are not."

Some folks gravitate towards teaching others, no matter what they are doing. That certainly has been the case for me, whether it was coaching wrestling, teaching students & residents, guiding patients, or guiding fly fishing adventures. One either lives to teach or they don't.

I was talking to a young man just getting into the guiding business a few weeks ago. It was a great conversation. He has all of the tools be be a great fishing guide.

Even if you are not a guide, stay with me...it matters to all of us in the end.

The young man was concerned about the actions he had observed in other guides. The first thing I told him was that you cannot control the actions of others. So spending time losing stomach acid over things you cannot control will only make you sick and not help the situation.

Most importantly, we discussed the role of servant leadership. The way to change the world is not to scream, yell, and bully others into your view. In fact, the way to change your world is to lead by example.

I told him we all make mistakes along the way, but what matters is that we pick ourselves up and get better tomorrow from today's failures.

A most important concept for a guide of any type to embrace is that it is NEVER our job to judge clients (or other guides for that matter). Clients come to us with a variety experience and backgrounds. Some have never picked-up a fly rod. Some have traveled the world. Some are just easy to be around. Some are difficult to spend a day with.

Whatever their experiences and attitudes, our job is not to judge them, but to guide them. Our job is to lead the way and find a way to lead them. Our job is to find common ground to reach them and relate to them so that they get out of the day what they need.

Our job is never to compare our experiences and worry about whether we could have caught more fish, handled fish better, or just had a better attitude in general. Our job is to gently lead.

One of the hardest notions to get past as a guide is that the client should meet our expectations. We have to enter every day with only one expectation and that is to meet the clients needs for the day. A client will likely never meet our expectations because they do not have our experience. Spending your day irritated because a client does not know everything you know should leave you considering a different vocation. In saying that, quite often it is important to be able to reset a client's expectations for the conditions of the day as well.

There is a joy in servant leadership. There is nothing better than watching a client start feeling the load of a fly rod and then begin moving line efficiently. It is so satisfying to share a moment with a client when they land that fish they have been after for years. Sharing in someone else's journey is simply satisfying.

As I shared these things with the young man, he said, "You should write this stuff down and share it." I hem and hawed around about it for awhile and decided to do so. While I hope it will help others refine their thoughts on guiding, I hope it will help fishermen in general.

One of the things I see on the water all of the time is fishermen judging other fishermen. We spend way too much time worrying how others fish and if we are better or could have caught "that" fish...when we should really just be enjoying the day. 

My encouragement for the day is live and let live on the stream. No one else on the stream needs to meet your expectations. If they fish a certain way, why do you care? Let them be. There are many ways to catch fish and they are all valid. If folks are doing something illegal, call the local authorities. Otherwise, take a deep breath and enjoy your time on the water. That time is far too limited to be irritated about how others fish or be worried about whether you are a better fisherman.

Now...LET'S GO FISHIN'!

STREAM HYDROLOGY

I've had several folks ask me lately why a specific amount of rainfall can mean the creek is blown sometimes and not even bump the flows at others. It all boils down to simple stream hydrology. Once you have a very basic understanding of stream hydrology, you'll better be able to predict the effect of rainfall or snowmelt on your favorite Great Lakes tributary.

Streams are created when excess water from rain, snowmelt, or near-surface groundwater accumulates on the ground surface and begins to run downhill. Excess water from rain or snowmelt occurs when the water accumulates at a faster rate than the soil and organic matter can absorb the water, plants can use it, or the water can be evaporated into the air.

Let's repeat that, "...water accumulates at a faster rate than the soil and organic matter can absorb the water, plants can use it, or the water can be evaporated into the air." This is what you have to consider for each season when trying to figure out what impact the rain is going to have on a creek you want to fish.

So, lately folks are wondering, "Why does half an inch of rain do nothing for the creek in September or early October, yet create several days of sustained flows in December?"

It's easy really. The ground is bone dry right now. The trees still have leaves and all of the ground flora is still using significant water as well. And, the air temperatures are still warm and causing a greater amount of evaporation.

Once the temperatures drop, the leaves fall off of the trees, and the grasses and weeds go dormant, the soil will saturate more quickly (or the ground surface will just plain be frozen). This will result in higher sustained flows and smaller amounts of rainfall will have a greater impact on flows.

It's that simple. Not everyone has an educational background in the earth sciences, so there is no reason for this to be intuitive to everyone. Now you know and now you can better predict how NOAAs rainfall projections may impact your favorite streams. Keep track of it and within a couple of years you'll always know what is likely to be going on where you like to fish!

Who's ready for a steelhead trip? Call me! LET'S GO FISHIN'!

Fall Steelhead Tips!

The early Fall steelhead season is upon us across Ohio and Pennsylvania. The weather and water is

still warm and the fish are HOT! Here are a few tips to get them in your hand.

1. Back off that drag. Set the drag tight enough to keep your reel from backlashing. Keep it light and let them run. You can palm the reel when necessary or increase the drag if you feel it is necessary after the 1st couple of runs.

2. When the creeks are low and clear, look for fast deep runs for active fish. Sure, there are fish in those holes with no flow. And for the most part, you want to pass them by. If you must, strip a streamer through those pools a few times and then move on. The fish in those pools are very spooky. Your presence, shadows, and plopping your fly in the water will usually scatter them. You are not likely to catch those fish. Just move on. 

When you find fast deep cuts, they will likely hold fish. The fish are less spooky because they feel concealed by the moving water and they are more likely to feed in moving water.

3. If you have ever wanted to try swinging flies...now is the time. These early fish are very aggressive and with the warmer water temperatures, they will chase a swung streamer a long way. And, you don't have to have a 2 handed rod to swing flies, it works just as well with single hand rods. Position yourself at the top of a fast run and cast your streamer (down stream) across the stream at about a 45 degree angle. Then just let the streamer swing across the flow. The early season conditions afford you your best chance to have a big day of multiple fish on the swing. Just be ready, because when they hit, they might pull your arms off. And of course you can catch them swinging flies during any season, this is just an exceptionally good time if you are new to swinging.

4. Streamers mimicking emerald shiners work exceptionally well in the early Fall. BUT, don't hesitate to downsize your offering when conditions are low and clear. Simple hare's ear and pheasant tail nymphs always work well. And steelhead are always suckers for single egg patterns, even when there are not any eggs around just yet.

5. Do not hesitate to downsize that tippet in the low and clear. 4x is a good choice and at times 5x is not out of the question if the fish are being stubborn. That being said, landing a juiced-up fresh steelhead on 5x can be tough.