The Color Purple

The Color Purple

The hot patterns in my fly box aren’t new patterns, but rather purple variations of the old ones: purple Prince nymphs, purple San Juan Worms, purple Woolly Buggers, even purple Parachute Adamses.

No matter how hard you look, you won’t find an insect that looks even remotely like a purple Prince nymph. But I know many guides use it when the chips are down. Other anglers gravitate to purple in tough conditions as well, from offshore captains trolling purple skirts for tuna, to salmon guides in Alaska who prefer blue or purple beads, to bass pros who like purple-shaded soft plastics.

One theory is that purple catches fishes’ eyes better than other shades. Among trout, for example, we know, according to Dr. Robert Behnke, author of Trout and Salmon in North America, that the cones in the retinas of trout eyes are more receptive to shades on the blue side of the spectrum. Behnke cautions, however, that trout “exhibit different feeding patterns at different times; during some periods, imitation of the food item of the moment is required.” In other words, when they’re on a hatch, matching size and color is key, but when they are just opportunity feeding, gaudy is better.

Recognize when fish are on a specific bite or not. When they are, match it, but when they are not—when you’re just trying to get their attention—consider going purple.