What color fly should I use?

Golden and silver colors are the best option for fly fishing during sunny days. The sunlight reflects on them and produces flashes that attract the attention of fish. In contrast, on cloudy days these gold and silver streamers will be practically invisible.

Do Steelheads like purple?

Black or purple will cast a stronger silhouette in bright water and a more visible dark profile in colored water or low-light conditions. Steelhead readily take dark colors. Nevertheless, bright fluorescent colors have an important place in winter steelheading.

What is an intruder style fly?

An Intruder fly is meant to trigger aggression when invading, or intruding into the territory of a sport fish, thus eliciting a strike response. The most productive “Intruder” fly patterns trigger the fight response without triggering a flee response by scaring the fish away from its territory.

Who invented the intruder fly?

Ed Ward
The intruder style of flies was most likely originated by Ed Ward, a US west coast angler, who developed the pattern for Alaskan salmon as well as his local steelhead in the early 90’s.

Does fly color matter?

“I feel size and shape of a fly, the profile, is more important than the color,” he says. “To me, color is a confidence thing, and I have more confidence matching the hatch than using off colors.”

What is steelhead color?

While in the ocean, steelhead are silver in color and usually grow much larger than their freshwater siblings. Once back in fresh water, they generally change color to reveal dark olive tones with silvery-white undersides, speckled bodies and a pink to red stripe running along their sides.

What color is a steelhead trout?

Their bodies are blue, green, or yellowish, shading to silvery white on the underside, with a horizontal pink-red stripe running from the gills to the tail and black spots along their backs. Steelhead are generally more streamlined in shape and silvery or brassy in color as adults, earning them their name.