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2015 Rutland zander fish-in


Anderoo

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What a shame. Why on earth does lure colour make such a difference?

I don't know, it's really odd - zander do have very good vision in low light conditions, but the camera blacks out quite some time before it hits the bottom. I can accept that maybe there is enough light down there that they can see something, but enough for colour vision? I'm sceptical.

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Carp fishers don't share that scepticism, Steve.

 

Camouflaged jim jams, de rigeur for night fishing. I even found a pair of camouflaged artery forceps beside my tench swim.

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RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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As much as it makes no sense, the conclusion surely has to be that they can distinguish between colours at that depth, and that in certain conditions one colour is better than another.

 

From a practical fishing point of view, you use the ones that catch and forget about the ones that don't!

 

Still, very interesting - thanks for getting the footage Steve.

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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As much as it makes no sense, the conclusion surely has to be that they can distinguish between colours at that depth, and that in certain conditions one colour is better than another.

 

 

Maybe, but sometimes the explanation may lie elsewhere

 

For example, Pike spoons with a red woollen tag attached to the treble consistently outfish spoons without such tags. The latter seem to attract half-hearted wipes at the spoon.

 

Knee-jerk conclusion - red attracts pike (Blood!)

 

Considered alternative - the woollen tag ensures the treble swims upright and squarely behind the spoon (instead of a bare hook dangling at an angle) and adds to the turbulence of the lure. More positive takes, and treble positioned for a more likely hook-up

 

To test that hypothesis, volunteers needed to test-fish spoons with camou tags :)

Edited by Vagabond

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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I wonder if it would be worth sticking a flurecent glo in the dark maggot onto the front of the lure maybe even a nightlight. I remember Rob using a flurecent maggot on his rig when night fishing for chub and it seemed to work ok...he only caught little 'uns but I don't think he ever catches 'ewt else ;) .

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Re post 226 (Anderoo)

 

True. But are the fishes choices inconsistent or is there a pattern ? Surely they don't have whims like women chosing curtains ?

 

I am reminded of a day at Grafham

It was the Troutmasters Final

 

I was there, courtesy of some big triploid rainbows from my local mud-puddle. (I have posted before about the illusion of skill associated with catching such fish)

 

Was paired with a VERY competent angler in one of the boats.

 

A team of buzzer nymphs seemed the best option - there was a buzzer hatch which everyone was hoping nobody else had noticed !

 

I fished the same team throughout the morning.

 

My boat partner had interchangeable reel spools (ultra-fast, fast, medium and slow sinkers, neutral, floating, and sink-tip lines) which he changed from time to time with the speed and efficiency of a Ferrari pit-stop.

 

He also kept changing his flies, red buzzers, green buzzers, silver buzzers, gold buzzers, gold-headed buzzers, grey buzzers, Geoffrey Bucknall's Footballer buzzers .....(I won't give the full list)

 

His philosophy was that the fish must have a preference. Mine was that I could see no reason on this particular day why they should have (not obviously bright or dull)

 

It was obvious from his tackle and boat handling that he was a very accomplished angler - I learnt a lot by watching him. I expected to be comprehensively outfished. He also fished at a longer range than I did - and therefore did more false casting.

 

At end of morning Mr Expert , 2 Rainbows, 3 abortive takes.

Yours truly, 2 Rainbows, plus 1 lost to a smash (two on, one broke away, t'other boated), 2 abortive takes

 

If we each had boated all fish that bit the flies, we would have had five trout each.

 

Small sample, but consistent with other experiences.

 

The conclusion I drew, was that any advantage he had in using the "right" fly for some of the time ( and at a greater distance from the boat) was more than negated by the reduced time he actually had a fly in the water. I must have fished for twice the time he did.

 

I remain sceptical about colour. Although I will change lures/flies from time to time if there is little action on what I'm using, I do it less often than most.

Edited by Vagabond

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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Re post 226 (Anderoo)

 

True. But why should the fishes choices be inconsistent ?

I'm not sure it is inconsistent. Some of the lures I have just don't get bites whereas others are very successful. The only difference between them is colour. So even though it makes no sense to me that colour should matter in 80ft of water, the results are hard to argue against, and repeatable.

 

It must be possible - in fact probable - that a zander can see well enough to hunt at that depth even if all Steve's camera sees is blackness.

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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I would like to try an entirely transparent and colourless lure as a control.

 

Of my 21, I think 17 or 18 took a dark green pattern, the last three or four the same pattern in fire tiger. I think Rich was using a white lure for most of the day.

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