Is Black No Longer Fashionable at Night?

[stevel]

Been out more and more at night as the heat of the season builds and been doing pretty well. But it doesn't seem essential to use black flies.

Of the three recent nights, I caught all my fish one night on a black fly. But the other two, I used a blue and white deceiver, green and white deceiver and a large green and yellow bunker fly.

I think I might have been too hung up on black at night. I'm now thinking, throw them something big that pushes water, has a bit of flash and some of the bright colors might even be good.

Note that here in the Western Sound, around New Rochelle, there's a lot of ambient light from the shore, so it never really gets pitch dark. Wonder if that makes a difference.

[Big Bald Head]

Mix black with purple, red, olive, orange (e.g., black over red clouser). These have really produced for me and I hardly ever fish a straight black fly anymore. I especially like black over olive with gold/copper flash

Best Fishes!

-- Big Bald Head

[Stan]

Funny I've been killing them with all white at night this year. Gotta give the fish what they want.

[tommat]

General rule of thumb is fish all black on the new moon and lighter colors, I prefer yellow, on the full moon.

[FlyFishnTheRide]

I have always done well with Clousers that are black over shrimp (light tan) at night. I have a friend that often uses black and white at night.

[Salvy]

"Throw them something big that pushes water, has a bit of flash"

Never a more true statement for nightime bass'n

I've had action on black flies at night, but have always done better on flies that move water.

Steve, try a crease fly or popper with slightly slower strip, more of a drag then a pop.

Tuesday....Wednesday????? Give me a bump.

[saltyh2ofly]

I like red/black sand eels for night fishing and red and the same colors for Lefty's. Pushing water.... blulky flys that give off a sound that only fish can pick up on work in just about any color. I like Stan's idea of "give em what they want"....usually something they can find and then eat. Black is still fashionable stevel just bulky.

Sit back and enjoy the ride!

[stevel]

Salvy... will definitely try some night-time poppers... It's just hard to change over from something that's working.

As for retrieve... I've found slow and steady long strips are the ticket at night. I figure you don't want to jerk it around too much... give the fish every chance to hit it.

[rwolson]

Take the foam popper bodies, Edgewater Foam, turn around and make a slider. Slow retrieve across the surface and look out. The slider leaves a wake on the surface. Yes, the bigger sizes maybe a nightmare to cast at night, but believe me, worth. Tabory's Snake Fly and other bulky patterns work too.

I've found flash is not that important at night. However, when tying flies, the most significant factor is the ability for the fly to push water and stimulate the sensors on a fish's lateral line for location.

[tommat]

I don't agree that the fly has to push a lot of water to be successful at night. Much depends on where you are fishing, the conditions, and the bait present. I have caught a lot of bass on small sand eel patterns dead drifted in the current. Have also done well with small flatwings. The only time I go LARGE is when fishing the surf zone.