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Fly Line Color
"Looking upward, fish see objects against the light sky -- and it seems to us that a light colored line would actually be less visible than a darker one." Cortland Line Company
There is wide ranging opinion as to which fly line color is best. And, there is a color to satisfy nearly every viewpoint. To formulate an educated decision, you need to go out and experience for yourself what color(s) work best for a given type of fish and fishing conditions. Most beginning flyfishers simply don't/haven't had this kind of experience . . . So, we provide here some basic guidelines from which to formulate a wise choice.
Some things to consider . . . Fish are not color blind. Nor are they impervious to being startled or alarmed at the sight of a fly line, regardless of its color. It is not so much the color of the line that is important, but the presentation of that line by the fisherman. Sloppy casting cannot be covered up regardless of the color of the fly line. Try to think in terms of "hunting" fish in whatever environment you are fishing, and decide what impact the color of your fly line will have on such "hunts". When we are hunting fish, we prefer every advantage we can muster, and "loud" fly line colors do not, in our opinion, assist us in a stealthy "hunt". When hunting fish, like our clothing, we prefer our fly lines to be as inconspicuous as possible. No sense drawing attention to ourselves or our lines by flashing about in bright, snappy colors. Are we trying to catch the fish? or catch their attention? Dullsville . . . The color controversy is relevant only with floating lines. Sinking lines, fished at the fish' level, are mostly all dark colors. Or, some lines are clear. These lines are primarily used for subsurface fishing of nymphs and streamer flies, or when fishing stillwater. The only advantage for brightly colored floating fly lines is that
they are easier for the fisherman to see. Particularly for beginning flyfishers,
brighter lines do help them "see" their false casts and assist in correcting
faulty casting habits. They are easier to see on the forward cast to help judge
distance, on the water to lead you to where the fly is, and help signal when a fish
strikes. Hence, they give very valuable visual feedback to a learning angler. If you
need to see your fly line, then these lines are fine.
As we become more proficient and confident in our casting and presentation skills, our reliance on visual feedback from the fly line reduces. We begin to count on our now-perfected casting prowess, and on our practiced sense of distance and direction to put our fly where we want it. Eventually, we stop looking at the fly line altogether until it is on the water. It is at this point that we are likely to prefer a more subtle line color. Personal preference . . . If we had but one line color to choose, we would prefer a pale, light line for all-around use. Our feeling is that in the majority of freshwater fly fishing, whether lake or stream, that most of the time our quarry is looking up toward a background of sky and that a light colored line creates less contrast than does a dark one. They also are better in the low light of early or late in the day, as they reflect light better than darker lines. "Neutral" colors, such as tan, green, pale yellow, peach, etc., seem to sell the best, so maybe we're on the right track . . . now if the fish will go along with us . . .
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Fly lines come in a wide variety of colors. When it comes to the color of
fly lines, there should be as much or more thought given to what the what the
fish don't like in their line color as that given to
what the buyers do
like.
Like most everything, color preference is "in the eyes of the beholder".
This is true for both the fish and the fisherman. But since the fish aren't
talking, it's anybody's guess as to which color they prefer (or don't.) 
