The One Flasher/Fly Combo You Must Have
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Flashers and flies have been used for years as part of a salmon fishermen’s trolling spread. When the right color is used, the bright flash allows fish to see rig from many feet away, even in deeper water. And when they do, the darting movement of the fly chasing it is irresistable. But what is the best flasher/fly combo color combination to use?
While there are many colors that can and do work, some work better than others in certain conditions. But if there was one color combo that you want to be sure is in your setup at all times what would it be? Well that’s easy. The one flasher combo I make sure I always have in my setup is a green spin doctor with a green/tinsle fly. Here’s why.
Green is the color that stands out most prominently in relatively clear and deep lake water. The reasons for this are a bit complex and for a full explanation, you can watch this video. But suffice it to say that green wavelengths from sunlight penetrate great lakes waters deeper than other colors. And because fish spend much of their lives swimming in this deeper water, the color green looks much more like what they’re chasing down there, than other colors. (Red for instance doesn’t show up at all in deep water).
Now don’t get me wrong, this is not to say that other color combinations won’t catch fish. They certainly will and I have caught many salmon on other colors. But green will usually outfish any other color combo out there, over time. It is especially effective when the fish are in the deeper water in mid summer.
If you don’t believe me, just pay attention to the color selections most tackle shops long Lakes Michigan and Huron carry. About 2/3 of them include green or hues of green as part of the color scheme. If you still don’t believe me, go to Dreamweaver’s website and sort their Spin Doctors by popularity.
As far as size goes, a lot of that depends on your preference and target species. I have found the 8″ model to be a great size for all species, but pick whatever size you find works best for your setup.
Now as far as which exact pattern works best, that’s less important than the color, in my opinion. We have had a lot of success with various patterns. The important thing is that it include green as a the main color. Some great options are:
Kevin’s Girlfriend
Dragon Slayer
UV Green/Yellow
The fly running behind the Dipsy should also be green but with some tinsel or flashabou mixed in. The flash will help keep the fish focused on the fly. This has, by far, been the best flasher/fly combo I have ever used.
In addition, I have found that the best color for Dipsy divers is, you guessed it, green. When running these flasher/fly combos on Dipsy rods, we always run them off of a green dipsy. I have 4 of these on my boat and can run both High and Low Divers using this color. If you don’t feel the added green helps, use a black Dipsy.
So give green a try. Keeping at least one of these setups in your trolling regimen is almost certain to improve your catch rate.