Translucent or Opaque?

[sandy]

I have been tying a lot more oversized flies this winter and I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on whether a large herring fly, for example, should have translucent qualities or if it should be more opaque. By translucent I am referring to the effect you get when using some of the synthetics or something like yak hair. Compare these materials to a grocery fly tied with a bunch of bucktail and feathers that you could spot a mile away. Do you think it depends more on the water turbidity (i.e. in more turbid waters you would want a more visible fly) or does one fly just look more like a real herring regardless of water visibility? Any thoughts?

[Yozuri-Man]

tough question. I too have been whipping up new herring patterns this winter. Last year I had to keep increasing their size to avoid lil' bass, found 9" good enough to keep lil' rats tail nipping but also large enough to be mauled by anything bigger. I have most of my success with a grocery stlye grizzly pattern white belly & various tops of yellow/olive/brown/black/lavender. Where I use these, up in flat water & lower light, I like bulkier flies for the sillihoutte and amount of water push. Just tie up a few different, go to where you know there will be fish and try a few different flies regardless of if your catching any.

[scruffy_fish]

I’ve been tying some open silhouette patterns only because of the weight of these flies, as opposed to the grocery flies. I think they might be more manageable in the casting department. I really believe size is the key here, not the translucent properties. My rationalization is on the flat wing patterns. The flat fly style has been very successful on taking big fish and they are only a suggestion of a fish profile. They literary have no profile only a suggestion of one. (MTC)

[sandy]

thanks for the response guys. I think I might take several different patterns and test them in the Piscatiqua just to see how they look. I'd rather not wait until Spring to find out that I've tied a bunch of patterns that look like crap in the water.