I would think how color reacts with UV light could make the difference in pulling fish out of deeper holes, or even just cathing their eye on a swing. With UV light penetrating at deeper depths, would a fly with a UV hotspot possibly have a better chance at catching the attention of larger fish that are notorious for staying in deep runs? And possibly a better question: could this possibly amp up my smallie flies...?

Fluorescent types of material reflect light at a longer wavelength than it receives. This allows Fluorescent materials to absorb any light color in the spectrum and still reflect their representative color.  The flies here are just absorbing more light and appear brighter.

Not to confuse fluorescents with phosphorescence (glow in the dark) which is a specific type of photoluminescence related to fluorescence. Unlike fluorescence, a phosphorescent material does not immediately re-emit the radiation it absorbs. The re-emission happens at a slower time scale. The absorbed radiation may be re-emitted at a lower intensity for up to several hours after the original excitation.

Iridescence is generally known as the property of certain surfaces that appear to change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Iridescence is commonly seen in items such as soap bubbles, butterfly wings, and sea shells.

I think most fly fishers understand that adding flash to fly patterns is nothing new. However, (in trout fishing at least) I think this idea is sort of "summed up & culminated" with the inception of Martin Bawden & Anthony Giaquinto Jr's Firebug Midge patterns.

The design of these patterns focuses on the Disco/Zebra Midge style of attractor "trigger point" patterns that Kirk Deeter & Steve Parrott illustrate.

Are these different from the "hot pink" or fluorescent green currently on salmon flies that I already use? Just checking, not that I need to buy any more flies that stay in the box for years because nothing hits them. Getting the right depth seems to be the hot plan for most of my silver catching. They love flash but sticking the fly in their face really helps the most off all. Shallow water late in the run seems to be the exception for me. They will chase and even hit pollywogs then.

I would like to learn more about this topic. Didn't Tim just invest in underwater camera equipment?

I know from experience in saltwater that glow in the dark lures do very well at depth: It is very common to use a white glow-in-the-dark paint for deep jigs (looks green when you turn the lights off).

Looking at your photo of florescent light, I wonder, does florescent light change colors with depth too? I also dive, and have seen the effect, and I know on my deep jigs, all the paints look green here on the surface. Why is it that few people use the orange glows for saltwater? Does the color get filtered out for florescent?

-DJM

@ckRich, I think it's possibly three times you said "possibly" in two sentences. Also, what about bass lure colors in dirty water?

fishwanna...I couldn't remember the right term, but you have corrected my mis- identification for the term phosphorescence, not Iridescence. It looks to me like those flies contain a phosphorescence material. I was going to write an article about the positive aspects of creating "phosphorescent" flies at one time. Years ago, and I'm not to sure it did not start on WA State's Stilliguamish River where anglers would energize their glow bug's that were finished with a phosphorescent paint using a flashlight, or a camara flash. They would fish the Fortson Hole below the hatchery, and catch fish at midnite, and there after before the early bird anglers would show up. Steelhead were the targeted fish.

Sayfu, I am one of those brave souls that used the glow corkies on the Kalama river in the early 1970's. we would start fishing at midnight and be done by 7:00 am and be heading back to Seattle with a limit all around of steelies. We used camera flashes to charge the corkies, because it lasted (glowed)longer than a from a flashlight.

your memory is correct it was Prichards, and we mainly fished the hole below the salmon hatchery...it was there one fine July morning i met and fished with Jim Teeny, who introduced me to his Teeny nymph, and I quit using regular terminal tackle and started fly fishing for steelies and now I use a 14' spey set-up on the Cowlitz, some 40 years later...do pretty good too, but alas I now live over in Central WA. and it's not too often I make the trip.

Flyfish..It is about the reflective qualities of Fourescent materials...adds a whole new dimension. And Phosphorescent adds another incredible reflective quality to a flies potential..please understand this concept.