which parts of buzzers are UV active ?

[neil thomas]

Having recieved a consignment of uv micro straggle fritz, which looks superb incidently, I pondered which parts of a buzzer or even a small fry are UV active. Knowing this would help with what materials to use when tying.
Then again, how good are trout's eye to UV spectra? I heard stories of fluorescent materials working some days and not others..

I remember meeting Jimmy McBride up in Edinboro' and he had a small UV torch on a keyring to show up the painted cheeks on a buzzer.

I can just imagine spooning a trout and then hiding under a coat to shine uv light on the stomach contents..

and then again does it make a difference?

Neil.

UV straggle fritz thread..
new micro fritz

[Scratch]

As you can tell by the paucity of informed replies to your question Neil,you may have stumped one or two of the boys...me too to be honest,but here goes for what it's worth...

Quote "I pondered which parts of a buzzer or even a small fry are UV active."

I'm not really sure what you mean by U.V. active. So I don't know which parts of a buzzer,fry or snow leopard for that matter are 'U.V. active'.
U.V. light will make flourescent materials such as Datam Glo-Brite No.6 or whatever 'flouresce' or glow. Maybe there are some flourescent materials or body parts that occur in some trout fodder - I don't think so but I could be wrong.
Flouresecents will glow to some degree under U.V. light - more at dawn and dusk as there is more U.V. around (try taking yer fly box outside at 9pm and marvel at the flourescent materials glowing like Rudolph's nose!) I belive that different flourescent colours are at their best depending on time of day,cloud cover,whether there's an R in the month etc but that's all far to technical and too much for a shitwit like me to even try and remember.
As far as I know,we simply use flourescents to try and accentuate certain body parts of trout fodder that will glow naturally (head of buzzer filled with blood etc),but they don't necessarily flouresce.They glow to the trouts eye because the trout views most things most of the time by transmitted light rather than by reflected light (the difference between viewing a stained glass window from the otside - reflected,and the inside - transmitted). We also use flourescents for the hell of it... to get a fly noticed.
I have some U.V. micro straggle in black which I bought and have incorporated into a few patterns,not because I understand the implications of the U.V. bit of the deal but because it looks good to me and it might look good to a trout and until someone puts me right,then that's good enough for me!

[midlander]

You might find this article interesting.

[Scratch]

...Very! Thanks Midlander.

[bassarisk]

Thanks for posting that article Midlander - very interesting.

Originally Posted by neil thomas

I remember meeting Jimmy McBride up in Edinboro' and he had a small UV torch on a keyring to show up the painted cheeks on a buzzer.

Trout vision aside, like Scratch say's - a lot of fly tyers (myself included) tie using fluorescence and uv for making the flies appealing to the human eye........pretty flies (if not often overdressed).

Davie McPhail in the first fly fair had a UV lamp on his bench - he tied up two boobies for us, to show the change in fluorescence under the uv light.
Both boobies used chartreuse straggle - he tied the first up with an orange under thread and the second with a black thread, then he winged and eyed them and then compared them under the uv lamp.
Before they went under the lamp they looked the same to the human eye, but once they hit the lamp they were vastly different. The trout vision article mentioned this:

"Fluorescence occurs where a surface has the property of absorbing ultraviolet radiation and converting its energy to be reflected as a lower wavelength which is within our visible range"

All I can relay is that the UV light was an aid to seeing the different levels of UV absorption/ fluorescence - the black under body fly looked really dull under UV light as the black was absorbing the uv light and not adding to the reflection/fluorescent properties - the orange under body however looked liked somebody was powering it off Duracell batteries because it was clearly not absorbing the light as much as the black and was really really bright. So it isn't just the surface affecting the light reflecting properties and fluorescence/uv, the underbody also affects that too.

Now this may seem pretty obvious - black reflects less light than orange thread, but those UV bench lamps and the little torches are pretty useful when playing around at the vice if you want to see the effect of different threads whilst using fluorescent/uv materials.

[neil thomas]

Thanks to Midlander for the superb article and to scratch and bassarisk for your posts. I have just read and re-read it in an attempt to understand it and to summarise it. I too was using fluorescent materials such as uv micro straggle because they do look good. And by the way, sorry about the mix up in terminology between uv-activity, fluorescence...

However, after all-
We should use fluorescent materials because they can be seen much further in deep water.
I think we can discount say fry or boobies for now as there will be plenty of movement with these - and this will be detected by means other than light.
However, I am still interested in nymphs such as buzzers particularly when they are fished slowly or static and fished at depth and the fish will are likely to pick up the UV.

I will have to try this next on my next successful outing.

Some experience shows that fluorescent materials do work better on certain days. Also I have on two occassions hear that pale pink marabou sometimes works better than plain white (Jardine and some Llyn Brenig regulars) and I wonder if this is due to the trouts red receptor.

Neil.

[midlander]

However, I am still interested in nymphs such as buzzers particularly when they are fished slowly or static and fished at depth and the fish will are likely to pick up the UV

The UV properties of natural Chironimid nymphs is a questionable phenomenon and the ability in adult Trout to actually detect lower wavelength UV is also in question, so to my mind, the important thing with buzzers at depth is a good rib or reflective "patch".

Most of my "deep" buzzer patterns are either completely black or with a minor red element but dressed with a broader than normal flat tinsel rib or a thorax cover of broad pearl tinsel. I think the silvery glint of gasses under the nymphal skin is more important at depth than the colour of the body. Emergers are another matter all together and I reckon that it's the transmitted light (seen through a semi-translucent body) that is the important factor.

[JohnC1]

Just playing around with the UV light i got from e-bay for 99p,
This is Holographic Chartreuse Ice dub & Electric Fritz Chartreuse under UV light,



John.

[scary]

hi John nice fly

[Silver Stoat]

Neil,

There is a slightly shortened version of a reply I made a few years ago on the old version of these forums to be found here -
http://www.sexyloops.com/articles/wh...onidssee.shtml

As Midlander has hinted and as you will see from the above linked to piece, only juvenile trout and salmon have the ability to see into the UV part of the spectrum and this ability is no longer present in fish over two years old.


Dave.