Should You Be Using Coloured Hooks?

Coloured Hooks

Fishing in Devon with coloured hooks, yes, you either love them or hate them, or maybe you are ambivalent. There are now a multiplicity of ranges of coloured hooks from silver to the latest camouflaged hooks and everything in between, why?

As you are all aware, what ever fishing you are doing, whether it be a Devon fishing holiday or not, bait presentation is considered a major part of attracting your fish onto that coloured hook and finally out of their watery home. Making the bait culinary delight as attractive as possible, or at the very least what your fish expects to see and thereby, not spooking or scaring it off.

So, by the same logic you can use the different colours and match them to your bait, therefore allowing them to blend in with the bait and not appear out of place.

Our Devon fishing holidays proclaim, Yes! the "scientists" agree that most fish can see colours. At our self catering cottages and fishing centre, we are not so sure, we are generally used to seeing the word mad before scientist, but this time I think you should believe them. Some think that fish may see more colour than humans (that "mad" is creeping back)

"They" say it is possible that fish can see ultraviolet light much like insects, giving them the ability to see not only what humans see, but also things we can't.

Distance is obviously restrained by the clarity of the water, our holiday cottages and fishing lakes are very healthy, which stirs up the sediment at the bottom of the lake, this means the fish can probably see up to about 10 feet.

Remember that they are looking through a watery surface which distorts their view. Water pressure changes as they change their swimming depth, which may also distort their vision. Don't forget that light rays bend when they enter the water, fish can see objects above water that are far to the side of their window or vision.

The fish eye placement gives them a wide field of vision. They can see in all directions except straight down and straight back. Depth perception and 3d vision is possible by looking directly ahead viewing the object with both eyes. Otherwise it only has 2d vision since it is viewing an object with only one eye.

So it is quite possible that coloured hooks will give you that additional edge you may be looking for.

Based on this, it makes sense to use a dark bronze hook with similar coloured baits such as pellets, tares and casters.

For a light nickel (silver) hook whiter baits could be used, such as bread, plain coloured maggots, pinkies or squats.

Red hooks can also be bought and baits for them would be red maggots, bloodworm and jokers.

While golden hooks are moor suited to sweet corn and bronze maggots.

Also new to the market are camouflaged hooks which are very effective for bottom rigs blending in superbly with the bottom terrain of the lakes.

The beauty of self catering cottages and fishing is that you can keep as much tackle in your cottage as you like, making it available for you throughout your Devon fishing holiday stay.