Loon Outdoors - The Importance of Fluorescing and How to Use It.

I'll be the first to admit, having the entire Manic Fly Collection at my disposal for 'field testing' is just plain awesome. It makes planning those impromptu fishing trips super easy. Where are we going? Sweet, I'll take this, this, this and this. Done.

But I've recently discovered the charm of tying my own flies, particularly if I have a trip planned well in advance. This gives me time to actually sit down and think about what I want to take, how I want to fish it and it also gives me a chance to test a wide array of fly tying equipment.

One of my more exciting discoveries was the Loon Outdoors Fluorescing Range. I've probably only been using the fluorescing range for about four to five months but it's a product I've come to reach for more and more.

At the risk of sounding like I have no idea what I'm talking about (my year 12 chemistry and physics days are no more than a fleeting memory), below is a succinct explanation as to why we should consider using Loon Outdoors fluorescing products and how it gives us an edge over those crafty fish.

Why It's Important

"Water absorbs and scatters sunlight, which means that what we see in our fly box may look drastically different once it is in water, especially to fish that detect different wavelengths of light than we do.

As we've all experienced while swimming, the deeper we swim the darker it gets, and the darker it gets the harder it is to distinguish between colours. Even the brightest of hot spots can appear grey to fish at depths as shallow as a few feet.

Fluorescing materials have a great advantage in that they absorb the limited amount of light that is available underwater and emit a light that is more visible at deeper depths."

How to Use It

"Fluorescing UV Clear Fly Finish and Fluorescing Hard Head can be used to coat just about any material and any part of a fly. Most frequently, it is used to:

- coat hard bodies of nymphs, intruders or wet flies

- coat heads of any type of sinking fly

- create or coat a wing case

- create a hot spot