Blue Flies

Top to bottom: Blue Bomber; Big Intervale Blue; Smurf Variation

Recently, I read an online article by the late Len Rich. The article was about how and why he created the Big Intervale Blue. While autumn may be the prettiest time of year on the eastern seaboard, the October angler must deal with the annoyance of fallen leaves. At least consciously, it never occurred to me to try a cool colored fly to stand out against all the warm colors floating downriver. A couple of Octobers ago, I hooked a salmon on the Priest, an all white fly. Maybe that fly was extra visible at that time of year? This season, I will try blue and white, as the colors will contrast with the leaves, as well as with each other. I've had luck with high contrast flies just before dark, so I hope these flies can serve dual purposes.