Hot Spot Flies

[Rabmax]

Hello all wondering what other peoples views are on adding hot spots to there dry flies are.Last year i was tying some PTNs with a little fire orange tag at the tail that i use when the river is a bit coloured.And tied a few CDC & Elks & a few DHEs up with this same fire orange tag to see what would happen.I only got a chance to try them a few times as  it was near the end of the season.Not sure if they caught any more than my standard ones but my catch rate didn't suffer as i caught plenty with them.Searching the internet you find plenty of wet flies using hot spots but you don't find many Dry flies using them. Cheers 

[Clan Ford]

I'm not so keen on "hot spots" on dries - but on wets and nymphs I think they really enhance your chances.

Norm

[Black Pennell]

I wouldnt think there was much point as the fly will just be mainly a silouhette, and I find with dries it is more in the shape and footprint.

[Malcolm]

Hot spots help in that you can see the flies more clearly. So some people tie wings in bright orange or peach. I have a pet theory that at sunset bright orange in the dry fly does no harm at all as I think it enhances the suns rays. No proof however but my many late evening flies have orange CDC and bright bodies in yellow or orange.

[Rabmax]

Cheers all Malcolm i will tie a couple of things up to try as i already have some orange Cdc anyway.

[Wildfisher]

I've just been watching Bob Wyatt's 2 DVDs sent to me for review and Bob does mention that a hot spot even if it's just a conventional wire rib may help catch the trout's eye in the multitude of flotsam that continually passes overhead in a river.

[Rabmax]

My thinking was it might give a slight edge over a normal tie especially as i fish a few peat stained rivers.I will test it out next season with a 2  fly cast one  with a hot spot & one without & see what happens.   :)On a slightly different note i have been tying a lot of Wyatt style snowshoe emergers.On some of them i have been adding a little overwing of high-vis McFlylon before dubbing the thorax.As i have never used snowshoe before how visible is it in fast streamy water do others find they need to add a little extra visibility.I have been using light & also medium dun coloured snowshoe.Anyway better get back to tying my parachute Adams while watching the TV. 

[Highlander]

Have tried using "Hot Spots" on spiders & can not say they increased my catches by any great amount.
Colour changes in a fly can enhance a pattern but not strictly Hot Spot in the accepted sense.
In a dry I would have to think about it, but my gut reaction is no advantage. Still ones mileage my vary.
Tight Lines