What is your secret of fly rotation?

"Willi" wrote

and dark. (Except for orange - sometimes that color seems to really turn
on the fish. I have no idea why but it's the only color that I've
noticed having that type of reaction).


I've had two or three experiences where bright green was a trigger that had
to be pulled. The one I remember best was on Manzanita Lake in Lassen Nat
Park. There was a midge hatch early before the calibaetis and damsels
that most guys came to fish. Day one I couldn't touch a midge eater, so I
caught some bugs and they were a bright "insect green" I tied a few
Griffins in that color and a few emergers. Next morning, with my greenies,
I could pretty much take fish at will, and didn't see anyone else stick one.

Eventually ( this is the part of the story that makes it memorable for me )
a guy in a tube paddled over and asked what I was using. I gave him a green
Lashers emerger and instructed him how to grease only half. He went back
near his buddy and showed him the fly as he tied it on and dressed it. I
heard the buddy say, "Oh that's BULL****, color isn't important and that
fancy emerger crap is hogwash, too, stick with a woolybugger." At that a
fish rose near them and the guy covered him with my greenie ... fish on ...
the gent I gave a fly saying " Well, Jim, it may be bull****, but it sure
works." is the last I heard of their chat as I rowed my pram away, that
was almost 10 years ago, and it still makes me grin G