'Shades of Grey'

[CreationBear]

Great flies, but do you only take them out of the vise if they know the "safe word"?

[Donald Nicolson]

Obviously you have read the book CB. I have not.
Couldn't be bothered, I just stole the title.

[William Anderson]

Donald, I'm loving all the patterns you've been putting up in the last couple days. Great work in lots of ways. It seems that nearly all the flies we imitate (most, with a couple exceptions) are simply shades of gray. We exaggerate many patterns colors to please our selves and give a reason to tie the kind of articulation that makes the patterns more justified, but an honest look at "our" isos, march browns, quill gordons, hendricksons, olives, etc are mostly a subtle nuance of tanish-gray. I find myself thinking in terms of adding contrast to these shades of gray, but a higher emphasis placed on the value over color. It's a thought, and plays out to some extent in my boxes...other than all the exceptions and experiments and complete reversals of theories that shift often. Anyway, love the flies you've put together very much. Please keep them coming.

[Mataura mayfly]

William, careful or you will open that old can of worms of how deep in the water column do you have to go until the natural light diminishes enough that most colours turn various shades of grey.

Besides if you lived in a damp metropolis where most of the buildings were tan or grey and all the other dwellers there were trying to eat you, would you not assume a colour of dress that was going to blend in and not stand out like a flashing neon "dine here" sign?