painting topkits white?

[R.law]

i have seen a good few anglers over a few years with the top 3-4' of their kits painted white
for fishing across on snake / canal venues or for shallow or margins
the theory being that fish cant see the pole against the white sky.
but surely the pole casts the same shadow regardless of colour, or does it??
anyone got any opinions, theories on this?

[BIG COL]

Its something that has evolved since Keith Evans of Cofton Hacket painted all his Stick float rods a cloudy sky blue colour
for Roach fishing on Avon & Trent 1977
Worked for him
Many thought he was Mad !!
I do know 1 Angler that has had his top 2s wrapped with a camo material for margin fishing .
If he threw his tops in grass you would realy struggle to see them
I think its the same stuff Jan Porter had his vehicle done in about 3 or 4 yrs back .

[SPADGER]

The first angler i witnessed with painted top kits was Dennis White.
He got the idea from wstching a Heron, he reasoned that the colour under the Heron's kneck and underbelly was a camouflage that prevented the fish from seeing them, it is actually a grey bluish colour.

[luke carpstalker]

Alot of things in nature have white undersides, mostly water birds and fish.

[MR MOIST]

i believe it does help a bit in shallower water or fishing shallow, mugging fish ect.

[noda]

does it work on dapping lol

[silver fish]

waste of time! if the sun is above/behind it, therefore you have a shadow, whatever colour it is

[Silvers Si]

As silver fish states above...... if fishing in day light, the underside of pole always looks dark due to shaddow.

[luke carpstalker]

Some valid points, but they only apply in direct sunlight. Meanwhile, back in the Uk where it's cloudy 364 days of the year, a white/grey topkit would be less noticeable in silhouette.

Shadows don't apply on a cloudy day, they don't exist. Not because the sun is preventing the light from causing shadows by blocking it, it's because the clouds diffuse and scatter the light in all directions. If light is coming from all directions there can be no dark areas.

Even more noticeable near water, as some of this diffused light will reflect up from the water to the underside of the top kit, reducing the silhouette effect even more.

Also, even in direct sunlight it would be less noticeable from underneath from what light is reflected from the water.

[Silvers Si]

If there was a use for painted kits then i would have thought pole manufacturers would have cottoned on to the idea and painted kits would be in production (its not like pole manufacturers would not try and coin in on the idea)

I have never seen a "top named angler" using painted top kits, the idea has been around a long time now....... if it puts more fish in the net, then surely these boys would be using them to give the edge???

[luke carpstalker]

'Truth in the above comments'. Is that referring to what I have written?

[greenbank]

Just a thought, as Silver fish states a pole will aways cast a shadow... but if the lake water is not clear can fish actually see through the 'brown soup' to see a pole??

[Silvers Si]

'Truth in the above comments'. Is that referring to what I have written?

Hi Luke, soz mate did not mean it like that..... i have edited my ramblings!!! lol

[luke carpstalker]

Simon, no worries, it's just my logic on why white/grey would work. Whether it actually makes a difference, who knows!

I might try and see if it makes a difference. Place I normally fish is 5ft deep, it's not clear by any stretch but it's not a mud pit either. That's greenbacks point...

I think the main thing is the difference between a shadow and silhouette. You can never stop a pole casting a shadow on the water, but you can make the underside of the pole lighter. 1 out of 2 must be an advantage?

We can't see the bottom due to water clarity and a dull bottom, but that is different to the light of the sky the fish see looking up, including dark shapes against it.

[Leaky Lloyd]

if you go to the trouble of painting your topkits white your a muppet !

what paint do you use and how many topkits will a tin do ?