Color Selection Tool
Looking to take your color selection to the next level? Try adding a little color theory to your process. Below is a color wheel, when you select your starting color and color scheme you will see a small indicator appear on the wheel guiding you to the colors to try in your next fly pattern. Give it a try!
Color Wheel
Select a starting color and a color scheme:
Note about Color Schemes
Complementary Colors – 2 high contrast colors, not matching, attractor style flies
Complementary colors sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Examples include blue and orange, red and green, or yellow and purple. When paired together, these colors create a high-contrast, vibrant effect that stands out.
Split Complementary Colors – 1 main color and two complementary colors
Split complementary is a variation of the complementary scheme. However instead of pairing one color with its direct opposite, you use the two colors adjacent to its complement. For instance, if your base color is green, the split complementary colors would be red-orange and red-violet.
Analogous Colors – 3 matching colors, more natural style flies
Analogous colors are next to each other on the color wheel, such as green, blue, and teal or orange, yellow, and red. These colors create a sense of harmony and are often found together in nature.
Triadic Colors – 3 high contrast colors, not matching, attractor style flies
Triadic color schemes involve three colors evenly spaced around the color wheel, such as red, yellow, and blue or orange, green, and purple. This scheme provides a vibrant and dynamic look due to the equal contrasting spacing on the color wheel.
Tetradic Colors – 4 contrasting colors equally spaced for highest contrast
Tetradic colors are similar to Triadic but uses 4 total colors maintaining similar equal spacing between colors. An example might be red, gold, green, and violet. There is less overall contrast due to the larger number of colors but still effective for adding contrast.