Growing up, fishing lines, like the channels on TV, came in very few colors. Most were clear. Others were tinted with sublime blue or green hues but were also primarily clear. There were no reds, browns, yellows, or camouflage.

It was a fishing line, not clothing. Now fishing line comes in almost any color of the spectrum.

You can even get a multi-colored line, changing colors every foot. So the question is does color matter?

The quick answer is no, at least not to the fish.

If your setup includes a main line and a leader, the line’s color is irrelevant. This fish will see the leader, bait or lure, not the main line. An invisible leader in water will catch fish whether your primary line is clear, camouflage or bubblegum color.

Can fish see the line? Fish can see your line depending on the water conditions and line color. But they can also see a line that is too heavy. More importantly, they can feel the disturbance created by the line in the water. This is why proper line selection is more about diameter than color.

However, a fish’s focus is limited to the area immediately surrounding their target prey. They may or may not see the main line, but with the correct leader they will not associate it with the bait or lure.

So why are there so many different colors available? Again, the easy answer is because people buy it. A tackle company will make any color line they can sell, supply and demand. This doesn’t mean one will work any better than the other.

But there are benefits to using different colors in different conditions, and why doing so will help you catch more fish. Chief among the benefits is your ability to see the line as the angler. Having a line that you can see helps you follow your cast, see how your line is laying or moving, and visually detect bites.

Multi-colored lines are great when trolling or bottom fishing as they help track how much line is out or how deep you are. It’s not about the fish, it’s about you.

Have some doubts? Let’s look at the braided line for a minute.

Braided line has many benefits, but being invisible is not one of them. The braided line is visible in clear water, even with a thinner diameter. But guess what? Braided line is still one of the most popular options amongst anglers and is quite adept at catching fish.

Why? Because a proper leader is used.

Due to its construction, the braided line can almost not absorb shock. Therefore, most anglers will add a leader made of fluorocarbon. If this fluorocarbon leader is invisible to the fish, the rest of the line is nearly irrelevant.

Color does become necessary when selecting leader material, however you may be surprised by which colors work best. Clear material is best and will be invisible in the water. But colors like red and green can be equally successful. Why? Because both green and red change drastically once under water.

Red fades to pink and then nearly clear as it descends through the water column. Green does not disappear but blends in with the background, vegetation, and natural water hues.

So the bottom line is the color of your fishing line matters more to you than the fish if you use the correct leader material and color.