Many of our customers are both intrigued and perplexed about our UV enhanced process. The subject is so complicated there have been books and numerous articles written about it. Below we will try to give you some meaningful information so you can draw your own conclusions. We are convinced there is strong merit to using UV to your advantage and we continue to lead the way. Yet no one knows for sure!
Most humans can perceive only a small section of the Light Spectrum. We call this the Visible Spectrum, or VS, which runs between about 400 to 700 nanometers
Below the VS light spectrum is the Ultra Violet spectrum. There are 2 types. One is a UV Reflective Light or UVR and the other is UV Fluorescence or UVF.
UVR are the shorter wave lengths the human eye does not usuallyperceive. These are what we are primarily concerned with. UVR reflects through a material or is emitted by the species and cannot readily be seen by the human eye unless very expensive equipment is used.
UVF are what we all know as the usual florescent tying materials which absorb light and will emerge back out in a longer wave length we can see as brighter or will radiate under a black light.
The UVR spectrum is extremely common in the animal/insect world. This is how bees find flowers and mayflies find mates. While many male species exhibit UVR to attract mates or to feed, many females exhibit less UVR to camouflage themselves and their young.
UVR is abundant in plankton, algae, baitfish, invertebrates & similar species. UV sensitive cones in the eyes of fish allow them to see in much greater detail in adverse water and light conditions. While visible light is lost in red at approximately 10 feet and orange at 25’…UVR and UVF light can penetrate up to 150 feet depending on water clarity. The RODS in a trout eyes do not allow them much sight in low light periods of dawn and dusk. However, UV sensitive CONES in their eyes do allow fish to see more details and at greater depths. Perhaps this is why some species prefer to feed at night. Bass anglers have known about UVR and UVF which is utilized on many of their baits and lures.
Our special UV2™ dye processes on feathers and furs add more UVR by increasing its electron mobility, its luminescence and overall light spectrum. The UV2™ is high in reflectivity and has diffusing properties, which the animal world identifies and exploits. With a special UV light held behind a material, the lighter shades (red and above) will glow ever so slightly.
A better way of saying this is that our fluorescent materials “scream” at you and our UV2™ materials “whisper” to you.
The unique and totally new UV2 spectrum of materials is a dye mix of UV Florescent & UV Reflective. Both spectrum's are extensively used by fish so using UV2 materials in flies lures and jigs can arguably be said to provide anglers an advantage. UV2 stimulates their curiosity, aggression, territorial & feeding behavior. Please try our UV2 materials and patterns. We believe you will see and feel a difference.
Spirit River is dedicated to leading the industry in quality materials that make a difference.
