What are your thoughts on the different sinking puddies? Pros, cons, do they work as advertised? I'm usually fishing small streams and I've never tried them.
Thanks in advance,
hNt
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What are your thoughts on the different sinking puddies? Pros, cons, do they work as advertised? I'm usually fishing small streams and I've never tried them.
Thanks in advance,
hNt
hNt,
I only tried it once, can't remember the brand name, but it was too messy for me or maybe I was too messy for it. Either way I went the way of the trash can.
Some people must use it and like it since it is still being sold, will be interesting to read their answers.
Larry ---sagefisher---
I've tried and used a number of them. I like the fact that the weight is easily adjustable and you can form it into a noodle for less hangups. You can also add very small amounts of weight -- eg, adding a bit of weight to an unweighted nymph used with a dropper behind a dry fly. However, they are difficult to work with and frequently I end up skipping the putty and using Dinsmore tin shot or a larger tungsten bead fly.
Some of the putty products are too soft (and a bit messy like sagefisher said) for my liking and fall off during warmer weather. Others are too hard, stiff and won't form to the leader during cooler weather. I now carry two brands -- Hareline Tungsten Tacky Weight and Mojo Nymphing Mud Putty. The Hareline is dark gray and pretty stiff -- works best in warmer weather. The Mojo is brown and pretty soft -- works best in colder weather. I carry both in a tub and use one or the other or a mixture of both depending on the conditions. I take a pinch of putty knead it a bit, roll it briskly with finger tips against the palm of my other hand (to warm and soften it), and then work the noodle onto the tippet. They work best on tippet knot.
I was wondering about the mess. Seems to me it would be a sticky residue but I'm just guessingQuote:
Originally Posted by sagefisher
Best stuff I ever found was the original - Sticky Weight. Unfortunately, it's no longer made, but I heard about the demise of the product and picked up a lifetime supply many years ago before it disappeared.
I haven't tried other brands, but the S/W is the best thing I ever added to my vest. It will stay on 5X tippet all day if you apply it right, and doesn't need a knot to stay in place. It pulls free when it wedges between rocks, which is how most rigs are lost, so has saved me many, many flies and hours of re-tying. And it's infinitely adjustable - you can add or take off as you need to. And, it's lead-free so legal in National Parks and eco-friendly.
But best of all, it doesn't weaken your tippet like split shot does. (Or chip your teeth putting it on!). That was the original reason I went to it.
And one other plus - it lasts forever! At the end of the day, just remove it from your line and replace it in the package and it'll melt right in with the rest and be there next trip. I thought I'd go thru a package every other year, but it lasts so well I have probably a dozen of the original 20 packs still left, and I've given about 6 away.
If I had to start searching for a product now, I'd try the Loon, the Shape-A-Wate (?), and whatever else is on the rack now and see which one suited my needs. Err toward too stiff rather thean too soft - you can, and should, always soften it up with your warm hands in cold weather. But I'd definitely try it. I just can't imagine being without it on lake or river. I'd leave my lunch at home before I'd leave my S/W.
Idlerick is exactly right, the best stuff was the Sticky Weight and it went bye bye unfortunately. I tried almost every brand after its demise to find something that didn't have any of the negatives described - wasn't so tacky as to leave residue on your fingers or the line, didn't get so hard in cold water that you couldn't easily make the necessary adjustments and remold, didn't slip down the line, etc. - and the one that I found to be a clear winner and closest to the Sticky Weight was Tung Fu, which I assume is still sold in some places. I'm a big fan of the putty vs. shot, but there is a stunning difference in the characteristics of the stuff among different brands. It makes a huge difference which one you go with - I'd encourage you to try the Tung Fu before giving up on it.
Loon Deep Soft Weight - wouldn't be without it. No fuss no mess. Does move sometimes but no big deal.
What Tig said about "Loon Deep Soft weight". It's all I've ever used and it's so easy to add to or take away and like someone said before you can put it back in the tin at the end of the day. Like the fact that it doesn't cut into your tippet. I like to roll it onto the tippet and slowly work it into a "torpedo" shape when I roll it around the tippet and I think it results in less bottom hang ups in that mode.
This got me curious. Found a site that purports to "rate" all of the soft lead/tungsten products out there. One man's opinion, but at least it seems to provide a list of all the types a guy could try, plus a history of the old Shape-A-Wate brand. Interestingly, it names the Ligas, the Hareline, and the Orvis as the best currently out there, the Loon as the worst. All opinion and method, I guess.
http://oneflyfisherman.com/lead-weight-for-nymphing/
One thing I forgot to mention above is that the tippet has to be dry to get any of it to stick well, and that wetting the fingers to shape it once it's on the line will alleviate some of the unwanted stickiness.
My biggest complaint, and I've only tried a couple of them, is that I forget to take it off, or just don't want to take it off, when I reel my line in, and it leaves remnants and residue all over my line - would like to try it again and fall in love, but anybody got any suggestions for this problem?
Used Sticky Weight for a time, and played with Loon's product too, and if there are/were the best on the market, then I really do not have to try any of the others. Putty has its uses, I suppose, but I never liked the residue on the leader, and the imprecise means replicating the amount of weight. For example, how do you tell someone else how much weight you are using? How do you replicate how much you have on the next day after changing leaders? It does have its uses and there is an argument that putty does not hang up as much, which is certainly an advantage, but I have found it generally to be more effort than it is worth in most situations. YMMV.