Scents

[cycler68]

I've been using the Berkley Powerbait bass scent on my flies for about the last month or so & have come to the conclusion that it is a definite plus for my fly fishing. On several occasions, including today, I outfished my fly fishing buddies and on one occasion I was able to keep up with a spin fisherman using a bobber & worms for bluegill. It hasn't proved to be a miracle bait or anything but I think it's effective enough to be included as a regular part of my fly fishing arsenal.
Now I'm wondering if any of the good people on this bbs have experimented with it and what their results were.

[kenstah]

I tried some FREE hot sauce from taco bell, jack box, &etc
and they seem to work for me in the surf (mainly surf perch).

I marinate 2"grubs in a zip lock bag and use them the next day (:
Now that i only target corbina.. i wonder if marinating sandcrabs
would bring beans to me instead of me chasing after them >

if you are going to try this, be aware of the color alternation.
smokey(black) w/ glitter grub turned into a grayish glitter color,
red became orange-ish and so on probably because of the vinegar base..
no idea what it'll do to a fly tho~

!!!!!!!!!!!!
also, i would rather smell like a taco than to be smelling
like a dead rotting fishy

grape scent? http://thewrightbait.com/2_grubs.htm

[sagefisher]

I don?t use any scent on my flies. We have some waters in Washington State where using scent on flies is illegal, so I just don?t use it at all then I don?t have to worry about which waters those are.

Right now 90+ percent of my takes are on the lip, either upper or lower. I would be afraid the fish may try to swallow the fly more then they do. Since it will smell like bait and when fish take bait they swallow the bait really deep into their throats. Have either of you found this to be a problem?

Just wondering.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[kjsmith97]

here is a link to a discussion in the warmwater forum on this topic following an article by Bob Boese earlier this year.
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...ghlight=scents
You can find Bob's article under features- Bob Boese- fish perfume.

To summarize the thread, I was surprised how many fly fishers admitted to using some sort of scent. I am still searching for the supplies to try Bob's "fish perfume" recipe- his suggested scents have been tough to find. In short, I almost always use some sort of scents because I think it "covers" any scents from the materials or my hands as I tie. One caveat, I fish warmwater exclusively here in S Louisiana so there are no restrictions as to the use of scents (I am in the minority as a fly fisher vs bass fisherman with sparkly boats, casting reels, and fishing scents). I also have no experience with cold water fishing and that could cause a change in my thinking as well. Hope this helps you! Give it a try, especially if it will give you more confidence in that fly, because if you have confidence in it you will fish it more, pay closer attention, and catch more fish!

[William Fitzgerald]

Just buy a BASS FISHERMANS sent----a gallon of WD 40 BILL

[CoachBob]

McCormick Anise Extract should be available from most large grocery stores or where they have baking supplies. Anise oil is available from health food stores but is much more expensive.
Mineral oil available in most pharmacies in 16 oz sizes.

Because I really hate the smell of licorice, I carry a WD-40 pen in my fly bag. It is like a highlighter tip and works well without getting WD-40 on everything. It's also great for lubing the edge of a sticky reel or rod guides.

[CoachBob]

A quick search shows that several states (e.g. Montana and Utah) prohibit "Artificial lures, including artificial flies or any lures that have been treated with a natural or artificial fish attractant or feeding stimulant."

Which leads me to wonder if a "scent" is used to mask human odors but is questionably an "attractant," is it illegal?

Which also leads me to wonder what offensive activity caused these states to make such a prohibition? Were non-residents catching all the big fish? Did someone's anise treated hairball special out fish the governor's favorite pheasant tail nymph? Is this a scheme by dry fly purists?

[Preston Singletary]

If you're going to scent your flies, why not go whole hog and fish bait?

[dudley]

...... I was fishing some well known north east saltwater flats one day when I felt the 'call of nature'
As I was the only one around and it was close to a mile to shore, it was best to answer the call right where I was

To make the long story short..
The result was like calling hogs to a trough

[sagefisher]

If you want to mask your human scent then grab a handful of mud/gravel/sand/dirt from along the shore and scrub your hands with that. Rinse off in the water you will be fishing in and go fishing. Your scent will be covered.

Larry ---sagefisher---