Dry Fly Desiccant
Need some suggestions on dry fly desiccant (the white crystal stuff you use after your fly starts sinking on you to 'revive' it for a few more casts) Anybody got a favorite that is easy to use on-stream?? I've used several types but am looking for something in a smaller bottle that i can attach to my laynyard...........
Fishing the Great Beyond
Yup, I do have. Comes in a goofy pinched neck bottle. I leave my fly on the tippet, plop it onto the 'top' section of the bottle, hold my hand over the top and shake it a bit, pull the fly out, let it dangle while I screw the top back on, blow the fly off, put the bottle back into my pocket, flip the fly with the rod a few times, make the cast, catch big fish!
I like to apply "Water Shed" right after I tye or buy any dries and I use "Frog Fanny" while I'm fishing. If one gets too slimmed up or just won't float after that, it's time to time on another!
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Joe B
SW Ohio
"The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable; a perpetual series of occassions for hope." John Buchan
Joe Bertolini
I use Shimazaki Dry Shake. I hold the last foot or two of tippet in my hands and whip the fly around to remove any excess water before dropping the fly into the bottle, close the cap and shaking it up and down about a half a dozen times or so. I then remove the fly blowing off any excess and cast as usual.
I use the white powder, but it also comes in dun.
Trout don't speak Latin.
The best ever, (IMHO) was the original Dry-UR-Fly made by Cortland that came in the white plastic ?bottle? with the top that looked like an old apothecary jar. I have a good supply of that stuff which I HOPE will last me till I croak. The original Dry-UR-Fly was VERY FINE crystals of silica gel; the finest crystals I ever ran across. It is just to dry your fly, not make it waterproof. After drying you can use the floatant of your choice. I have used the stuff since it came out and I would be lost without it, it REALLY works!
BTW I?ll take any of the old stuff that anybody wants to get rid of in trade or cash.
The newer Dry-UR-Fly I believe is Indicating Silica Gel which is the same stuff except that it has some of the crystals coated with pink or blue cobalt chloride which is a heavy metal salt, (safe for your flies, NOT your fries!). The new Dry-UR-Fly also has larger crystals. Some of the other brands of crystals have something in it that I believe is similar to Frog Fanny in an attempt to dry AND make the fly float. I have found that if I put a really drown fly into these other brands, some of the fine powder gets into the dubbing and wont come off, changing the appearance of the fly. For that reason I stick with just plain desiccant.
Florists use silica gel to dry flowers and you can buy a lifetime supply at a craft shop. I have never tried it because I seem to recall that the crystals are larger than the stuff I have and I like the fine crystals.
If you haven't tried the Cortland Dry-UR-Fly yet I'd give it a whirl. I'm sure it's as good as old stuff, I'm just stubborn!
[url=http://science.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=question206.htm&url=http://waltonfeed.com/grain/faqs/ivd2.html:ccfcd]Here[/url:ccfcd] is an interesting link all about desiccants.
i picked up some frog fanny last time out, and was very happy with it
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roger
princess anne, eastern shore of md.
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Roger
Princess Anne, Md
you can buy frogs fanny for $5 a litle bottle or buy fumed silica from a boat refinishing shop for $6 for a QUART! I can give details if you want them!
K3s, Do you have any friends who work for the phone company? Splicers and trouble shooters carry foil bags of it . They use it when they have to dry out paper, or pulp flocked insulation on the wires in a cable that they have opened to locate trouble on the line. This was especially true when most cables had lead sheath that would develope cracks (or squirrel bites) over time, get wet from rain, snow and humidity and short out, ground, or cross up the phone lines. Larger plastic sheathed cables still have paper insulated wires too.
As a retired senior trouble shooter I recognized and used the fly drying power of this substance long before any of the little plastic containers of this powder that is for sale now. So if you know anyone or even just see some splicers working somewhere and ask, they would probably give you a pint bag of the stuff...Bob
Fishing the Great Beyond
Of course, you asked for desicant... and I use a liquid.But,,, it's what I use. It cleans the scum off a 'used' fly and floats it.
the powder that archers use to dry feathers is equivalent to the frog fanny stuff and ~ 1/2 as much, been using it for several years. any good archery shop or BPS will have it
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