scents

[kjsmith97]

after reading Bob Boese's article this week, I wondered how many people use scent on their flies and what you use.

I confess, I have! And for many of the same reasons Bob mentioned such as covering human scent while tying and cover the scent of synthetic materials. Like Bob said some effect the action so I try to choose scents that are more liquid. I want to try Bob's recipe but so far have not been able to find the ingredients. My opinion on this issue would probably be different if I did not fish solely warmwater (not many freshwater trout in Louisiana) and usually using a popper-dropper similar to what Bob described several weeks ago.

your opinions?

[FishnDave]

I haven't done it, but have THOUGHT about it. I'm not going to rule out the possibility.

Let's face it, many waters we fish are more highly pressured by more knowledgeable anglers than ever before. Fish learn (well, unless harvested). They associate human scent as something to avoid. If they are feeding aggressively, they will probably strike a likely-looking fly anyway, but might be more tentative when in a more neutral mood.

One astute carp fly-angler recommends rubbing the fly in the local mud/sand of/near the water you are fishing. This apparently adds the "local" scent which the fish are accustomed to...and helps to mask the human scent.

[Rick Z]

I don't use scents or any sense many times according to my better half.
I do wash my hands with some of the soil at the edge of the pond when I go fishing.
Trying to mask any scents I have on my hands.

Rick

[jeffcpr]

I don't use scents on my flies, but think that it would be a good idea for the same resons. The human scent left behind and the fishing pressure. I have never thought of using the ground (dirt sand in the area) to mask the human scent on both your sself and the flies.
I may need to try this one for myself.

[Gigmaster]

I almost always use scents. That is a fishes main way of locating food. Most of the time, I use Smelly Jelly in the appropriate flavor, but I have just discoverd a wonderful product from Renegade called Fish Dope. It is identicle to the old Johnson's Chummin Rub that worked so good, some fish really would bite a bare hook covered with it.

Dry Flies probably don't need scent. It would effect the way they float, and a fly on top of the water probably wouldn't put much scent in the water, anyway.

I use scent mainly on streamers, baitfish, leech, shrimp, buggers, crawfish and worm patterns.

Tip: Shrimp and crawfish scent on a weighted Wooley Bugger drive catfish insane when they are in shallow water, especially at night.

[Big Bad Wulff]

Done it. Haven't seen much of a difference.

BUT I can see where it should help. The catfish tip I will use.

[Buddy Sanders]

I routinely use a 'masking agent' on all of the subsurface flies I tie. I don't believe it matters on floating stuff.


I use a concoction made from an old bass scent (Stay-Bit, it's no longer being made but I still have some left). I 'thin' it way down with water, about five to one. I keep a jar of it on the bench. After the flies are finished with the tying proces, they get dunked and dried. It's part of the 'routine'.

My purpose in this is not to 'attract' fish. I don't believe that a 'scent' applied to a fly can do that. But I do want to cover up any 'negative' odors that can drive fish away from my flies.

Most of us have no control over how the materials we use in our flies were processed. We don't know what kind of chemicals were used on or around the stuff. We have no idea what was 'done' to stuff or how that effects it's 'smell'. For those that buy flies, you don't know what was going on with either the materials OR the environment where they were tied.

There are odor eliminating soaps, ionic devices that claim to 'remove' all scents from stuff (thank our hunting brethren for most of this type of thing). Heck, even plain old soap and water will take out most of the 'smell'. Should we be doing at least that much? Up to you. Will it help? Should. Don't know if it's 'worth the trouble' to you. Fish are pretty stupid. Most of us catch fish anyways.

As far as the 'law' goes....I can't 'smell' anything on my fly. I don't put anything on my fly on the stream/lake/river. While it may be a 'technical violation', I'm pretty secure that I won't be caught or charged. Since it only applies to certain waters, ones where I'll release the fish anyway, it doesn't matter to me 'ethically'.

Buddy

[CoachBob]

Went out today with the temp in the 30s and winds up to 15mph, some of the toughtest bluegill fishing you can find.
Using a double fly rig with only one fly painted with WD40 [yes, I was doing a test], three large bluegill took a fly -- and the one they took was the scented one.
Not a really good statistical set of data, but consistent with what I usually see.

[FishnDave]

Coach! That green grass is a sight for sore eyes. Haven't seen the grass here for awhile...and it was -23F on the way to work this morning...-4F right now!

And no open water in sight...the local ponds have at least 12" of ice on them.

[WarrenP]

CoachBob,

Not sure how accurate your test was since fish are cold blooded which means they are the same temperature as the water they are in and as their body temperature lowers, they slow down and do not move far for something to eat. Since you were using a double rig that puts one lure on a different level than the other one and the one they hit may have been the one that was on their level or closest to them.

Just thinking out loud....