I’ve been reading about fly floatants. I’ve read that most of the oil-types in a bottle such as Gink, etcs., leave an oil slick around the fly that could easily scare fish rising for flies. The article said to use Mucilin because it doesn’t cause that problem. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Frogs Fanny. I love it.
I use and like Shimazaki Dry Shake dry fly floatant.
Alboline make-up remover. Use it on the fly, use it on the flyline, use to lub my reel, use it for chapped hands while salmon fishing, use it to quiet a squeeky ore lock, ect., ect., ect.
A $12.00 jar will almost last a lifetime.
fishbum
I’ve used Gink for 20 years, I’m happy with it. I too keep a tub of alboline, great stuff!!!
Don’t leave home without it.
Tim
On the fly tying bench after tying a dry fly I soak it in Angelus 100% Water Repellent. On the water I use Aquel, Frog’s Fanny, and/or Shimazaki Dry Shake.
Joe
Frog Butt or Liquid Mucilin
on the bench, I always pretreat my drys with Watershed.
Tim
Aquel by Loon. May or may not be best but it works for me. Frogs Fanny powder when it is needed and useful.
David
frogs fanny
Cortland Dab works for me.
Will
Frogs Fanny only.
I like Frog Fanny but for the last several months I been using what appears to be an identical product available from the epoxy industry called Fumed Silica with excellent results. It’s available from a company called Progressive Epoxy Polymers. It sells for $4.00 per quart. My guess is that’s enough to refill the Frog Fanny bottles 40 or 50 times. I bought two quarts, shipped for less than I’d have in three bottles of over the counter floatant. If you’re a fan of Frog Fanny I’d recommend it.
http://www.king-cart.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?store=epoxy
It’s listed under the Thickeners/Fillers/Additives
Poo Goo, I switched to it this year after using Aquel for the last few years.
still undecided if i like it better but it does seem to give me a longer float.
I pretreat all my drys with silicone water repellent liquid after I tie them. I use Sno-Seal. Found it at the shoe store for $4 for 4 ounces. It’s for leather suede and fabric. Dip the fly in it after it gets tied, hang to dry and put in box. Never had to treat a fly with anything else after. After a few fish I have to start blowing it off with my mouth but it still floats if tied right. If it gets annoying I usually clip it and tie on another while that dries. But I usually loose the fly before it gets annoying.
I used gink for years and liked it. Loons aquel doesn’t leave an oil slick (so they say, I’ve never tried it), but that would be my choice if I needed another kind of floatant. I love loon’s other products so I can’t see why their floatant wouldn’t be very good either.
I use mucilin, but I think I’ll try Frog’s Fanny & maybe that Fumed Silica.
Thanks for all the input…always helpful & it’s not even my post!
Mike
Been using Gerke’s Gink for over 30 years.
~ZM
I use Green Label Mucelin. When I apply it with thumb and forefinger It allows me to treat portions of the fly if desired, such as hackle on emerger while the body of the fly sinks. If I use a liquid floatant I use a liquid silicone product from Park’s fly shop in Montana that I dip the entire fly. Tried Frogs Fanny and I found it just too messy using the applicator brush was like applying soft butter. However, when I had a glob of silicone at the end of my leader, it certainly didn’t sink.
Tom
I use Watershed when I tie, then Shimazaki Dry Shake on the water.
GINK