Plain Old Jim with yet another 3yr old question. In our C&R creek it is artificial lure, single barbless hook only, C&R.
If you buy some liver flavored or some other kind of fish lure liquid at Wal-Mat…to perhaps disguise the human smell left on your fly before you thow it in the water…is that now a BAIT and therefore illegal? It will soon wash away…but the Game & Fish guy seeing you apply it…can he cite you?
Maybe I can just change the label and tell him it’s just hook de-magnetizer and not a bait. Ha
Gem
[This message has been edited by Plain Old Jim (edited 25 March 2006).]
Some of the game laws can be a bit odd in their applications.
Personally, I never use any subsurface fly that hasn’t been treated with a masking liquid. I fish mostly for bass, and have proven to myself that offensive odors left on a fly can and will negatively effect my catch rate. Do it for trout flies, too, but no clue if it helps. No reason I can see to do it with floating flies.
We seldom have any control on what was put on or used on the materials we purchase, and the use of glues, cements, and such has the potential to leave negative odors behind. Add to that what may be on our hands from everyday activities, and I just think it’s smart not to take chances with it.
I do it at the bench, as part of the tying process. It’s the ‘last step’ before the fly goes into it’s bin.
So far, I’ve never been approached on any C&R water I fish and ‘asked’ if I scent my flies. But then again, I’ve never even SEEN a game warden on any of these waters…they tend to hang out in the parking areas looking for poachers…
The thread[s] about spinners seems to indicate they[spinners] do significantly increase catch rates…do you think scents SIGNIFICANTLY increase catch rates?
If you’re concerned about the smell of preservatives, head cement, etc. on your flies here’s something that may help. About thirty years ago an Amish flyfisher I met on a Central PA. stream told me to always rub my subsurface flies on a slimey rock or in the mud at the bottom of the stream before I fish the fly. It masks non stream smells and helps make your fly more buggy and, he claimed, more appealing to trout. I sometimes do it, sometimes not. But, I asked about this practice on a local PA. flyfishing website a while ago and was amazed at the number of folks who said they NEVER fish subsurface flies without doing it. Most of them said it works very well.
However, I personally doubt it makes much difference in a fast riffle. My $0.02.
I’d love to hear your process and what you use to eliminate/cover the odor. I am also an avid bass fisherman and many times I have seen bass slide up behind my fly, pump their jaws once to draw in water from around the fly and then cruise off. I know that there are times when fish (especially bass) use smell to as part of the decision process before taking a fly, but I have never found anything that works without making an oily mess that also ruins the action of the fly. So are you willing to spill your guts to your fellow FAOL anglers???
California’s fishing regs are very clear on the subject:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=“1” face=“Verdana”>quote:</font><HR>
1.11. Artificial Lure.
An artificial lure is a man-made lure or fly
designed to attract fish. This definition does not
include scented or flavored artificial baits
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Other states may or may not be as explicit but since at least one forbids it, it’s worth checking your state’s regs for the official answer.
Up in our neck of the woods the regulations are quite clear, but what do they mean. The definition of bait is;
any foodstuff or natural substance used to attract fish, other than wood, cotton, hair, fur or feathers. It does not include finfish other than roe. It includes roe, worms and other edible substances, as well as scents and flavourings containing natural substances or nutritents.
Now I just need someone to define what a natural substance is. …WD40?
Colorado’s fishing reg’s specifically prohibit the use of sent on artifical flies an lures used in C&R waters. They also specifically prohibit the use of realistic molded plastic lures in these areas…
In my state C&R means the sames as mentioned. No smell, no salt baits(the wiggly tail rubber things).
But I too have wondered the extent of this. What if you ate garlic bread, then tied a flie on…
The stuff I use specifically was made by a company called ‘Pressure Bite’ that was based in Tucson. It came as a thick liqiud in a white squeeze bottle and was called ‘Stay-Bit’. What I liked most about it was that it would cover/mask odors without degrading materials or being ‘too smelly’ on your hands or in the shop.
I got quite a lot of it years ago, when I was still doing the tournament thing, and still have a bit around. It’s a mostly anise based scent.
It’s no longer made, but I’d think any of the comercially available scents would work.
What I do is keep some on the bench in a glass jar mixed with a bit of water to thin it some. After the nights tying is over and any glues/cements have cured, I throw them in the jar, fish them out with a pair of tweezers, and let them dry overnight on a paper towel. Next day they go into their bins.
I seldom ‘retreat’ the flies on the water. Usually I’ll replace or loose a fly before that may be required. I do tend to discard flies if I think they have been ‘contaminated’ while fishing.
Works for me.
Good Luck!
Buddy
[This message has been edited by Buddy Sanders (edited 27 March 2006).]
Wrote state Fish & Game Dept. for an answer to the question and will post reply when it arrives.
Back in the old days of (GASP!!!) bait fishing my spouse came up with her special technique. Once she caught a fish (mostly trout) she said I had to put some fish “gush” on the bait. As inquiring minds wanted to know, I said, “What the H*ll are you talking about?” She then informed me that every time she caught a fish (these were for the frying pan) she rubbed her newly baited hook along the fish to get some of the slimy “gush” (as she called it)on it. Hold the laughter cause she would catch the fire out of them doing this. As they say, proof of the pudding is in the eating. Question: Does fish “gush” count as an artificial additive? Answer: I think not; but,…
[This message has been edited by Grn Mt Man (edited 27 March 2006).]
After you’ve masked the glue scents etc you may want to do what I do.
I keep a bar of pure Ivory soap in all my tackle bags. Comes in handy after you’ve spilled gasoline, oil, on your hands or after applying suntan lotion and/or bug spray. It won’t matter how much you’ve masked your flies at the tying desk if you get chemicals on them between tying and fishing.
This post has reminded me of the two tackle boxs (spin casting, God forbid!) - just full of lures and “stuff” that were supposed to work miracles - and of course they did’nt. And not much better in the fly fisher department, either! There use to be a fly shop that I always stopped by and bought something at; they guy who owned the place made you feel like you were his best, long absent, customer, who he was glad to see. Kept a neat shop and some good, useful gear in the place. Although I could buy some things a couple, three bucks less at a discount house, I’d always buy what I could from him. He had a revolving show case, you know the kind where you pushed a button and all the shelves turned. Had two or three different people who tied flies for him and the show case was always full … he say what shelves Charlie Jones or Sam Somebody (or whatever their names were) had their flies on. And his main words to me as I was getting about to the end of my shopping spree, were always … “don’t go down to the river with out a couple of these”. And I would’nt, and still have yet to catch the first fish on one of them!
About the time I think that finally I’ve gotten wise to all of this, I’ll wander into some store (or fly fishing department), and see some new doohickey and I’ll be the first to shell out some more bucks for it! And please … don’t let me get into scents!
The longer I’m around, the more I believe what that old timer told me so many years ago … "if they’re bitin’ they’re bitin’, if they’re not, they’re not!
(Hey, were did ya get that new stuff, anyway … maybe I need to get some of that!)