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.
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 >:o
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 :rolleyes:
grape scent? http://thewrightbait.com/2_grubs.htm:p:p:p
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—
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/showthread.php?t=25644&highlight=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!
Just buy a BASS FISHERMANS sent----a gallon of WD 40 BILL:lol:
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.
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?:lol:
If you’re going to scent your flies, why not go whole hog and fish bait?
… 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 :lol:
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—
Yeah, I think there’s a line with bait fishing on one end and lures (including flies) on the other, and every fly fisherman figures out where they want to sit on that line, and how close to the other kind of fishing is “too close”. Not sure if I’m making sense to anyone else.
Personally, I don’t use scents nor do I think I ever will. I’d just pull out my bait casting gear and use that.
Ya know, I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but putting W-D 40 in the water just seems wrong. The fish are slippery enough. Now dynamite, that I can get behind.
Gary
I do not add or use scented materials on my flies. On issue of scented flies, I agree with the IGFA (International Game Fish Association). Some states agree, others do not. Kind of like the Moffitt System, illegal in my state.
“No scent, either natural or artificial is allowed on flies. The use of scented material in a fly is prohibited.”
I’ve heard Wd-40 polutes waters, not sure thou but why risk it? I am no purist, believe me I throw lures every now and then, but rubbing your flies with scent…I don’t know, I (IMHO) prefer not to. That’s the challenge of tying or throwing a fly catching a fish based on pure imitation of bug or fish. Heck I haven’t even done it on lures, maybe plastics but I’m no fan of those either.
I agree with hiding human scent by rubbing your fly on dirt or grass thou. Then again this is a free country and I will never even dare to tell nobody what to do with their fishing habits. This is just, like I said, my humble opinion.
WD40 is primarily fish oil. Yup, fish oil is the main ingredient.
Since WD40 stands for Water Displacement Formula 40, it should make a fair floatant. I don’t think I would soak a streamer in it and expect the streamer to do anything but float.
As for the dynamite, I would probably drop it and blow up a perfectly good boat.
Sagefisher wrote:
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?
No, I have not noticed the fish taking the fly deeper than usual. Hooking fish deep in the throat with bait is the main reason I gave up fishing that way.
As for the states that ban the use of scent of a fly, that has me kinda mystified. Although I believe I do catch more fish using scent I still have to have the correct size and shape fly and get it in front of the fish without spooking them.
HHHmmmm…how to be diplomatic…
Wrong and wrong…
Do an extensive search and research…here’s a start…
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/wd-40.asp
I would suggest you don’t spray your dry flies with WD-40…unless you want to fish subsurface…
Now the dynamite thing…yep…me too…
In the states that ban the use of scents of flies, do they also ban the use of plastics? Plastics frequently use scent to make them more attractive. Another problem with them is fish sometimes swallow them after they are thrown away or come loose and can’t digest them. This does the fish no good and lots of harm if it can’t get rid of it somehow.
I suppose I should explain. My friend was in the fly shop one day and he noticed out of the corner of his eye that a warden had walked in. He immediately began talking about the fish he had caught and was asked what he was using. When he replied “dynamite” it piqued the warden’s attention and he walked over for a little face to face. My friend was quick to produce a streamer from his pocket and smile, saying this fly is DYNAMITE!!!
Gary
Well, I’ll be…
Ducksterman,
Thank you for the correction. I don’t remember where I got it, but it was a source I thought was reliable or I would have checked it further. One more lesson to double check my facts before shooting off my mouth.
As for the floatant properties, I am going to have to test that. Just off the top of my head, most of the ingredients listed in the MSDS are lighter than water and the formula is designed to displace water. I still think the Woolly Bugger would float. I can’t see how fish would find the scent attractive, however. As long as I thought it was fish oil, it made sense, but it darn sure doesn’t now.