This must have been discussed before but I don’t recall. Have any of you guys used WD-40 as a waterproofing?
That is what it was designed to do and it should not dissolve in the water in any way a fish could detect.
I would propose immersing the fly or bugger in the solution right at the tying bench to fully adsorb the fluid and then fully air dry. What say you ?
Not good for the stream, I’m pretty sure.
Heck no that would be the worst stuff to use. First it is toxic and next it does not dry out. It’s a lubricant. If you want to use something getb some a bottle of “WaterShed”.
Legend has it the smell is a fish attractant… Not that I condone that…
I tried Rain-x windshield treatment (same stuff as Watershed); dip, sit, use 24 hours later. Worked okay, but I much prefer a good topical floatant like Dry Magic. WD-40? It’d leave a slick like the Exxon Valdez.
Regards,
Scott
Pre treat drys with this stuff. Some in a bottle and immerse for a few minutes and hang to dry. You can use it stream side and false cast for 10 or so minutes in a pinch. Doesn’t mat CDC and is permanent as near as I can tell.
I was going to say there must be some very good nano technology stuff out there and wondered if they have been tried…seems that Repell Well is one.
BTW WD 40 is techniqally not considered a lubricant. It is a water displacer and they went through 40 formulas before satisfied …hence…WD-40. Also it is indeed an attractant and has been sprayed on lures…especially for salmon. Some folks say it has anise oil in it…hence …the attraction.
I tried some on a fly years ago…put the fly in a glass of water and it sank like a rock.
The question is…did it leave an oil slick?..
Not to start a war but if you go to the WD40 web site you’ll see that they classify it as a lubricant along with many other uses. It was used as a firearms lub for many years until it was determined that it was detrimental to the firearms that were not maintained properly.
To perhaps stop a war…it is apparently both…a water displacer and a lubricant…
If you go to the camping section at WalMart they sell stuff called Silicone Water Guard.
It’s an aerosol water proofing solution for camping gear.
Spray some into a cup to concentrate it. Dip flies in it, and let it dry overnight.
Waterproofs everything. Lasts longer than I’ve been able to fish the same fly. Especially effective on deer hair bass bugs.
I tested a lot of things, and this is by far the best I’ve found.
Everything I’ve read about WD-40 and fishing has been unanimous that t’s not good for the water, doesn’t work as a ‘floatant’ and contains no ‘natural’ ingredients like banana oil (what it smells like). No one in the bass world uses it as an ‘attractant’ anymore, not because it ‘bad’ for the environment, but because it doesn’t work near as well as the stuff made for the purpose.
Buddy
In CA, use of WD40 can get you cited by a game warden if (s)he is around. Putting petrolium products into water bodies is a big no-no.
Best troll to date.
Whatfly,
I don’t follow. Please explain.
Thanks
Lol well said
Here’s a little known fact about WD-40 and firearms and I suppose other things it is used continuously.
My own personal experience…
When duck hunting especially using automatic shotguns and WD-40…yes both as a water displacer and lubricant …we noticed the guns would get sluggish and need cleaning. I decided to try something so every day before I hunted I sprayed my shotgun with WD from an aerosol can. I wanted to see how long it would work. The gun would get sluggish but by spraying it every time it would loosen up…yes it was lubricating. Well finally it quit on me…after actually two seasons
I had too take down the entire gun and clean it even to the point of chiseling out a varnish like substance. What occurs is the propellent in the aerosol spray leaves that varnish like residue.
This does not happen if you use WD in the bulk and use a hand spray.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it and has no relation to fishing .
WD-40 is both a lubricate and a displacer. It is also still very effective for cleaning firearms. The military no longer uses it, and there are “better” cleaners to use these days. But does not harm firearms and is the ONLY lubricant I use on black powder firearms. Its the best thing I’ve found to clean saltwater reels and rods. Does it leave a slick on the water? Yes. But so does Gink…so what’s the point? It would be like the oil from a salmon egg. Hardly a hazard.
This is the only WD-40 I put in water…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu9H0o9MPOs
There are plenty of uses for that product, none of which include putting it on fly patterns…
I would be inclined to try Never Wet if I were looking from something new. I have used Scotchgard in the past.
I have been using this for a number of years now. Soak the flies and let them dry overnight. It doesn’t discolor but it mats the hackle a little, but it’s easy to unmat it when it dries.
Works as good as any and better than most. I haven’t tried it on CDC so I don’t know what it will do to it, probably not something good. I read about it on FAOL in this article:
http://flyanglersonline.com/flytying/tyingtips/part49.php
Joe