# My dry flys don't sink!



## DryFly (Jun 4, 2001)

A friend of mine gave me a fantastic tip last week.

How would you like to fish your drys right out of the fly box and not dress them?

The secret is Rain X, you know the stuff that you put on your vehicle's windshield to keep the rain off.

After tying flys, drop them in a jar of Rain X so that they are completely submerged. 

I then pick them out with tweezers and set on a piece of card board to air dry. In the sun works very well.

Once dry, they look just as you tied them. They are not greasy, the hackles are not matted and they are orderless. 

Larger "hairyer" flys, I shake them out a little before removing them from the jar. 

Never before have I had flys float so high in the water.

Currently I am using a large Hex pattern with bushy Hi Vis wings. I have fished with this same fly for 3 nights now (yep have not lost it in the trees in the dark) ne_eye: 

It has only been in Rain X and I have not used any other dressing. 

Try it and I'm sure you will be convinced.

Good luck
Dave


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

thanks for the tip at night it is nice if you dont have to mess with your fly or false cast alot.


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## Creek-Chub (Apr 15, 2004)

Great tip, assuming it works. I'll give it a try in the next couple of days and be sure to post back. Thanks!


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## Erik (Jan 17, 2000)

Great idea. I'll have to give it a try. I've been using some stuff I got from orvis. You put just a drop on your flys a day or so before your going to use them and let them dry. It works good, but I think rain-x would be alot less expensive. Who knows, maybe the orvis stuff is really just rain-x in a little tiny bottle? Used to use scotch guard, but I guess they no longer make it. At least I haven't been able to find it anywhere for quite some time.
Thanks for the tip.


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## gunrod (Jan 16, 2001)

I've heard that tip before but never tried it. I'm more impressed with the notion that the fly doesn't get screwed up (hackle, dubbing) than even the floating part. Thanks Dave, I'll try it.

BTW, hex are still going?!?!?!? Damn weather, I finally made it up for the hex and the only night I got a good hatch lightening started and I had to motor out for two hours in a t-storm in the dark. Almost flipped the boat on a stump.:yikes: 

Also, don't be surprised if you get a call from the new owners of Twin Oaks. They were asking about embroidered hats/shirts and I told them about Karen. You may even want to stop in and introduce yourself if you are down that way. They may be considering a sponsorship here too.


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## Doodle (Oct 9, 2002)

Dry Fly, thanks for the tip, I'll have to try the RainX. I get tired of greases and powders. This has always been a problem w/ my self-tied drys; that and being a relative newbie.

Erik, you can still get Scotch Guard. I think I bought my last can at Meijer. Works good until you catch a couple fish, then I don't think it sheds the slime that well. I applied it two ways, either tie up a bunch of flys, stick them on an egg carton and spray. Or, fill up a small container and dunk the flys one at a time.


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## DryFly (Jun 4, 2001)

Schotch Guard comes in a spray can. I have sprayed it on my flys and I have tried spraying it into containers (messy) to dip my flys in. It worked ok.

I have been using the Rain X for a little over a week now and so far it is the ticket. 

I feel it is much better to "soak" the flys in the solutoin to get totally absorbed. You will notice that the flys sink when put in this solution. 

There is also no order to the fly once it has dried. 

GUNROD, Thanks for the info on Twin Oaks. Karen has already been in touch with them. They are waiting to get along with their new business before they start her program. 

I believe the Hex is history. 
What a srcewed up year. A couple of bugs one night, I get excited for the next then it turns cold or rain.

I have done alright blind fishing. With patience quietly walking in the river, there will be an occasional "gulp" that you can cast to, but nothing like regular consistant feeding.


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## GVSUKUSH (Mar 9, 2004)

Good tip

Rainex also works great on rod guides when you are fishing below freezing weather, keeps the guides ice free for at least an hour of chucking. Reapply with a q-tip.


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## Steelseeker (Dec 15, 2003)

I have used Thompson's Waterseal in the past to some success, but quit because I like my dry flies sitting in the surface film.

My question to Dry Fly would be did you catch any fish in those 3 nights of fishing? If not, maybe it was riding TOO high. 

Brian Dunlap


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## DryFly (Jun 4, 2001)

Yes, I did catch fish.

The first night out with a fly and Rain X, I caught one and missed a couple more (my faulf, sleeping at the rod).

I also hooked a big one that took my fly that was poorly tied to my tippit. 
I would like to catch the guy who did that to me! lol.

The next 3 nights there was nothing happening and I caught no fish.

So far so good, but it is relatively new to me also.


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## gunrod (Jan 16, 2001)

DryFly said:


> GUNROD, Thanks for the info on Twin Oaks. Karen has already been in touch with them. They are waiting to get along with their new business before they start her program.


Also the prior owner left them with some problems. They said they ordered some stuff from Manistee 'cuz they didn't know about Karen but I bet that won't happen again. They seem like good folks.


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## chuckinduck (May 28, 2003)

I have heard that rain-x works a couple years ago but never tried it.....my question is....when using it on hex spinners......do the wings still stick together if you are using a hair wing such as calf tail or even a sythetic material such as high vis....or my personal favorite flashabou....thats always been my biggest problem with using any type of fiber wing is after they get wet enough they stick all together and you have to pull them apart and false cast a lot...and then the plastic wings and foam bind your line up....


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## DryFly (Jun 4, 2001)

So far I have only used it on large Hex patterns and it is great.

Yarn belly, elk hair body and large fluffy Hi Viz wings. 
Hackle and calf tail works good.

I totally submerge in solution and when I pull it out the wings are drooping wet. With tweezers, shake them a little or wipe them on the side of the jar.

After air drying in the sun, they look just as they came off the vise.

I have not tried flashabou.

First time I tried Rain X the large fly immediately sunk to the bottom of the jar. I thought "great!" But was pleasently satisfied how it floated once it had air dried.


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## d2upnorth (Mar 2, 2003)

Dave,
Neat tip! Thanks much, will give it the test out West this month.
d2


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## DryFly (Jun 4, 2001)

I have used this on large Hex drys for a few more days and I'm still very satisfied.

As earlier stated I fished one fly for 3 days (no fish, sorry to say) and the fly floated nicely right out of the fly box and held up well.

On 2 occasions I have noticed after catching a nice hard fighting fish that really slimed my fly, it no longer floated as I would expect. At this time I dressed it as I normally would with the typical fly dressing and it again floated great.

Even with this experience, I am totally satisfied with Rain X and all of my future flys will be dipped in the solution.

It is nice to fish a fly right out of your box and not have to dress it. One that is not greased down and looks just as it came off the vise.

You can take a fly dipped in Rain X and hold it way under the water and it will pop the the top just like a little bobber.

Good luck


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## Stinky (Jan 19, 2002)

check your PM, eom.


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