# dry fly floatant



## Guest (May 9, 2002)

Hi All,
Gang, one of my weakness has always been gagets but right next to that is dry fly floatant. My old favorite, Flyta is gone and I can not even find a drop to get analized so I can make my own. It seems that every year I try a few new ones and have yet to find a good floatant. So far BT's is my standby, better than Ginks. I just picked up a bottle of some Jap gel that is pretty much junk, flies sink nice with it on. Of course there is the Shimi-shake dry powder which drys ok but for a good float, naaaaaaaa.. and my 3M Scotchguard has been changed so that is out...anyone found anything that is working better than Bt's or Daves bug float? I know, this is just about like asking for dubbing wax after overtons left us.
Anyways, always looking for a good fly flotant or one we can make. 
Great fishing all


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## foersterhunter (Jan 21, 2002)

i personally never had a problem with Gink.How are you using it? if it s because its coming out in globs try this trick (rub that glob till it gets creamy then rub on fly).I noticed that when its warm out the stuff really works good.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Good question. I've had a similar problems with over the counter products, especially with large-bodied bugs, like hoppers. 

I'll run some tests today. I have a few products in my shop that may work for us. It seems that a plain silicone would work great, but the drying time is too long for stream-side application. 
Let me play around with it. If it works, it may be something that can be done ahead of time. The price would be right as well.
(about 4 bucks for 4 oz.)

As far as Scotchguard, there's a few products available, that are very similar. Meltonian makes a product, that is used in the footware industry as a lightweight barrier for stain and water protection. It's application is good for suede, leather and fabrics. It should work on flies.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Ok, I took a weighted Pheasant tail with very sparse hackle and sprayed it with Meltonian Rain and Stain Protector. After 10 minutes it's still floating. I dunked it twice, but after blowing on it, similar to a backcast, it still floats.

The one I dipped in pure silicone is still wet from the application.


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## Mike (Nov 26, 2000)

I think you're having too much fun today Ralf! 

Are you going to have some of this stuff for sale at the outing?

Mike


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## Guest (May 9, 2002)

OK..will have to run to a shoe store and find this stuff by Meltonian, this could be the breakthrough.

Foersterhunter, Gink is basically a handcream, I believe Alovera (sp) and you can pick it up for like a 12 oz jar for something like two bucks. Yes it works of sorts but just not what I use to have and dream of and yes, the best way to apply any paste or gel is put a bit on the fingers and then rub it onto the fly gently.


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## mickey (Sep 25, 2000)

Say, this could be a good experiment for my classes. Find the best way to keep your groups fly afloat. hmmm.

You keep pheasant tails at work? Just in case...
I had this idea of bringing my vice to work to tie during lunch. I think Im losing it...


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Ok, it's still afloat. The silicone one is working but the one I sprayed rides higher.

Mike, remind me to bring some. I'll sell it at cost. Sure wish, they made a smaller can. It's a 5.5 oz. A little big for the average vest, but very economical. I think my cost is under 2 bucks.

Mickey, I still tie the occassional bug at work. Between the site, phone calls pertaining to fishing and spinning some hackle, there's not enough time to work. 

Big Fish, this stuff is made under different names as well. Cadillac makes one. They call it Rain and Stain


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## rockman (Feb 28, 2001)

Shave perafin(sp?) wax into a container. Add white gas (coleman fuel) and shake until the wax dissolves. Continue to add wax until it will no longer go into solution. Dip your flies into the solution and false cast to dry (evaporates the coleman fuel and leaves the wax on the fly). This solution works pretty well but will solidify in cooler temps. A normal candle will also work but is harder to dissolve - use unscented and uncolored wax.


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## binkley (May 1, 2001)

I've never tried this, but has anyone ever tried petroleum jelly such as Vaseline? I don't see why it wouldn't work great.


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## Guest (May 9, 2002)

Some good suggestions comming on, so far the shoe thing has top interest.

Rock, in the old days we did shave wax into plan old gas and it did work, never thought of white gas. Also tried denatured alcohol, carbon tetracloride (did a great job cleaning slime off fish). Only down side I have with the flamables is there are times I smoke a cigar to keep the bugs off, I can see me in a senior moment..poof..no nose but just may give the white gas a try.

Jacks in Roscommon use to sell some solution he made, I swear it was one part gas, two parts chewing tobacoo, some candle wax and anything else he could pitch in...sure stunk and was worse than Gink.


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## mickey (Sep 25, 2000)

Carbon tetrachloride can give ya a bad case of cancer/birth defects too. Nasty stuff but it sure got clothes clean. Cant even get it anymore. I have tried calcium chloride to dry flies after they have caught too many fish and been soaked. Works good. I think that is what is in those containers they now sell at flyshops but am not sure.


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## Ladykiller (Jul 22, 2000)

If you know anyone that works for Dow Corning, have them get you some 100 fluid, at least that is what I think it was called when I worked there. It worked pretty well.


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## Butch (Aug 29, 2001)

Shoeman-

How long did you wait to dry the fly after you put on the Meltonian stuff? Based on your product review, it sounds great. 

Bigfishfool-

For dubbing wax, the most economical I've found is the wax from the ring used for a seal under a toilet. Buy one for a couple bucks and you and your friends will be set for dubbing wax for a lifetime.

Butch


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## Ladykiller (Jul 22, 2000)

Hey Mickey, I once took my vice to SVSU during a history (boring) lecture and tied a 100 globugs. The teacher didn't even care, he just wondered what the heck I was doing...lol.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Butch, it was less than 2 minutes. This stuff is really lightweight.

I'm sure you can blow dry it in less than 1.

Still floating after 20+ hours


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## Guest (May 10, 2002)

Shoe, you may have hit on the next big winner in fly floatant. Please drop me a email at [email protected], lets talk. I am also thinking shoe that this would be a good product to pretreat some flies in mass. I use to put a couple dozen or so in a jar and soak them in Scotchguard and save trouble on the stream when starting with a fresh fly. This may be a great subsitute for that.

Butch, you have found out one of my sources for cheap and sticky dubbing wax, you are so right that a ring works and is about two lifetimes worth of tying. I take familys empty chapstick tubes and push them in to make it managable.


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## Butch (Aug 29, 2001)

Shoeman-Thanks for the info. 

Bigfishfool-Good idea n the chapstick tubes.

Butch


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## Double Haul (Apr 27, 2002)

Keeping them afloat.

I've used them all. The old "hour glass" bottles were great. White gas a parafin is what Dad and his Dad used to refill them with. Frog Fanny works well but is impossible to apply in the stream. I've had better luck using it to coat air bubbles onto nymphs. Water Shed is good. I don't like or am to lazy to apply it as the flys come off the vice. Takes at least overnight to dry. 

So I always go back to Gink. Using an Amadou patch helps tons to pull slime and water from the fly first.

Is it warm enough to use drys yet?


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## JStarbrite (Apr 3, 2000)

Mickey- I like the way you exploit child labor in the name of education! Keep it up. Kids need more of this.

Split- It would make my day, heck my week, if a DNR agent approached me to sniff my flys. I think I would tell that story for the rest of my life!


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