[Bug Out]

Over the years I have used lots of brands of gel and powder floatant. For the last 10 years or so (?) I have used Loon Aquel. Seems to work OK, but the other day on the river as I struggled to keep a fly afloat despite fact that the drift was good and the fly shouldn't have been that water-logged I wondered - am I missing something?

On related note, anyone have any data showing that gel floatant or a powder like Top Ride or other is safe/not safe for fish? I have always wondered if the desiccant I am using is actually harming the fish I am catching.....

 

[Preston]

I've used Aquel for many years now and have always been quite satisfied with it. Sometimes a fly just doesn't float well and this might be a problem with hackle quality, body materials or a variety of other things.

 

[dryflylarry]

Brian. No real help here other than I used "GINK" for years and years until last year I tried the Loon Aquel. I liked the Aquel and think it may be a little better stuff. My one problem I had with the Aquel is the bottle opened up in my pocket! That was a little messy.... I like the Gink because of the built in loop to hang on my vest. Maybe you will get some good answers. Old guys like me have a hard time changing their ways.....

 

[lx-88]

Dap. Period. The orange circular container.

 

[Timsan]

I picked up some Scientic Anglers floatant a few years ago, tiny bottle. Works well, but I have nothing to compare it to it has lasted a long time, probably because we never really have a floating problem.

 

[Gary Thompson]

Gink

 

[Calvin1]

I use Abilene from Walgreens. A tub will cost you as much as one of the little tiny bottles of the fly shop stuff and they're all basically the same. If the fly starts to drop in the water or sink a bit, I'll subsequently treat it with a powdered desacant. I like the Japanese stuff that comes in the plastic bottle with the green lid, can't remember what it's called.

 

[13223]

I've used Aquel for as long as I can remember. I make certain I reapply the stuff fairly often. Once a fly starts to soak up water it is really difficult to get it to float high. Last year I picked up some powder and use it when a fly starts to sink despite my Aquel efforts. This helps more than I expected. My old way was to simply clip off the fly, pat it dry, hang it on my patch for a bit and tie on a new fly.

 

[Preston]

I find that when a fly starts to sink, it can be revived to a degree by squeezing the fly dry in the fold of a well-worn, soft bandana (or cotton shirt) or, even better, a piece of chamois leather, then re-applying floatant.

 

[megajumbos]

Honestly I've used all the floatants out there and they pretty much all float flies the same. The only difference is some floatants are more temperature stable like Aquel and the BT's Float EZ. They don't get solid or turn into liquid depending on temperature. Some flies though, just by nature, don't float well especially after being slimed in a fish mouth. Also, it's important to note that once a fly is soaked you need to apply a powder dessicant before re-treating it with floatant. Otherwise the floatant just makes a waterlogged fly sink more.

 

[Kyle Smith]

Some flies just don't float well. Any dry with a hare's ear-type body will get waterlogged and even dessicant won't help much.

 

[Bug Out]

I have the complete arsenal of Aquel, shake n bake and my ole blue bandana and they still don't float as well as long as I'd like. Could be my tying skills or materials, or maybe I just have to accept the fact that no fly floats well for as long as you'd like it to. Or I could just tie on a huge size 2 foam hopper and fish that exclusively.......

 

[ryfly]

I start with Aquel and when it gets drowned or hit by a fish I then hit it up with Frog's Fanny which is a dessicant and then gives the fly a bouyant life again.

Ryan

 

[Panhandle]

Foam!

I good technique is to saturate all your dries in floatant and let them sit out and dry with the box open. I do this to my flies at the start of the season and gives them a lot longer floating life. Make sure and always gink the leader too. This is key and I'm suprised more people negelct this aspect of applying flaotant. Pretty common sense.

 

[7919]

im just here to chime in that a furled leader is awesome at floating when gink is added to the equation! i have just used gink and never have that much of a problem keeping flies floating. if the fly becomes waterlogged just fish it wet until you hook a tree 20 feet up on your backcast, then start with a fresh floaty fly

 

[Richard E]

Honestly I've used all the floatants out there and they pretty much all float flies the same. The only difference is some floatants are more temperature stable like Aquel and the BT's Float EZ. They don't get solid or turn into liquid depending on temperature. Some flies though, just by nature, don't float well especially after being slimed in a fish mouth. Also, it's important to note that once a fly is soaked you need to apply a powder dessicant before re-treating it with floatant. Otherwise the floatant just makes a waterlogged fly sink more.

Exactly. Another vote for Loon Aquel, and its viscosity consistency through a wider temperature range. And, as Preston and Magejumbos noted, some flies just aren't made of quality materials (or the best materials for dry flys), and no floatant will work well.

When the fly becomes waterlogged, usually a shake in some sort of desiccant works for a short period. Usually a new fly is required.

 

[Old Man]

Well in all the time that I have been fly fishing, I could say that I tried most of what was out there. I used to like that stuff made by Garcia in that hour glass bottle. Can't find it anymore. I used Aquel, but it melted in the Montana sun. It isn't supposed to, but it did. I have since moved over to something made here in Montana. It is called "Moose Snot". So far it hasn't melted in the sun here.

 

[Napmasterg]

I use Abilene from Walgreens.

Where in the store is this? What exactly is it?

Also, I cut open and reuse those dessicant pack contents you get it certain food stuffs and electronics and put it in a small plastic box, shake with fly and presto, re-dry fly!. I use this as my fly dessicant and they work great! and it's FREE.....:thumb:

 

[jeff bandy]

I use Abilene from Walgreens.

Where in the store is this? What exactly is it?

Also, I cut open and reuse those dessicant pack contents you get it certain food stuffs and electronics and put it in a small plastic box, shake with fly and presto, re-dry fly!. I use this as my fly dessicant and they work great! and it's FREE.....:thumb:

Isn't that stuff toxic?

 

[Kyle Smith]

[/B]
Isn't that stuff toxic?

Yes, if you eat it. It's made from silica, just like Frog's Fanny, but in a bead form instead of the fluffy shit that invariably finds it's way into your nose.