I don't except occasionally rubbing some lakeside mud on a fly if I tied it recently to try to curb the cement smell. Is it legal to do on artificial fly lakes? What do people use?

 

I don't use scents, I believe it is not fly fishing, ocasionaly I will go bait or gear fishing out in the sound but most of my fishing is flyfishing and If your adding scent I believe it is no different than chucking a worm or glob of salmon eggs on your fly rod.I know if I used scents I would catch a lot more fish but thats not why I fly fish I like being able to fool the fish with an artificial bug on the end of my line without any atractants such as scents and spinner blades and what not.Just my opinion. :BIGSMILE

"LOVE'M AND LEAVE'M" C&R

fly15

 

IveofIone
I never put scent on flies, it would seem like a bass fishing show if I did. However, I am one of those white males whose body chemistry is offensive to fish and nothing will ever change that. In order to combat the problem I have used pure anise oil on my fingers for years. Once I get to a stream or lake I put one drop on each hand and rub it over my fingers before I string up. It last a long time and I seldom repeat the process during the day. It masks the natural scent that is on your hands and once you handle a few fish it seems to make no difference anyway. I don't consider this unethical or the use of "bait", just a solution to a problem a lot of us guys have. Pure anise oil can be purchased or ordered at a good pharmacy and goes for about 9$ an ounce which should last for many years.

 

The use of scents is illegal in fly fishing only and in selective gear waters. The state definition of bait is "Anything that attracts fish or shellfish by scent and/or flavor. This includes any device made of feathers, hair, fiber, leather, rubber or plastic which uses scent and/or flavoring to attract fish or wildlife."

 

Hey Rockfish:

Shrimp oil when estuary flyfishing for steelhead and salmon. I probably would for beach silver fishing too. You posted that you use it for piling perch and flounder, when else do you find it to be effective?

 

I think the difference from not ever using scent to using scent is big. I have always used scent for salmon, mainly the smelly jelly herring liquid in the blue bottle, it is not as messy as the stuff you have to smear with a q-tip or your fingers. salmon have a really good sense of smell. one of the best I think. basically I'm a scent freak. never tipped a fly with bait but do always use scent. I'm a scent freak I guess, used to not use it years back but cant go back now, it cant hurt your chances only improve them at a fish I guess. heard on another forum back a few months that squid scent was the best, gonna have to give that a try.

 

Ok, first off, I AM NOT AN ELITIST! I don't exclusively fly fish. I'm as at home throwing my spey rod as I am running my plug rods in my boat on a river. But, I have to say that what's the point? If you want to use sent, then use a spinning/baitcaster and use a dropper system or float system. I fly fish to get AWAY from scents/baits (except when I'm running jigs/spoons,etc). Fly fishing is designed to get away from the scents. Now, if you want to put scent on a fly you're flinging with a spinning rod, go for it. But the key is to get your fish on a fly, not with scent. Kind of like that article a few months back in STS of the guy catching sturgeon on a fly rod. He poured scent on a marabou fly and let it sink to bottom. If you can't get the fish to pickup offering by way you tied it, then try something else. I can catch fish easily using bait, I fly fish for the thrill of trying to fool the fish. When I want to catch fish, I use my conventional gear. When I'm throwing a fly rod, I'm out to fool the fish. So, take it for what it's worth. I'm against using it. Unless you meant trolling a coho fly on a downrigger?

You haven't lived until you've run a cataraft. Friends don't let friends run Outcasts.

 

I totally agree with steelheader69, I am not a purist also but when I fly fish it is to fool the fish without scents or other atractents. I also fly fish in the salt water but don't use sents because its not fly fishing although it is way more effective it's bait and gear chucking with a fly rod to me. Just my opinion.

"LOVE'M AND LEAVE'M" C&R

fly15

 

I'm from the opposite school. I learned to chuck crawdads on my flyrod as a teenager in Ohio fishing for smallmouth bass and carp. I found the flyrod gives way better presentation and feel than spinning or casting rigs. So if scenting your fly improves your catch, and is legal where you fish, why not? I find that a drop of shrimp oil on a wooley worm really turns on the hatchery lowland trout. Makes my 8 year old daughter very happy.

Another use I've found for the various scent oils is to use them for knot lubricant, especially with flurocarbon tippet material. Sure beats my spit in terms of lubrication. Probably smells better to the fish too.

All in all, I continue to find the flyrod to be more effective than the other methods. For me, form follows function. Just don't put scent oils on maribou. Totally kills the action.

Wayne

 

I didn't say using sents on your fly rod was a bad idea or not effective I jsut said it is not fly fishing. Glad to here you are getting your 8 year old daughter into the sport. :THUMBSUP

"LOVE'M AND LEAVE'M" C&R

fly15

 

If legal, knock yourself out with scents. It can't hurt and the whole deal about it being real flyfishing or pure flyfishing is a personal choice. Nobody says you have to be a purist. As mentioned above, use oils on maribou and kiss your action goodbye.

 

I have tried scents on fly many times in freshwater lakes and found that I caught more without the scent on then just fishing the fly without. It may have had something to with the scent not matching the taste the fish thinks the fly should be. Needless to say I have stopped using it in lakes at all since it seems to stop the fish from taking the fly. I plan to start to fish the saltwater more this year and I do plan on trying scent for saltwater to see if this works just as I plan to try diffent flies to see which works. If the scent works as poorly on Salmon as it did for trout it will not get used. If it works better with, I will use mostly when fishing with friend using herring to even the odds. I hate to let a bait thrower show me up if I can help it. By out fishing my freinds that use spin rods for trout they are starting to buy fly rods and giving it a try. I will give my freinds I fish with credit for spin rod guys, they all C & R 99.9% of the time and have C & R for most of their lifes. Of course I still tease them when they have spin rods in their hands and I am catching more fish then they are. :TONGUE