Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails Issue

[HuckleB 0]

I've been hearing about Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails for years, but just got around to using some.

 

I was looking around Charlie Craven's website and decided to tie up some pig stickers. Per the write up I gave them them two coats of the Hard as Nails. They looked great, but the smell was awful. I let them sit out for about two days and them stuck about a dozen in my nymph box (i.e. a large C&F waterproof box) and closed it. What a mistake!

 

I opened the box a few days later and it was like I walked into a ladies nail salon. The whole box stunk!!! A real powerful stink. So I took out the guilty flies and let the box sit open for a couple of days. Then I closed the box and let it sit over night..... in the morning the box w/out the Pig Stickers still stunk!!!! WTF????

 

I'm seriously considering throwing out the box WITH all of the nymphs in it or just giving it away to friend with all of the proper qualifications. I'm one of these guys that believes smell will turn off fish. And, it's hard to think of fishing these flies with any confidence. I know this may sound like a good reason to simply tie more, but with two little ones at home it takes me months to find the time to fill up that box. This is a real set back for me.

 

Please let me know how you work with Sally Hansen's so I can avoid this problem in the future. Also, please let me know about what can/should be done with box and additional flies. Really happy to be able to run this by this group.

 

Thanks!

Huck

[Stippled Popper 0]

I hear you. This is the reason I don't use fingernail polish.

 

But it must not bother the fish. Too many fly tiers swear by it and not at it.

[mikechell 0]

I know fish have a better sense of smell than we do, but if you dip one of those flies in the water, the smell is gone. I've wondered about the chemical smell of fingernail polish and Hard-as-Nails ... but I haven't let it stop me from fishing the flies, and I don't think it's stopped one fish from biting.

[rockworm 0]

I use Sally Hansens and Cellire and different Head Cements and Spar Varnish and (real) lacquer and Epoxy and several of the UV-activated cements. The first 5 all contain a solvent which must be allowed to evaporate completely. It is the solvent that keeps the cement in its liquid state. These cements become hard after several minutes to several hours. But it takes longer for all the solvent to dissipate. If you use a lot of the cement it may take more than a day for the solvent to evaporate. Thats why it is recommended to use several light coats rather than a heavy coat.

[tidewaterfly 0]

Like rockworm, I've also used different type of cements & coatings over the years. Been using the SH for a long time. The smell doesn't bother me, nor do I feel it bothers the fish. However, as rockworm stated, you do have to allow it to cure properly & in a sealed fly box, that may actually hinder the process.

 

As far as confidence, consider that dyes & other chemicals used to process tying materials also likely have a smell. It may not be something we can detect, but is likely there & possibly detectable by the fish. If anything, our own scent, which will be on anything we touch, including those flies, could put off the fish, so to say the smell from the SH may be a problem is not really something we can readily determine.

 

Huck, sounds like the biggest issue here is to your sense of smell. In that case, perhaps you should switch to another type of coating. If it were me, I would not throw out a perfectly good fly box & flies, but instead would place it somewhere to properly air out some additional time.

 

I assure you it will air out & the smell will dissipate.

[HuckleB 0]

Thanks guys. So, with two thin coats maybe I should sit them out for a week or so before throwing them in the box?

[HuckleB 0]

Tidewaterfly, any suggestion on an alternative. Really appreciate the thoughtful replies.

[tidewaterfly 0]

Loon products make some water based head cements. They're a bit alkaline, so may still have a smell, but since they're not solvent based, won't be as bad.

 

I can't guarantee you'll be happy with the smell of that either, as we all react to such scents differently, but still may be worth a try.

[JSzymczyk 0]

The smell will go away eventually. Yes, it stays concentrated in a closed fly box. I have tied wet flies in the morning using SH, then caught trout with them the same afternoon. Many times. Also, bass and panfish which probably rely on scent more than trout to find food. I tie a lot of bucktails, which have a rather large thread head compared to most other flies, and I usually put two or three coats of SH on them. I will usually TRY to leave them hanging on my fly tying bench for a day or longer for the solvent to evaporate. I have not found the remaining chemical odor to affect the fish. I've been using SH for 30 or so years, and don't plan to stop.

 

THIS BRINGS UP A GREAT SUBJECT--- SCENT ON FLIES!

 

If most fly fishermen are so opposed to using attracting/masking scents on flies like all other types of fishermen use on lures, why should we care if our flies smell "bad" ???

[tidewaterfly 0]

Joel, your point is certainly a valid one. I know we've discussed such things in the past on here. I don't/won't use scents on my flies strictly because it creates a whole different mess I would have to deal with, and have not really had a need. Like you've I've caught fish on flies tied & coated with SH's within a few hours of using it so don't worry about such things.

[mikechell 0]

THIS BRINGS UP A GREAT SUBJECT--- SCENT ON FLIES!

 

If most fly fishermen are so opposed to using attracting/masking scents on flies like all other types of fishermen use on lures, why should we care if our flies smell "bad" ???

I think the idea is, attractant scents entice the fish to swallow a fly, resulting in more damage. Bad scents cause the fish to spit the fly before a hook set is possible. I know your query is just intended to start a debate ... so that's my two "scents".

[JSzymczyk 0]

it was just a thought that came into my head. As TWF said, we've debated it in the past, but not from this direction. If you're good enough, you should be able to set the hook before it can taste bad! LOL

 

I was in Bass Pro today, and the racks full of scent are bigger than ever.

 

Perhaps a shot of Pure Craw or Lunker Juice on a freshly SH'd fly would counter-act the solvent smell and you could call it even. ???

[tidewaterfly 0]

Smelly Jelly, gets my vote!

[Piker20 0]

I use SH and a Rimmel one with nylon hardeners. Can't say I've noticed much of a smell. I tend to let my flies sit stuck in a cork overnight before they go in my boxes.

 

Smells in general, I know guys that refuse to put petrol in their cars the day they fish, refuse to use scented soaps, but sit smoking while fishing? doesn't seem to stop / improve their catching.

I generally rub some soil or sand onto my hands from the venue I'm at and then rinse in the water downstream from where I want to fish. Not sure it makes any difference at all but its become a habit.

I think if folk want to bait fish go for it. But if you clip on a lure, or tie on a fly and then coat it in fish guts or hook on a trailer worm etc, you're kinda cheating yourself. If you have the right lure/fly on the day it will catch. I've seen too many days where a lure has caught fished over and around baits that remained untouched and vice versa to think that its as simple as just sticking smells/flavours on things.

[kimjensen 0]

Use Loon products. No toxic vapors and much more comfortable to use as you don't need to wear a gasmask. Dries quickly.