dry floatant question

[mikechell 0]

I met a man at a boat ramp this last summer. He was preparing his trot lines for a day's harvest. He had a piece of aluminum foil on each hook, and was spraying them with WD-40.

 

I was watching him, and asked him, "Do you really catch fish with that?"

 

His reply, "Yep. I've been doing this for the last 10 years or so. I have full lines almost every time I run them!"

 

"Been supporting my family this way for the last 6 or so of them years."

 

WD-40 might not be SOLD as a fish attractant. It definitely DOESN'T have any fish oil in it. But according to that man ... it's definitely a scent the fish are attracted to. They might be hitting the flashing piece of foil ... but they're drawn in by the WD-40.

[j8000 0]

If an highly respected and highly successful fisherman like Ray Bergman uses such a product I would highly doubt it has a large negative impact on catching fish. I don't mind the smell of camp fuel (white gas), it's far less bothersome than unleaded gasoline. I'm always using camp fuel for something or another (like running my clothes iron). And what I would appreciate from his formula more than the floatant I use is that it also is supposed to clean the fly and would be less messy on my hands than the gel like substance I use now.

[DrLogik 0]

Ray Bergman's Formula! Best fly floatant there is. I carry it in a one ounce Nalgene bottle. So many people have used this over the years. I don't think it adversely effects fish-catching too terribly much.

 

This should help:

 

http://www.drlogik.com/flyfloatants.html

[j8000 0]

I made some us using Coleman fuel, since that is what I had. However, a bit of personal experience. I thought adding a little extra wax would be better, but it's not. Stick to the formula. Extra wax in means two things. It hardens up at a higher temperature and it leave a thicker wax coating on the fly. So thick that it looks terrible and hackle and other similar materials clump together.

 

But using the correct recipe and the fly is left with thinner layer of wax. When flung around a few times it doesn't take long for the fuel to evaporate and I can hardly smell the fuel.

 

Great article Dr. L. Will defenently keep a small jar in my tackle box. Also could be a good fire starter if you get stranded out in the sticks.

[DrLogik 0]

j8000,

 

Yeah, adding wax doesn't help at all. It turns into napalm in cooler temps. I actually run a lite version of Bergman's (a little less wax) most of the time because it will stay liquid at lower temps and evaporates a little more quickly too.

 

Oh, and it's also works pretty well in Zippo lighters in a pinch as well as a "dry" lubricant out in the field if nothing else is available. Pretty versatile stuff.

[JSzymczyk 0]

Well if it worked for an expert fisherman like Ray Bergman, it's worth a try for me this spring. However, I'd probably use a separate box for those flies so to contaminate only those dry flies in use.

 

Bergman also used caterpillar gut leaders, braided silk lines, hooks and hackle that by today's "standards" would be quickly thrown in the bin, etc. Technology has come a long way. I'm perfectly fine with nostalgia and there is no question that the old stuff worked- I'm not arguing that. Just saying that there are better suited options available today for very little cost or bother. It strikes me as confusing that someone would be possibly standing on a stream wearing breathable gore-tex waders, holding a carbon fiber rod with a highly engineered plastic line and fluorocarbon leader, dipping their chemically sharpened, jewelry store hook and genetically modified hackle in a glass jar full of gasoline and parafin. But hey, I'm confused by lots and lots of things, so whatever blows wind up your skirt, ok.

[McGnat 0]

It works very well with the modern stuff to. Floating a fly is still floating a fly regardless of what was used to get the fly on the water. I use it as a pretreatment before the fly goes in the box.

[DrLogik 0]

.