Dry Fly Floatant

[Mark Patenaude]

I read this on another board and though I would pass it along...

From Wisflyfishing.com:

"The subject of fly floatants came up in a recent discussion, and We thought it would be a magnanimous gesture on Our part to pass along a bit of acquired wisdom...

it is well known amoung our collective fly fishing circles that a hydrophobic product marketed under the brand name "Frog's Fanny" is fully the bee's knees when it comes to floating a dry fly. What may be less known is that ths product, and others like it, is composed entirely of a substance know as fumed silica, and has been used as a lightweight fiberglass filler by the marine boat trade for years.

What is even less known is that said substance can be purchased from these merchants by lay-persons, such as Ourselves, or even (though We're not sure why...) the hoi polloi of the "dark side".

A quart bag of material casts about $5.00 +-, form this fine merchant:

www.epoxyproducts.com/f_mixin.html "

Make sure you purchase hydrophobic fumed silica.

[AgMD]

Dry fly float-ant is one of those things that can be highly personal, and as such I believe that if it works for you -- you should use it.
For me, I think the best I have ever used is Ray Bergman's formula. Dissolve shavings of paraffin wax in white gas or naphtha. I keep adding until it won't take any more. Let it sit a few hours, and add some more if it will take it. Keep adding until it looks cloudy or jells when all the wax is dissolved. Then add just enough white gas to make it clear. In warm weather you can use more wax, in cold weather you need to use more gas. If on cold summer mornings it looks a bit cloudy, a very few minutes in a shirt pocket will thin it right down.
To use -- just dunk the fly in and shake it off. A quick dap on the water in front of you will set the wax. Put it in a small GLASS bottle for your vest.-- getting a small glass bottle is actually the most difficult part.
Why -- The liquefied wax PENETRATES the fibers, feathers and hair and is not easily washed off when the fly gets pulled under. Even after a bit of use, a fly treated this way will usually pop to the surface if dunked. The white gas is a good solvent for fish slime and so acts as a fly cleaner after your fly gets slimmed.
Cost -- Hard to imagine anything that is less expensive.
Caution -- this is white gas after all, and if you smoke a lot like some folks you do need think about that lit pipe before you take the floatant out of the vest. If you are not careful you could make an ash out of yourself.
AgMD