Dry fly dressing Question

[GULFSTREAM]

Hi all, hope everyone is gearing up for the season and excited because I sure as hell cant wait. Anyways I went through my gear and I found a couple bottles of fly dressing. I had 2 bottles. One was Loon a dry crystal stuff and another was a silicone based floatant don't know the brand because the label wore off. Anyways I am going to be stocking up on anothe bottle or 2 of floatant, and was wondering what your favorite dressings were and why. I ask this because I always dress my dry flies and many times use the dry fly as a indicator for a dropper system when trout fishing and I like the dry fly/indicator to stay up high and dry. I haven't been too happy with the results and I am pretty sure im not applying it too little or to much or when the fly is already wet although I might be wrong. Anyways thanks in advance and tight lines!

[NatickDave]

Lately I have been using Loon sqeeze-bottle floatant for dressing my flies prior to putting them on the water. Then I have been following up with the Loon dessicant in the shake jar to keep them floating. The tend to come out very white but that goes away with a couple of false casts. The stuff definitely makes it easier to keep a good productive fly in fishable form and not sitting on your fleece drying.

[seatrout]

Silicone crystals or powder are intended to remove water from materials ... a drying agent. Paste or other floatants are to waterproof the materials and keep the water out. A waterproofer put on a wet fly keeps the water in, hence the damp redressed fly sinks rather quickly.

[GULFSTREAM]

NatickDave and Seatrout thanks for the info and advice. Natick Dave, I'll try your method a combination of the 2 dressings and see what happens. seatrout thanks for the clarification. Again thanks and tight lines!

Adrian

[fleshfly]

I have tried with various flotants, I have no clue on the chemical compound process, etc....I thought the "LOON" powder stuff worked decent.....my favorite hands down, is the "FROGS FANNY" Flotant Powder, it came highly reccomnended for a true trout bum----you can take a freshly slimed, from a fish, natural hackle Dry and have restored within a few shakes, yes there is some powder left on the fly but a few quick blows, and false cast or two you are back at chasing rising fish.

[scruffy_fish]

Ok guys.
I'm going to let you in on a little secret ;), from an old timer.
If you want to float anything including a wet fly or nymph use; Albolene Moisturizing Cleanser Creme.

You can buy a container from your local pharmacy that will last you twenty years. I'm still working on mine. Just put a little on your fingers and roll the fly around, coating the fly.

It will keep your fly floating all day even in turbulent water.

Try some you won't need to buy floaten again. :)

[GULFSTREAM]

fleshfly and scruffy fish, thanks for the great responses I picked up some floatant today and will try the products you use as well. scruffy fish, I'll definitely try that creme. In fact I am going to see if they have it at the drug store right now. Thanks again all and tight lines!

[edsly42]

i would say ur problem could be simply the rig. dry-dropper is a great rig but is pretty limited for fishing any kind of depth or and larger fly. Unless you are using a big foam dry fly, you will have a hard time getting a good drift floating the dry w/ a larger nymph. Id say alot of times its easier to just use an indicator. to up your odds, fish 2 nymphs. just my 2cents. and i use the orvis version of floatant but plan on getting some abolene this spring, have heard good things about it.

[Kal9weight]

Mucilin. $4. the best there is IMO.

[titleguy]

I use the silicone type paste for my initial application and then use the powder/crystals to refloat after that. I fish a dry and dropper a lot, but generally with a big attractor dry like a stimulator or big humpy and a smallish dropper nymph. I do fish an elk hair with a weighted caddis emerger and that can be really effective, very often, the fish will hit either the dry or emerger on the swing just sub-surface. I don't like the loon powder as much as some others I've tried- the old cortland "dry-ur-fly" was the best, but I can't seem to find it anymore.

[cat]

Try this and you will never use any other. Put all your flies on a piece mono spred them apart and spray them with shoe saver. Let them dry. It is water repelent for shoes and boots. It will last all year.