Floatant Testing

[midger]

For all you dedicated dry fly fishers I came across this on another site so thought I'd pass it on. The fumed silica many of us buy in bulk and use is about the same as Frog's Fanny for what it's worth. I've used Aquel for years and it is great for keeping yarn indicators floating--not good for CDC winged flies. The Frog's Fanny/FS works great for the cdc though.

http://troutster.com/fly-floatant-test/

[meb]

As a dedicated dry fly enthusiast, I enjoyed the site. The floatant that won, Shimazaki, uses a combination of fumed silica and silica gel. The fumed silica repels water and the gel absorbs it to dry your fly out.

MB

[Jimbo Roberts]

It funny that I use Loon Aquel, Shimazaki, and Frog B@tt.
I usually start with the dry fly and apply Aquel, then I work some Frog B@tt in with the brush.
After it get water logged or a fish takes it under I use the shake to dry it out. I really like the Frog B@tt brush as once the fly gets wet or slimed that brush works real well at working the floatant back into the fly.

Jimbo

[flyster]

Shimazake shake, I put that stuff on everything!!!! Big fan of that stuff. I have six or more bottles just in case they stop making it.

[flybob]

Well for me it has to be this stuff!
Been using Marks special home made recipe for years!
When I run out of it out on the water, I actually start to panic!
So now I carry TWO bottles of it....with the "NO DROP" applicator!

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=9826

[John Harper]

Shimazake shake, I put that stuff on everything!!!! Big fan of that stuff. I have six or more bottles just in case they stop making it.

You can buy a bag of fumed silica for real cheap. I mix it with some silica granules from little dehydration packets. I did not know granules helped dry the fly, just thought it shook up with the fly and fumed stuff so made better contact. I can send you some if you want, I have a good sized bag, you just need some silica gel packs, I just got a couple from a box of shoes I bought this morning, go figure.

John

[meb]

The gel that I come across is in little balls, so I put it in a coffee grinder to reduce it to powder and then mix it with equal portions of fumed silica which I think is pretty much what Shimazake is made of.

MB

[midger]

The gel that I come across is in little balls, so I put it in a coffee grinder to reduce it to powder and then mix it with equal portions of fumed silica which I think is pretty much what Shimazake is made of.

MB

Mark,
So is your coffee hard to swallow?

[meb]

I just grind a bunch of coffee afterwards, hoping it will dilute whatever silica is left behind, and I make sure my wife has the first cup of coffee, so far so good.

Mark

[lucfish]

I just ground a bunch of coffee afterwards, hoping it will dilute whatever silica is left behind, and I make sure my wife has the first cup of coffee, so far so good.

Mark

[midger]

I just grind a bunch of coffee afterwards, hoping it will dilute whatever silica is left behind, and I make sure my wife has the first cup of coffee, so far so good.

Mark

I tried this and the grinder works great. I even gave my wife the first cup of coffee this morning. I should be able to take the bandages off my head next week.