Floatants, what's your favorite poison, and why?

[flybob]

I primarily fish with wet flies, most, intentional, some, not so intentional, like when my EHC gets soaked and let it go and still catch!

I recently came off a trip where dries were the order of the day, I mean really dry!
I always have a bottle of Frogs Fanny with me, so I used it, but it did not seem to work as well as what others were using.
I notice the flies of others sitting up hi and easily visible, while mine were just in the surface film with the post barely visible, and their strike rates were much higher than mine. I do not mind missed strikes, it lets me know they are interested in my offering, but when I am not even getting attempts, I begin to ponder especially when my fellow fisherman is using the same fly!
Same water, same fly, same presentation, only diff, floatant!

Questions to all you pros out there to help out a fledgling dry flier:

What is your favorite floatant and why?

Thanks for all your advice/inputs in advance,
Bob

[Benny]

Dave's Bug Flote by Umpqua. Stays on all day

[gabe]

Gink all the way for most dries I fish.
Reason, does not alter the coloration of the fly. Two, it works the best compared to everything else I've tried.
Tried Orvis Loft, CDC Oil, That Dap crap, and a bunch of others.
Next choice used very often is Frog Fanny. That stuff is awesome!
Work it into the dubbing, and that thing floats for a number of casts. Just make sure to blow off the excess.
Oh and make sure not to let that crap spill in your vest or pack. That stuff will stay in there for ever, even after a soak in the washer.

Gink and Frog Fanny...!!!

[Sasha]

I have always used Gink.


Reason: I started with it and I have not had any issues with it at all.

[DubL HauL]

I heard the Aquel by Loon was the stuff to use on a dry fly then powder once it becomes wet. I have never used powder (on my flys) so I'm not sure how it works I get by with just the dope.

Andy

[ColoradoXJ]

I use either Gink or Aquel first, and then after it starts sinking I will dry it with the powder (Shamatsu or whatever it's called) and redress it with the juice. I've tried the Cortland dry-ur-fly powder and it works pretty well also...

[midger]

Fumed silica, a hydrophobe. Buy it by the quart for about $4. Basically similar to Loon Dust, Frog's Fanny, etc. Works well on CDC based flies as well whereas products like Aquel, gink, etc that are liquid won't work as well on the cdc.

[anacrime]

Fumed silica, a hydrophobe. Buy it by the quart for about $4. Basically similar to Loon Dust, Frog's Fanny, etc. Works well on CDC based flies as well whereas products like Aquel, gink, etc that are liquid won't work as well on the cdc.

What's up Mike! Glad you're over here. Do you have a link to this stuff?

[midger]

Fumed silica, a hydrophobe. Buy it by the quart for about $4. Basically similar to Loon Dust, Frog's Fanny, etc. Works well on CDC based flies as well whereas products like Aquel, gink, etc that are liquid won't work as well on the cdc.

What's up Mike! Glad you're over here. Do you have a link to this stuff?

Shane,
You can find it at:

http://www.epoxyproducts.com/2_fillers.html

Just scroll about halfway down the page until you come to the fumed silica product. Extremely light and definitely hyrdophobic. Works well and you can fill your frogs fanny or loon bottles many times with a quart of the stuff. I also use empty medbottles for the product, but the brush on the other bottles makes application very easy. I've also found that brushing it in gives best results.

[anacrime]

Fumed silica, a hydrophobe. Buy it by the quart for about $4. Basically similar to Loon Dust, Frog's Fanny, etc. Works well on CDC based flies as well whereas products like Aquel, gink, etc that are liquid won't work as well on the cdc.

What's up Mike! Glad you're over here. Do you have a link to this stuff?

Shane,
You can find it at:

http://www.epoxyproducts.com/2_fillers.html

Just scroll about halfway down the page until you come to the fumed silica product. Extremely light and definitely hyrdophobic. Works well and you can fill your frogs fanny or loon bottles many times with a quart of the stuff. I also use empty medbottles for the product, but the brush on the other bottles makes application very easy. I've also found that brushing it in gives best results.

Thanks Mike

Just saw this. Pretty funny

"Recently we've had lots of 1 quart purchases of our hydrophobic (water repelling) fumed silica. We thought this odd as the shipping on one quart is about as much as the product. Turns out that fly-fisherman have been using it (successfully, we assume) to 'dip' their flies into so that they 'act' more like real insects on the surface of the water! A quart apparently is a lifetime supply. We're probably the only '1 quart source' anywhere. ----"

[king of fun]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but is fumed silica harmful to the fish? I realize having a hook stuck in your lip can't be too good for you either but if we are all working to release our fish unharmed is fumed silica or for that matter or these other products safe for the fish and the streams?

[ColoradoXJ]

Thanks for the link! I just ordered a quart to try it out. Paying $4-$8 for a little tiny bottle seems ridiculous now!

[midger]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but is fumed silica harmful to the fish? I realize having a hook stuck in your lip can't be too good for you either but if we are all working to release our fish unharmed is fumed silica or for that matter or these other products safe for the fish and the streams?

I seriously doubt it being harmful as once it's worked into the fly with the brush it really doesn't come off the fly easily and it is basically the same stuff as frog's fanny. Not being a chemist though, I haven't completed any comprehensive EPA testing on it or ran it by the South Coast Air Quality Board and am assuming the manufacturer's comments that it is noncarcinogenic are valid. I wouldn't recommend snorting it though--probably tend to dry your sinuses out

[ocmike]

I wouldn't recommend snorting it though--probably tend to dry your sinuses out

There's days my sinuses need drying out.

I'm always amazed at the things that will work/help fly fishing that you would never even think of.

[Papasequoia]

I started out with gink, then when I noticed lots of people trying the powders, I got some of them. I tried both kinds: the kind where you throw a wet fly into the container, shake, and the fly comes out dry and the kind where you use it as your floatant by brushing it into your fly. From my own experience, I have much more luck with false casting my fly several times sharply to air dry it, if I'm wearing cotton I'll also press it to that to dry even more if needed, then reapplying a Gink type floatant. However, maybe I'll have to give the powders another shot since so many of you swear by them.