Bad Floatant?

[Lance]

I broke into a bottle of Loon floatant that I hadn't used since last year and EVERY fly I shot with it sank like a rock! I've used Loon floatants for about 4-5 years now and have been very happy with them until now. This bottle worked just fine last summer, coated flies as large as a sz 4 and small as an 20 with no problems. Has anyone ever had this happen before?????

Luckily I picked up a spare bottle that morning as a "just in case" bottle. You never know when you'll drop/break/lose one. I'm not always the most coordinated guy!

 

[tomgamber]

I wonder if could have been affected by extreme temps like freezing or sitting in a hot car.

I got my stream thermometer out of my pack the other day to check if the pool thermometer was accurate. When I grabbed it (it was in the car) it said 115 degrees. In the winter That pack hangs in the garage which dips below freezing occasionally. These are not good places to store anything, I know, but it would definitely have an affect anything.

 

[vcregular]

Could have been the weather. If it is damp out, sometimes no matter what you use - - the fly will still sink.

Lots of false casting between casts will sometimes help out.

Otherwise, maybe it does have a shelf life.

 

[ryguyfi]

vcregular wrote:
Lots of false casting between casts will sometimes help out.

I do that and also just blow on the fly. Sometimes on a good hatch you'll hear every fly fisherman doing that, sounds like they're trying to put on a fire lol.

 

[Lance]

nah, I keep it in the house all winter long and am pretty good about keeping it all out of a baking car. It was just weird I've never had a treated fly sink that way before. Yeah it was wet out it was Tuesday and I fished in the rain all day. The cortland stuff I bought that morning kept the flies floating like a cork and saved my afternoon!

 

[flybop]

I recently began using the Frog Fanny stuff again. This is the very fine powder that you brush into the fly. This product actually started for as a fletching drier for arrows. many years ago I found my dad's bottle and began to use it as a fly drier. I only wish that I had the foresight to market it long before those other guys did.

Give this a try, it really works great. The other afternoon this powder kept a size 20 bwo sparkle dun floating high through a couple dozen fish on the Big Horn.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I have a buddy that swears by the Frog Fanny.

IMO i think its ok. I just dont use it much because it doesnt last as long as the gel. The gel doesnt work as well over all but it lasts longer. Its a trade off.

What i can tell you is that im 99 percent sure that the stuff you used does have a shelf life. Almost any chemical does. Just buy a new bottle and youll be set for another 5 years. Other than that.....now you have sink gel for your flies......not that i ever believed in using that stuff.

On the other hand.....i have found that using split shots on a stream like the Letort could be a bad thing. The second the fly and the shot hits the water, ive seen fish scatter from 30 feet or more away. Perhaps using sink gel on a unweighted fly in a stream like that, might be the way to go. You go my wheels turning. I might have to try the stuff now :-D

 

[Mariner]

I'm still on my original bottle of Loon floatant from 14 years ago. Still works, especially when applied to a dry fly (as in one that has not yet hit the water). I'm due for an upgrade to the Frog stuff when this one wears out.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Really 14 years ago? :-o well maybe im wrong. Wont be the last ;-) all i can say is i havent had a bottle last more than 1. I fish way too much ;-)

 

[osprey]

Loon makes a couple different kinds of floatant are you talking about the one that is a liquid in a non spray plastic bottle? I think it's called Aquel i've had the same bottle for at least 5-6 yrs and it still works and i know it's been frozen and probably boiled in a hot car or boat after a fly get waterlogged or slimed the powder type Loon floatant will bring it back to life , but the liquid is only good for the first time around. Does that help?

 

[jaybo41]

Frog's Fanny works beautifully if you put it on a fly fresh out of your flybox. In other words, if you try to apply this stuff to a fly that's already been dunked or has recently had liquid flotant applied it won't work as well. Also, when it's worked best for me I've applied very liberally and possibly in excess.

I also carry the Loon Royal Gel with me just in case. I've found that this stuff is better when applied to a fly that's seen lots of recent time in the water.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I can agree totally with jaybo41's statements above.

 

[jaybo41]

Thanks Sal, when I re-read your initial post I kind of expanded or rephrased your description and experiences although not intentionally. Good thing you agree lol

The other reason I carry one of each is that when I seem to carry one bottle of flotant, I loose it. I'm most of the time too far from my vehicle to walk back exclusively for that. Put both kinds on my pack and I keep them both and never lose them. Go figure.

 

[firandfeather]

I have had floatant liquid/gel freeze and it was not good especialy when the bottle broke.

Don't want to start a fly floatant war, but go with Frog's Fanny of some type of power. Bad thing with the others it destroys the naturtal properties of CDC and snowshow.

Mike Heck,
Author, "Spring Creek Strategies"

 

[jerseygeorge]

Frogs Fanny is what I use 99% of the time. It does not last as long as gels, which I think has a hidden advantage. You take the fly off the water, dust often, while watching your targets. More time studying the fish, less time bombing on top of fish equals more takes.

Here is a tip, and this is the system that I use. I dust with Generic Frogs Fanny (arrow fletching dessicant - 7$ for a big bottle). I use it on new flies out of the box, and gloppy wet CDC's that have just caught 5 fish with the same success. Blow the wet fly dry, then use the brush to aggresively dust the fibers (hackle, deer hair, CDC). I caught three very nice fish on the first cast this week with flies that were totally dusted white. Each fly was in the water probably 15-20 seconds when inhaled (did not have stop watch running)

When I am done with the dusting I put a pinch of Loon between my fingers. I grease the leader from the fly line, down to about 10" from the fly. Not all the way to the fly. I do this about once every 20-30 minutes.

I have observed a lot of flies that do not float are actually being pulled under by a sinking leader.

We want fly lines that float. We want flies that float. Doesn't it make sense to make sure the leader floats?

JG

ps. Spring for some fresh floatant!

 

[afishinado]

jerseygeorge wrote:
When I am done with the dusting I put a pinch of Loon between my fingers. I grease the leader from the fly line, down to about 10" from the fly. Not all the way to the fly. I do this about once every 20-30 minutes.

I have observed a lot of flies that do not float are actually being pulled under by a sinking leader.

We want fly lines that float. We want flies that float. Doesn't it make sense to make sure the leader floats?

This is very true. A floating leader helps to keep the fly on the surface, prevents drag from the leader sinking, and helps make mending easier.

I use mucilin and work it on my leader and most of my tippet when fishing dry flies. It floats the leader longer than goop type floatants. Even when nymphing, I dress my leader with floatant. I use all tippet to get down to the bottom and use the end of my leader as an indy. The thinner line cuts through the water much faster and causes less drag on the drift. The same holds true when fishing an indy. A floating leader is easier to mend and will cause less drag when on the surface.

I tie my own furled leaders and work the mucilin into the leader. It ususally floats for hours without another application.

The Mucilin doubles as a fly floatant if used very sparingly.

The biggest drawback is that the Mucilin container really sucks. It leaks in your vest so I store it in a plastic bag in my pocket.

For drown or slimed up flies, or CDC flies, Frog's Fanny powder does the trick.

Jersey, I too have gotten fish on the first cast with a freshly dusted fly...many times! The fly looks like ghost, but the fish seem to love it.

 

[jason8709]

I had a bottle of Frogs Fanny and was uncoordinated enough to dump the whole thing into a creek...at least it did float for a while...downstream.

I really like the shaker type floatant/dessicants. I have a bottle from Angling Evolutions (???) called Shake-N-Float. Usually I use a gel type floatant out of the box then after each fish or drowned fly, give it a shake. The fly comes out 100% dry and after a few false casts to lose the leftover powder, it looks like I just took it out of the box. Floats great, too.

Anyone use Watershed? That stuff is wonderful, you just treat your fly with it (thin, runny liquid) and let it dry at least 24 hours. I try and use it after I tie a batch (if I remember), as it makes the fly permanently waterproof.

 

[Lance]

The one I had was the loon fly spritz, in the liquid pump bottle. I may have to try one of the powders sometime. I've always been a little reluctant as I can be a bit un-coordinated and figure I'd just spill it all.

 

[jerseygeorge]

Jason-

Remember, the Frogs Fanny comes with a brush which is very important. The shakers do not. The brush allows you to take a soaked, gummy, slimy fly that just caught a fish and recondition it to fishable condition. All dry flies (almost) have fibers of some sort, whether CDC, Deer/Elk Hair, Hackle, Poly. But it is all fiber.

By first blowing on the fly (a really good hurricane torrent) you get most of the water out. Then you can use the brush (aggressively) to brush out the fibers, open them up, get more water out, get floatant in, and generally restore the fly.

I have not used the shake n' bake stuff in a long time, but I can not see how it can reconstitute a slimy CDC fly. Frogs Fanny can.

Spilling, not much of a problem, the bottle never gets turned upside down.

Dropping in stream? Welcome to fly fishing. That is why you always carry a credit card and know where the local shop is. If anyone finds the Action Optic's I dropped in Spring Creek three weeks ago please let me know!!!!!

JG