What does everyone use for drying their flies before applying floatant?
I have a samadou patch, but I believe it is about time to retire it and purchase a new one. It just isn't doing the job that it once did. I have noticed some fly shops selling amadou and was wondering if it was better than the artificial samadou? It is quite a bit more expensive, but does anyone have any experience with it?
Blow dry Tutorial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl6m-BY2EHw#)
http://youtu.be/3CxBbFMFzqs (http://youtu.be/3CxBbFMFzqs)
:laugh:
I've used any number of combinations of the aforementioned patch, shake chit that's in a little canister (silica stuff basically that you get with electronics that says do not eat), and fumed silica (aka frog's fanny) you brush on.
Probably use the stick the fly in your hand, blow on it, then put some fumed silica on it the most out of anything.
Woolly's method as noted probably works the best though.
drying what? -0-
http://youtu.be/vzaYQeory-M (http://youtu.be/vzaYQeory-M)
Quote from: Woolly Bugger on August 03, 2011, 12:51:01 PM
Blow dry Tutorial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl6m-BY2EHw#)
Oh dear, this girl is gonna feature in someones wank today :;!
I use Frog's Fanny after drying it with Samadou and blowing on it (thank you for the 'new' method, Wooly :D, I will take that into advisement), but after several fish the fly just doesn't want to float any more. It is a CDC pattern. I guess I will just change flies b'; but it would seem that there would be a way to keep it afloat until the fish just tear it apart. Maybe I am just asking for too much >:( from a fly?
Quote from: brownhunter on August 03, 2011, 14:29:41 PM
I use Frog's Fanny after drying it with Samadou and blowing on it (thank you for the 'new' method, Wooly :D, I will take that into advisement), but after several fish the fly just doesn't want to float any more. It is a CDC pattern. I guess I will just change flies b'; but it would seem that there would be a way to keep it afloat until the fish just tear it apart. Maybe I am just asking for too much >:( from a fly?
CDC has always been tough to keep afloat for me. I always end up treating it every other cast. I blow it off, dry it on my shirt sleeve, blow it off again, then hit it with the frogs fanny.
A few things during the tying process that help me to keep it afloat...
Extra fine dry fly hooks. I use PoR Captain Hamilton hooks when tying cdc dries.
I never use cdc puffs. Only premium quality cdc feathers.
Limit thread wraps on the body. Build the body out of synthetic dry fly dubbing.
If necessary, a few wraps of grizzly saddle will help.
You gotta wash that thang to get that fishy slime off of it before you give it the ole Samadou followed up by blowing on it and then top it off with the Frogs Fanny.
But be fore warned...you will need to strech before attempting the Samadou or the Frogs Fanny.
I dont know what tell you about keeping a fly dry...I only fish nymphs.
I started dousing dries in gink while they are still vise last year and it works pretty well. Don't hardly have to take the floatant out on the water anymore.
Quote from: brownhunter on August 03, 2011, 14:29:41 PM
I use Frog's Fanny after drying it with Samadou and blowing on it (thank you for the 'new' method, Wooly :D, I will take that into advisement), but after several fish the fly just doesn't want to float any more. It is a CDC pattern. I guess I will just change flies b'; but it would seem that there would be a way to keep it afloat until the fish just tear it apart. Maybe I am just asking for too much >:( from a fly?
You never said it was CDC, so +1 on snag's comment, definitely gotta give the fly a good sloshing around in the crick to get the slime off before you start the drying process...then do the drying and fumed silica chit and watch that baby float.
I use artificial chamois from an auto supply or hardware store. It is alot cheaper than samadou and one will last you forever. Cut it into 4" x 4" squares.
You can even use a sheet of paper towel and throw it away at the end of the day.
I've said this many, many times. Don't confuse Frog's Fanny floatant powder with the water absorbing drying crystals. Drying crystals, that stuff that comes in those packets with new shoes or electronics, is silical gel. It absorbs water.
Frog's Fanny powder is fumed silica that has been treated to REPEL water so it obviously cannot absorb water. Therefore it cannot "dry" a fly. The fly should be dry before you put it on.
You can combine silica gel and fumed silica to both dry and treat flies. Shimazaki Dry Shake and Loon Top Ride are combination products. Frog's Fanny is not.
Regarding CDC, Grannyknot had some great tips. I also use light wire hooks. The Partridge Captain Hamilton hooks are good. The good part about them is that they are a light wire wide gape hook but they are expensive and too brittle for me. They will break rather than bend. I recommend TMC 921 instead. If you tie on scud hooks use the TMC 2487 rather than the 2457.
Normally, you should not use any gel type floatant on CDC. However, Tiemco Dry Magic (http://www.umpqua.com/pc-1277-87-tiemco-dry-magic.aspx) is a gel floatant that is made for CDC. It is expensive but it does work. I use the Dry Magic followed by Frog's Fanny on the stream.
The other thing you can do is to pretreat any dry fly after you tie them with Watershed Fly Floatant.
I use artificial chamois from an auto supply or hardware store. It is alot cheaper than samadou and one will last you forever. Cut it into 4" x 4" squares.
You can even use a sheet of paper towel and throw it away at the end of the day.
I've said this many, many times. Don't confuse Frog's Fanny floatant powder with the water absorbing drying crystals. Drying crystals, that stuff that comes in those packets with new shoes or electronics, is silical gel. It absorbs water.
Frog's Fanny powder is fumed silica that has been treated to REPEL water so it obviously cannot absorb water. Therefore it cannot "dry" a fly. The fly should be dry before you put it on.
You can combine silica gel and fumed silica to both dry and treat flies. Shimazaki Dry Shake and Loon Top Ride are combination products. Frog's Fanny is not.
Regarding CDC, Grannyknot had some great tips. I also use light wire hooks. The Partridge Captain Hamilton hooks are good. The good part about them is that they are a light wire wide gape hook but they are expensive and too brittle for me. They will break rather than bend. I recommend TMC 921 instead. If you tie on scud hooks use the TMC 2487 rather than the 2457.
Normally, you should not use any gel type floatant on CDC. However, Tiemco Dry Magic (http://www.umpqua.com/pc-1277-87-tiemco-dry-magic.aspx) is a gel floatant that is made for CDC. It is expensive but it does work. I use the Dry Magic followed by Frog's Fanny on the stream.
The other thing you can do is to pretreat any dry fly after you tie them with Watershed Fly Floatant.