Times used to be simpler. I used to squeeze a fly in my t-shirt to wring it out, blow on it a few times and toss it back in the water. Times were simpler, but my fly was never afloat very long. Stop by the fly shop today, and you’ll be faced with nearly two-dozen products to help to keep your dry fly on the surface.
Today’s options in dry fly floatants work incredibly well. No longer do you have to put up with a fly that’s matted with grease and sinks anyway. But the wide variety options can be dizzying.
I recently took a spin around the shop and asked a few folks here to explain their approach. You’ll notice a wide range of opinions. There’s no right or wrong way to use dry fly floatant. Some anglers take an extremely simple approach. For others it’s more nuanced.
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No matter where you land on that spectrum, we thought it might be helpful to share some of these ideas. Anglers All travel coordinator, Andrew Pulford likes to keep it simple.
“I’m a straight up Loon Aquel kind of guy,” Andrew said. “I’ll use some Royal Gel if I want to add some flash to a fly. Otherwise, a little bit of Aquel is all I use.”
Our Ecommerce manager, Blake Katchur is also a one-product kind of guy, preferring Tiemco Dry Magic.
“It’s simple, it’s easy to use and it’s lighter than many other gels,” Blake explained. “I also like the shape of the bottle. It fits in any pocket and is very convenient.
While the gel products are popular and have been a staple for anglers for many years, many folks have discovered the power of liquid floatants. Our shop sales and Ebay manager, Dakota Wentworth is one of them.
“I use the Shimazaki Dry Shake Liquid,” Dakota said. “I shake the bottle and drop the fly into the foam on top. Even when the fly is completely soaked, the Liquid Dry Shake pulls all that moisture right out.”
The simple, one-product approaches are effective and easy. But some anglers use multiple products in combination. Doug Andrews, who teaches Fly Fishing 101 classes, does exactly that.
“When tying on a new fly, I usually start by pre-treating it with a liquid or gel,” Doug explained. “After the fly becomes wet or water logged, I turn to the Dry Shake powder.”
This two-part approach seems to be a common one. Many anglers pre-treat their fly with a gel to begin, and then use a powder desiccant to subsequently dry the fly once it has been in the water.
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Like Doug, Anglers All shop manager Greg Garcia uses an approach that starts with a gel. But Greg adds his own twist.
“I like to start by treating a fly with Loon Lochsa or Tiemco Dry Magic, both of which are light gels that work great on any fly, including CDC and other fine materials,” Greg said. “Once the fly is saturated, I blot it with an Umpqua Wondercloth and use Dry Shake Liquid to re-treat it.”
“If a fly gets very saturated, I’ll use Dry Shake Liquid and then dry it further in Dry Shake powder,” Greg continued. “But if you made me choose only one product to carry with me, it would be the Shimazaki Dry Shake Powder. If I had to pick one, that would be it.”
Greg added one more tip that could make a big difference. Before applying gel or treating any fly, Greg takes the time to brush the fibers with a fly and dubbing brush, like the one from Montana Fly Company. This is especially useful for big flies like the Chubby Chernobyl.
“Take the time to brush out those fibers, add the gel and brush it in,” Greg explained. He showed me a fly that had been brushed out, and one that had not. The difference was remarkable. “You can now really load that fly down with tungsten droppers and it won’t sink on you.”
A few other items here at the shop worth mentioning are the High N Dry family of products, including the gel, liquid and powder. These products are noted for being environmentally safe and are popular among shop associates and customers.
The options are many. Whether you use a gel, a liquid, a powder, or a combination of the three, there’s no right or wrong way to get it done. If you have specific questions about dry fly products, please don’t hesitate to ask us. We’d love to help. Come see us at the fly shop, or give us a call at 303-794-1104.
