Fly floatants are waterproofing agents that are key to delaying the water absorption that eventually waterlogs the fly. Most are formulated with some form of silicone. For large, heavily hackled flies, the paste and gel types work fine. Two that I like are the Scientific Anglers paste in a tube and Poo Goo, a somewhat sticky, honey-like silicone. For small, sparse, fussier flies like those needed on the Ranch, a less viscous form is better. My favorite is Loon Aquel, though some other liquids and sprays work well too.

You can also pretreat flies when you tie or buy them. Pretreatment is highly effective and can save precious moments during the hatch. The best pretreatments I've found are Watershed and 3M Scotchguard spray in the green can (a hardware store item). Both require at least overnight to dry. With Scotchguard you can put a boxful of flies in a strainer and spray them all at once. You can also add your regular floatant to pretreated flies when you're about to use them.

Waterlogged flies can be either put aside to dry for another day or rejuvenated. Remember, you have to pull the moisture out of the material fibers themselves with something highly absorbent. The simplest is to squeeze the fly in some Kleenex. That will buy you a few more minutes of extra float. For those with a fanatic bent, the premium brands of disposable diapers contain highly absorbent materials known in the trade as "Super Slurpers," that will do the trick literally slick as the proverbial baby's bottom. The more conventional approach is to use the dry fly powders like Shimazaki Dry Shake or the harder-to-find Tite Line dry fly powder that I've found to be best. They both absorb the moisture and add a floatant to the fly. Again, for do-it-yourself types, silica gel crystals that come in packets with camera gear or in tiny containers inside pill bottles are a form of dessicant (dryer). Silica gel crystals can be bought in bulk at florist supply or craft shops, where they're used to dry flowers. The smaller the granules the better, and yes, you can grind them finer. With any of the crystals or powders, shaking the fly in a container of the stuff works, but even better is putting a small pile into your palm and thoroughly pressing your fly into it. You can reapply floatant after you've dried your fly, but reapplying floatant to a damp fly will simply seal in the moisture.

You can also pretreat flies when you tie or buy them. Pretreatment is highly effective and can save precious moments during the hatch. The best pretreatments I've found are Watershed and 3M Scotchguard spray in the green can (a hardware store item). Both require at least overnight to dry. With Scotchguard you can put a boxful of flies in a strainer and spray them all at once. You can also add your regular floatant to pretreated flies when you're about to use them.

Floatants

Sort by: Product Price Default See details Gehrke's Gink Floatant George Gehrke's Gink Floatant keeps your fly floating on the surface. It comes in a handy dispenser and works well in cold weather. Gehrke's Gink Floatant is one of the most popular fly floatants around. Our price: $4.95 Quantity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Buy Now Add to wish list