Loon and Shimazaki Floatants
Keep your flies riding high and in the Game
July is here, and with it begins the pinnacle of dry fly fishing season. Throughout any given day, a multitude of hatches can take place, and fish are keenly aware. Whether it’s Green Drakes, PMDs, Yellow Sallies, Caddis, or a multitude of Stoneflies, rivers are currently abuzz with bugs in a conveyor belt fashion. At the bottom of that belt, trout are eagerly waiting to gorge on the line of food brought to them by the water currents.
Choosing the right fly for the proper hatch is the first part of the puzzle. Just as important, and potentially more critical, is how the fly is presented and drifted to the fish. In this instance, we are focusing on how high your fly rides on the surface of the water. This brings us to the main topic of this write-up: fly floatant and how to use it. No, it would be too easy to say there is only one type of floatant for every scenario. There is nothing more fun than dry fly fishing, but nothing more frustrating than a sinking fly. Check out this video and read the article to learn how to perfect your dry fly game by using the proper floatants.
#1 Loon Aquel – Use Aquel on your fly when it is completely dry and has not yet been wet. The gel formula provides an outer coating that will keep your fly riding high and dry. That is, until the first trout gulps it and sinks it like a torpedo. Once the fly is saturated, it’s time to move on to a substance that will dry your fly. See #2 below for the solution. If you don’t dry the fly and just apply more Aquel, you’ll trap in the moisture and make the fly sink.
#2 Shimazaki Dry Shake – Works best to dry your fly out after it gets wet. Once you’ve fished a fly for some time, or a fish pulls it under, the fly will get saturated and begin to sink. Now is the time to use Dry Shake, as it will pull the moisture out of the fly and get it floating on top again. Pop your fly into the container and shake, shake, shake. You can stop here and get back to working the water, or you can take one more step to make your fly unsinkable. See #3 for the final step to the impenetrable water floatant package.
#3 Loon Fly Dip – If you want the tightest waterproof seal out there, dip your fly into a drying liquid. Wait, drying liquid? Yes, both Loon and Shimazaki make a drying liquid that is so water-repellent that your fly will almost not be touching the water. After you dip the fly in the liquid, it begins to dry, leaving a waxy coating on the outside of the fly. This coating pushes water away, allowing the fly to ride high while floating down the river.
#4 Shimizaki Dry Shake refill – Dry Shake is made up of 2 parts: large silicone balls and a fine desiccant powder. After using the shake a number of times, the fine powder begins to deplete. The refill contains just the fine powder. Once your fine powder is used up, simply add some refill and you’re good to go.
