Dry Fly Floatants and Holders

Dry fly floatant is for applying to dry flies to minimize the amount of water absorbed by the fly. Dry fly floatant keeps the fly floating on the surface of the water throughout the day of fishing. Waterlogged dry flies can be an annoying part of a day of fly fishing. The good news is, by simply applying floatant to the fly, most dry flies can be fished all day long and kept floating on the surface of the water just like the natural bugs.

When using dry fly floatant, apply gel or paste style floatants while the fly is still dry. Use powder and “shake” style products to pull moisture out of the fly once they become waterlogged and are beginning to sink. After you’ve used the power or shake product to remove moisture from the fly, then use the gel or paste style floatant again to seal up the dried fly before casting back out on the water. Moisture wicking products like the Wonder Cloth can also be used to remove moisture from dry flies instead of powder/shake products.

Spray floatant treatments can also be good and are especially quick and easy to use. When using spray floatants, just be sure to give the fly time to adequately dry before letting it hit the water. Making a few extra false casts in the air can really help to get the fly to dry quickly after applying the spray floatant. For an amazing spray floatant, try the Shimazaki Dry Shake Spray. It is expensive, but its effectiveness is really quite amazing! Our recommendation is to use it with the Wonder Cloth. Use the cloth to remove as much moisture as possible by squeezing the fly in the cloth. Then spray the fly with the Shimazaki Dry Shake Spray. Don’t use too much spray and try to minimize the amount of spray on the leader. Give the fly a few extra quick false casts and your ready to get back to fishing.

Waterproofing treatments are another handy tool for keeping your dry flies floating high on the water during your day of fishing. Waterproofing treatments are generally used on the fly before you go fishing because they require more time to dry. Products like Loon Hydrostop or Watershed are great for pre-treating dry flies. Treat the dry fly with the waterproofing product, allow the fly to dry for 8 to 24 hours, and then place the fly in your fly box, ready for your next day of fishing.

Dry fly floatants and treatments are used so often during a day of dry fly fishing that it is common to want to keep them in a very handy place. Floatant holders keep your dry fly treatments attached to the outside of your vest, pack, or waders so you can quickly re-apply floatant and get back in the water.