How Do I Make Flies Float For Fly Fishing?
Posted by admin on Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
I was trying my flies today which were dry flies and then kept sinking what do i do
Filed in Fly Fishing Flies | 3 responses so far
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Chaddon 08 Dec 2009 at 7:34 am 1There is a number of products out just for this purpose and they all claim to be the best to use some are a powder that dries the flies and some are sprays that dry also and some are a gel type that you dab it on with fingers,Another product is just a contraption that you put your drenched fly in and close it and it soaks up the water can’t remember what that one is but it is a natural thing also.
I have used the gel type called Gink and it worked great for me i have a friend who runs his own fly shop and he swears by that stuff but that was a longtime ago so i don’t know if there is other products out better i really haven’t used dry flies for ages.
AKFSHRMNon 08 Dec 2009 at 7:54 am 2Use dry fly spray. It’s this oil that coats it and stops water from getting into the fabric.
Seb Hon 08 Dec 2009 at 8:08 am 3First make sure the flies in question are dry flies. You say they’re dry flies and I’m inclined to believe you. Not trying to imply you’re dumb or anything, but it also sounds like you’re a beginner, so just make sure they really are dry flies.
Keeping a dry fly on top of the water is partly the fly’s job, but it’s partly your job, too. If you drop a dry fly on flat, still water, it should float. But once you start factoring in things like moving water, line drag, and presentation, it’s not difficult to sink a dry fly. I guess what I’m trying to tell you is yes, your dry flies should float, but they don’t float like a cork or a bobber — they’ll sink if you’re doing something wrong. So, let’s go through it point by point.
Moving water — not all dry flies are good for fast or “jumpy” water. By this I mean peaking or curling waves, plunging water, swirling eddies — like rapids. Even high winds can contribute to sinking a fly. Only really heavy-hackled, high-riding flies will stay afloat through that kind of water, like Wulff, foam flies, or caddisfly patterns. Wispy, delicate patterns will swamp in jumpy water.
Drag — when you fish a dry fly, usually you will just let the fly drift. That is, you will let it float on the current (or sit stationary on stillwater). If you do this, the fly should stay afloat. If you jerk the line or let the line drag on the fly, the line will pull it under the water. In order to keep the line from dragging on the fly, you have to mend the fly line — you have to take up slack and adjust the line on the water such that the line doesn’t pull on the fly, nor leave too much slack for a striking fish. (Again, I don’t know if you know about his or not, so I’m saying something that may be really obvious to you.)
Presentation — if you slap your flies down onto the water, they’ll swamp. Your cast should put the fly down gently on the water — small dry flies shouldn’t disturb the water surface at all.
False casting — false casting is useful for drying off a dry fly between presentations. Dry flies don’t necessarily stay afloat because they are perfectly dry — most stay afloat because their hackles “walk” on the surface tension of the water, like a waterskeeter’s legs. But it’s easier for the hackles to stay out of the water if the fly is as dry as can be. False casting dries off the fly. You can also reel in the fly and dry it on your sleeve or flypatch. If you want to get really serious, carry a desiccant — a small can of sandlike material. Place the fly in the can, shake it a bit, and the fly is dry.
Fly dressing — there are many products on the market that you can apply to your dry flies to make them slightly more hydrophobic. These are usually waxy or oily substances that you rub sparingly on to the fly. I use Gink, but only on flies that have trouble floating over repeated casts, like delicate and exceedingly feathery mayflies. Two tips: first, use dry fly dressing on perfectly dry flies — once the fly is wet, it doesn’t work. Second, use it sparingly — too much can actually work against flotation.