There was a recent magazine article about maybe twenty assorted fly dressings and floatants. Mucilin Red and Green were mentioned as you would expect. Red does everything ... flies, leaders, lines. Green is intended for flies, and would also do leaders I would suppose. However, there is then a "may damage fly lines" as a warning for the Green.
The only difference that I am aware of is that on the label the Green has silicone in the mix. I was left wondering why the Green Mucilin would damage fly lines if silicone is the only difference. Is silicone likely to cause damage to a PVC coating? Would it react with some of the waterphobic surface additives and suchlike that may be in some newer line types?
Any chemists out there ?
(one time biochemist)
Silicones - there are many- exhibit low chemical reactivity. That is why they have so many uses in medicine.
IMHO silicones would not damage a fly line.
Used both red and green Mucilin for years, no evidence of damage at all.
Me too, so I wondered why there was a damage warning for the Green.
That said, I do wonder why I have a little green tub when the Red does everything :roll:
This might be a stupid question. Probably is coming from me.
How do you use it?
I have had tubs of this for years and never used it.
The only thing I can think is that you take a pinch out and mix it with water or am I talking bollox as usual.
Billy
Quote from: Roobarb on April 21, 2017, 08:47:28 AM
So for me it is just another bit of clutter from a bygone age.
I use it on uni thread furled leaders. If you use Barrio or Snowbee floating lines you will also need it to keep the tip floating.
I think you have to spend at least £50-£60 and buy SA or RIO to get a line that floats right to the tip 100% of the time. For loch fishing it does not matter though and in fact a sinking tip might be an advantage.
Wet or dry?
The tubs I have of the stuff are a dry powder.
I did think of adding glycerine to make it into a paste and give that a try.
Billy
The red Mucilin I have has a waxy texture, seems to melt on warm finger tips. Keeps dries floating pretty well, never used it on casts or fly lines.
Red was used on Kingfisher Silk Lines & is still recommended by the manufactures (Phoenix) who make them.
Does Green (Silicone) damage modern lines? I really do not know but I doubt it but then again I only use it to grease up a furled leader if I want it to float & occasionally to for a fly. For flies there are other better products out there. I know rod builders & in particular cane avoid silicone like the plague. Likewise car polishers but I am not party as to why. Possibly leaves a residue that inhibits other things like polish or varnish.
Tight Lines
Silicone on a car would leave a "sticky" surface to which dust/dirt would adhere, it also shows fingerprints.
It is used in some wood finishes- particularly those deemed "food safe"- but there it is absorbed into the wood.
Quote from: Roobarb on April 21, 2017, 02:46:25 PM
There's summit wrong with yours!
It was always a soft waxy sort of substance, a bit like a stiff dubbing wax.
Andy
I'll get back to you on that. It's in Aberdoom.
Billy
They did make bottles of liquid Mucilin, but the Red and Green pastes always came in a little round tub and with a piece of felt inside for using on a line or furled leader.
I think what you may have is some sort of a floatant aid for dry flies Billy. You drop the damp fly in the tub of powder, give it a shake and it dries out leaving it neat and buoyant again.
I have that stuff as well but this stuff is like the usual mucilage tin only with dry powder in it.
Billy
I've always used the red stuff to be honest and if I'm expecting to fish dries, will run the tip 5 foot of fly line, plus all but the tip 3 foot of tapered leader through the cloth pad before fishing, just to ensure it sits nice and high and lifts off cleanly. One treatment usually suffices although sometimes a second one is necessary later in the day if I feel the leader is starting to sit down a bit during the afternoon. I read something on the 'forum whose name shall not be spoken' this week where someone (an advocate of furled leaders because they 'offer better turnover'!), claimed to have to treat a tapered copolymer leader every third cast. What planet are these people on?!
Matt
Quote from: mattheweastham on April 23, 2017, 10:29:30 AM....claimed to have to treat a tapered copolymer leader every third cast. What planet are these people on?!
Matt
Yeh I asked him about that M. I said that was a bit excessive and that by using dilly wax I only need to treat my leader 3 times a day. Kind lost interest in his reply to that.
I've used the green and red stuff for years. Never noticed a difference between them. I do like it. It's cheap, easily applied and the container is robust...lasts for ages as well.
Paul