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Advice on the use of sinkants, floatants

Started by Wildfisher, June 15, 2005, 08:54:16 PM

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Wildfisher

Advice on the  use of sinkants, floatants

Have had a request from one member about this.

Any of you chaps out there  feel you can offer some advice?

greenwell

Not sure what was being asked, how to use them or which ones are popular.
           I use Leedasink, mainly because it's never let me down and the liquid ones like xink have. For floatant I like the Loon gel which is free of nasty chemicals and doesn't need to be reapplied time and again like some others.
           The modern fluorocarbons are heavier than water and theoretically shouldn't need any sinkant on them, but remember that they are generally very shiny so by applying sinkant you can get rid of the shine; if not, it WILL spook fish, especially the wildies.
              Floatant is also useful for setting flies to fish just below the surface.  Apply the floatant to your nylon to within a foot or so of the fly/flies and it will stay on the surface allowing the flies to hang just below it. In a flat calm this can be deadly with spiders or tiny buzzers/ shipmans.
              Trial and error will determine the right balance between keeping the flies just subsurface but without greasing the nylon so close to them that it spooks fish.
                      Well, hope this is of some use, tightstring, Greenwell.

catbadger

One tip I got from an old timer I used to know was to get some Fullers Earth from a chemist and mix it with fairy liquid into a thick paste. Rub it on your leader and it not only degreases it but takes the shine off it too. It also helps the line break through the surface tension layer. :)

catbadger

Personally I use Gink mainly because the bottle fits nicely into the wee pocket on my vest that nothing else will. :)  I've also got a wee Amadou patch in another pocket to dry out my dry flies. Works a treat on bushy hackles.  :lol:

Wildfisher

Quote from: catbadgerOne tip I got from an old timer I used to know was to get some Fullers Earth from a chemist and mix it with fairy liquid into a thick paste. Rub it on your leader and it not only degreases it but takes the shine off it too. It also helps the line break through the surface tension layer. :)


I made up a recommended sinkant concoction of fullers earth (crushed cat litter), fairy liquid and glycerine. It is messy to use  but it works. Like most though it has to be reapplied frequently. I too use gink as a floatant, mainly because the small bottle is handy. At 3 or 4 quid a bottle, gink  is a complete rip-off price wise and makes malt whisky look cheap by comparison,  but I guess that as a bottle last for  few seasons, so the unit cost is not high.

Anyone still use Richard Walkers old classic ?permafloat?? I cannot for the life of me remember the recipe!

BrianSmith

I use Lipsil for my dry flies and it works a treat.  No "oil slick" like you get with gink either  :wink:   It's small; one tube lasts for ages, and it's far cheaper too!!  :D  :D

Just rub some onto finger and thumb and then stroke it into the hackle and tail of your fly and it's all but unsinkable!!

Brian

lnelson20

Quote from: BrianSmithI use Lipsil for my dry flies and it works a treat.  No "oil slick" like you get with gink either  :wink:   It's small; one tube lasts for ages, and it's far cheaper too!!  :D  :D

Just rub some onto finger and thumb and then stroke it into the hackle and tail of your fly and it's all but unsinkable!!

Brian
Have you used this on the deer hair emerger Brian,Swithun mentioned that he felt it clogged up the fly,not used this yet but will give it a go at the weekend :D
All the best
Chris.
c.nelson

BrianSmith

Hi Chris,

I haven't tried it on deer hair patterns yet (didn't think they would need it really), but certainly on CDC shuttlecock emerger type flies it does tend to clog up the CDC  hackle, but on normal cock hackles it works great.

Brian

Wildfisher

Quote from: unclebooAnybody used permafloat? Seems like a good idea.

This was invented by Richard Walker in the ?70s as I remember. Anyone got the recipe?

lnelson20

If using gink,i tend to believe you are much better of ginking your flies right after tying them,gives it time too work into the fly and also time to dry,which i feel is important.Although i am now a firm fan of this lipsil,work's a treat right enough :D
All the best lad's
Chris.
c.nelson

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