From: "Tim J."

I guess it's time for me to hijack another thread with apolog.... never
mind all that. What about using that Orvis mud stuff on leaders? I just
bought some (not because I needed it, but because it called to me from
the shelf) and haven't yet tried it.
Because the "secret spot" water is
so clear, I thought it might reduce leader flash and produce another
fish or two. Has anyone else used it? Liked or disliked it?

Back in the day, we used mud. Not Orvis mud, but real, honest to god, mud. The
idea was to slightly score the surface of the tippet in order to cut glare,
and, hopefully get the tippet to absorb a bit of water and sink. Since we
seldom used tippets much smaller than 4X, the slight loss of strength wasn't a
consideration.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and the "secret spot", I find I seldom use
tippets heavier than 6X there, and more likely will be using 7X or 8X, so I
don't want to do anything that might weaken the tippet. I compensate by fishing
shaded areas when fishing dry in order to reduce the leader shadow problem.

In answer to your question....I have never used Orvis Mud, and have no idea
what effects, positive or negative, it would have on the tippet. Big help, eh?


George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller