Fly Floatant

The area I live in does not have a flyshop within an hour drive. After
gas or shipping charges from mail order (not to mention the wait)
floatant ends up costing twice as much, but
more than that it is just becoming a pain in the butt.
This leads me to my question.
Does anybody know how I can make my own floatant? Something I can
pick-up at the hardware store or grocery store prehaps?
What did the "old timers" use as floatant in the days before LL Bean?

Thanks

(new to group, so if this is a beaten horse..... Sorry)

Goat wrote:
The area I live in does not have a flyshop within an hour drive. After
gas or shipping charges from mail order (not to mention the wait)
floatant ends up costing twice as much, but
more than that it is just becoming a pain in the butt.
This leads me to my question.
Does anybody know how I can make my own floatant? Something I can
pick-up at the hardware store or grocery store prehaps?
What did the "old timers" use as floatant in the days before LL Bean?

Thanks

(new to group, so if this is a beaten horse..... Sorry)

Making floatant yourself is a waste of time. Albolene (a skin
moisturizing cleanser, available in any large drugstore) is the same as
Gink-like floatants, at a tiny fraction of the cost. Frog's Fanny-type
dessicant is the same as some stuff used in fiberglass fabrication, but
I don't remember what it's called because Willi gave me 10-year supply.
It's REALLY cheap. Snoop?

The next time you're in the big city you can buy a lifetime's supply of
each for maybe $20.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

From: rw

Frog's Fanny-type
dessicant is the same as some stuff used in fiberglass fabrication, but
I don't remember what it's called because Willi gave me 10-year supply.

Cab-o-Sil. Fumed silica. Available from aircraft and boat supply houses. Got
mine from an outfit called Spruce Aircraft, IIRC.
Cost is about 12 bucks a gallon, which should be a lifetime supply.

As rw said, Albolene is available at nearly all drug stores for about 12 bucks
for a large jar, so for 25 bucks you can outfit yourself with a lifetime supply
of floatants.


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

Another possiblilty is "Hydostop". this is a liquid that you immerse your
fly in for 5 minutes, and let it dy overnight. You can make your own by
dissolving some candle wax in lighter fluid. It doesn't take much was. If
you get too much, the fly will be sticky. Just add move lighter fluid to
thin

--


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"Goat" wrote in message
...
The area I live in does not have a flyshop within an hour drive. After
gas or shipping charges from mail order (not to mention the wait)
floatant ends up costing twice as much, but
more than that it is just becoming a pain in the butt.
This leads me to my question.
Does anybody know how I can make my own floatant? Something I can
pick-up at the hardware store or grocery store prehaps?
What did the "old timers" use as floatant in the days before LL Bean?

Thanks

(new to group, so if this is a beaten horse..... Sorry)

On 21 Aug 2004 17:02:36 GMT, ojunk (George Adams)
wrote:

From: rw

Frog's Fanny-type
dessicant is the same as some stuff used in fiberglass fabrication, but
I don't remember what it's called because Willi gave me 10-year supply.

Cab-o-Sil. Fumed silica. Available from aircraft and boat supply houses. Got
mine from an outfit called Spruce Aircraft, IIRC.
Cost is about 12 bucks a gallon, which should be a lifetime supply.

As rw said, Albolene is available at nearly all drug stores for about 12 bucks
for a large jar, so for 25 bucks you can outfit yourself with a lifetime supply
of floatants.

And since you'll need something to carry it in astream (well, unless
you're going to try to reverse the minimalist thang and carry the whole
bottle of Albolene), might I suggest a bottle of Gink, direct from the
source, if it is still available that way (the site is, or was, still
up). And before anyone has apoplexy (well, Ken and Mark, go ahead...),
here's how I figure it:

George (Gehrke, not Adams) was, well, Ginkles, but all the same, he was
a ROFFian, and he may have been a lot of things, but he wasn't a
quitter, and he sure as hell was a part of FFing history. And truth be
told, as I've said before, I kinda miss the crazy old son of a bitch -
sort of ROFF's own G. L. Herter-meets-H.L. Meinken-meets-Bulwinkle J.
Moose.

But that said, I have no idea if Gladys _needs_ the money (it's none of
my business either way), but I can't imagine it would hurt her, and from
all accounts, she is a nice lady. And if you are among those inclined
to think George really was all that bad, then think of it as her
deserving some business for having had to put up with him (I don't
subscribe to that, but...).

As always, YMMV...

TC,
R

wrote:

On 21 Aug 2004 17:02:36 GMT, ojunk (George Adams)
wrote:

And since you'll need something to carry it in astream (well, unless
you're going to try to reverse the minimalist thang and carry the whole
bottle of Albolene), might I suggest a bottle of Gink, direct from the
source, if it is still available that way (the site is, or was, still
up). And before anyone has apoplexy (well, Ken and Mark, go ahead...),
here's how I figure it:

George (Gehrke, not Adams) was, well, Ginkles, but all the same, he was
a ROFFian, and he may have been a lot of things, but he wasn't a
quitter, and he sure as hell was a part of FFing history. And truth be
told, as I've said before, I kinda miss the crazy old son of a bitch -
sort of ROFF's own G. L. Herter-meets-H.L. Meinken-meets-Bulwinkle J.
Moose.

I posted one time that some of George's bombastic posts reminded me of
an old Herter's catalog. When I met George, he remarked to me that he
was surprised that I saw that. It turned out that Herter was George's
childhood "hero" and George strove to base his advertising and
salesmanship from Herter's writings.


But that said, I have no idea if Gladys _needs_ the money (it's none of
my business either way), but I can't imagine it would hurt her, and from
all accounts, she is a nice lady. And if you are among those inclined
to think George really was all that bad, then think of it as her
deserving some business for having had to put up with him (I don't
subscribe to that, but...).

Still use Gink. Haven't found anything better.

Willi

"George Adams" wrote in

Cab-o-Sil. Fumed silica. Available from aircraft and boat supply houses.
Got
mine from an outfit called Spruce Aircraft, IIRC.
Cost is about 12 bucks a gallon, which should be a lifetime supply.


I'm not convinced that fumed silica, as sold for thickening resins, IS the
same as Frog's Fanny. I bought some from West Marine ( not "cab-o-sil"
brand, but fumed silica sold for same market) and it DOES look just like
Frog's Fanny, and DOES dry a fly just like Frog's Fanny.

BUT, that fly does NOT stay dry nearly as well as with Frog's Fanny.
Someone here on ROFF has said that Frog's Fanny (hereafter referred to as FF
is "just a desiccant, not a fly floatant" That is not consistent with
my experience OR the FF label/marketing packaging which clearly promotes
FF's ability to repel water and thus trap air around the fly for nymphing
use.

Indeed, a desiccant absorbs water by definition and any left on the fly (
that white look) would quickly attract water and sink the fly. That is
exactly what I find happens with fumed silica. But NOT what I find with FF,
with it I seldom have a sinking fly until the next fish slimes it.

I carried two bottles this summer for over a month, one "real" FF, the other
a FF bottle filled with fumed silica. I make no claims of good science but
I did try to be random in which I used, honest in my evaluation of the
results. I ended up putting the fumed silica in my shop with the
fiberglass supplies and I now carry nothing but store bought FF. BTW, the
difference between the two is least obvious with CDC where "desiccant" is
the real need, but far more so with other types of materials that need to
not only be dry but need help repelling water to float for long. I'm cheap
and would love to avoid the high price of FF which I also love, but fumed
silica, as I tried it, is not the answer.

YMMV and all other disclaimers apply and, again, "Cab-O-Sil" is not the
brand of fumed silica I tried.

Still use Gink. Haven't found anything better.


After George died, I threw away my "No Gink" hat and bought a couple of
bottles. I'm sure Gladys can use the business.

On Sat, 21 Aug 2004 20:37:50 GMT, "Larry L"
wrote:


"George Adams" wrote in

Cab-o-Sil. Fumed silica. Available from aircraft and boat supply houses.
Got
mine from an outfit called Spruce Aircraft, IIRC.
Cost is about 12 bucks a gallon, which should be a lifetime supply.


I'm not convinced that fumed silica, as sold for thickening resins, IS the
same as Frog's Fanny.

I thought Frog's Fanny was similar to _hydrophobic_ (treated, oiled,
siliconed, etc.) fumed silica, not regular untreated. I have no idea
which "Cab-o-Sil" is being discussed, so ???. Then there are the toner
product-related types, too. IAC, unless you have the right/same fumed
silica, your mileage WILL vary.

Do a googling on "cabot degussa silica" and you'll probably find enough
to bore you to tears.

HTH,
R

From: "Larry L"

BUT, that fly does NOT stay dry nearly as well as with Frog's Fanny.

I have used FF and Cab -o- Sil side by side all this season, and see no
difference in performance betewwen the two.Indeed, a desiccant absorbs water
by definition and any left on the fly (
that white look) would quickly attract water and sink the fly. That is
exactly what I find happens with fumed silica. But NOT what I find with FF,

I notice that both leave a white powdery residue on the fly, and several FF
users commented on this in previous posts here. I believe that the first false
cast removes most of the residue.

with it I seldom have a sinking fly until the next fish slimes it.

Same experience here with both, and with the exception of CDC and ostrich herl,
a fly treated with Aab -O- Sil or FF need only be "cleaned" by slapping it on
the water and dried by false casting to restore it to good floating condition.


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