Desiccant

[wsender]

What brand of desiccant is everyone using? I'm using some stuf from Bass Pro that seems to work fine, but was wondering if there is anything better out there.

Also, has anyone considered doing DIY Desiccant (where's gfen?)? I'm pretty sure that those little 'Silica Gel' packets you get in boxes is pretty much the same stuff. Seems like we should be able to grind it up and then put a few BB's in there to break up some of the caking.

 

[jdaddy]

Ya, or a box of Damp Rid likely would do the same thing.

I don't know a lot of folks who carry a desiccant. Tiemco Dry Magic seems to take care of any and all of my flotation needs.

 

[gfen]

IIRC, isn't Tiemco Dry Magic a dessicant?

I knwo that you can get industrial sized vats of whatever that stuff is, because HA has done so. But I use drug store sourced Gink.

 

[TUNA]

What is desiccant/floatant? Never heard of it. Does it help with nymphing? JK I tried crushing up the little packs that you get with new shoes and such, but it ended up looking like "drugs" instead. I just stick with Frog's Fanny of TCO's High Fly. With Elk Hair I'll use Gink or another similar floatant. jdaddy isn't the Tiemco stuff designed for CDC? And does it work well compared to Frog's Fanny?

 

[jdaddy]

TUNA wrote:
jdaddy isn't the Tiemco stuff designed for CDC? And does it work well compared to Frog's Fanny?

It is far superior to Frog Fanny. Works on any material, elk hair, any dubbing, does not gank up hackle, floats CDC/snowshoe, etc.

Jerry, I don't think it is an actual desiccant. The solvent evaporates off quickly, versus a desiccant which extracts moisture into the absorbent material. Frog Fanny and other powdered silica, and gel based silicone products like Gink are not desiccants, they are repellents. *i think

 

[gfen]

yeah, gink is a repellent.

i guess the tiemco is technically a hydrophobic substance? whatever.

for your finely crushed silica gel, put it in a pill container with the fly and shake vigorously. see if that works.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Tiemco Dry Magic works like Gink/Albolene/Aquel....

But it works better, lasts longer on the fly, and doesn't mat down cdc fibers. Awesome stuff - and @ $10 a tube, it better be!

Dry Magic works great in conjunction with Frog's Fanny. Start out by treating the fly with Dry Magic, and when it eventually wears off, or the fly gets fish slimed, just rinse the fly off, pinch with a paper towel, and brush with Frogazz. You can fish the same fly all day doing this.

If anyone wants to get a quart of "generic" Frogazz, here's a link. It's hydrophobic silica powder (repels water).

I also have hydropyllic silica powder (attracts water) that I mix with the contents of those little silica packets, and store in film containers. It works, but it's just as easy to pinch the fly in a paper towel, and then treat with Frogazz.

If anyone buys the quart bottle of generic Frogazz, I'd recommend picking up a turkey baster at the dollar store. Makes refilling the little bottles of Frogazz easy, without the indoor snowstorm.

Better dry fly fishing through chemistry.

 

[joereese]

fummed silica from ebay
1 quart= 21.00
http://cgi.ebay.com/1-Quart-Fumed-Silica-Powder-Fly-Floatant-Save-Over-90-/260613461555?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cadc5d633#ht_5261wt_1141

 

[jdaddy]

Heritage-Angler wrote:
Dry Magic works great in conjunction with Frog's Fanny. Start out by treating the fly with Dry Magic, and when it eventually wears off, or the fly gets fish slimed, just rinse the fly off, pinch with a paper towel, and brush with Frogazz. You can fish the same fly all day doing this.

I just rinse off the slimed fly, dry it on my shirt and re-apply Dry Magic. It lasts forever versus applying powdered silica very 10 casts imo. Only upside to powdered silica is the "bubble" effect that people talk about, however I think the mutation of the fly color by the white powder probably sets off the value of the "bubble". Powdered silica gets every where, in your skin, etc. Stuff drives me nuts. Dry Magic is $10 (i bought out the LLFS inventory for 50% off!) however there is very little waste involved and it lasts forever.

If anyone is around while I am fishing and wants some of the powered silica (Frogs Fanny) I have a jug of it as well. Bring your plastic baggies.

 

[jdaddy]

joereese wrote:
fummed silica from ebay
1 quart= 21.00
http://cgi.ebay.com/1-Quart-Fumed-Silica-Powder-Fly-Floatant-Save-Over-90-/260613461555?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cadc5d633#ht_5261wt_1141

It's only $5.50 a quart at the link Ed put up.

http://www.epoxyproducts.com/f_mixin.html

 

[Heritage-Angler]

joereese wrote:
fummed silica from ebay
1 quart= 21.00
http://cgi.ebay.com/1-Quart-Fumed-Silica-Powder-Fly-Floatant-Save-Over-90-/260613461555?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cadc5d633#ht_5261wt_1141

Thats twice as expensive as the link I provided above. Just sayin'...

 

[joereese]

Thanks for the better source. I hadn't ordered the silica yet (still have the over-priced Fly fishing product left).

 

[sandfly]

I hope you all wear a mask when filling containers. Silica is deadly, known to cause a lump in the lung.

Silicosis is a disabling, nonreversible and sometimes fatal lung disease caused by overexposure to respirable crystalline silica. Silica exposure remains a serious threat to nearly two million US workers. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that each year more than 250 die from silicosis and hundreds more are disabled. There is no cure for the disease, but it is 100 percent preventable if employers, workers, and health professionals work together to reduce exposures.

Silicosis, also known as Potter's rot, is a form of occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust, and is marked by inflammation and scarring in forms of nodular lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs. It is a type of pneumoconiosis, from pneumo (lung) and coniosis (dust).

Silicosis (particularly the acute form) is characterized by shortness of breath, cough, fever, and cyanosis (bluish skin). It may often be misdiagnosed as pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), pneumonia, or tuberculosis.

 

[jdaddy]

So what you are saying is don't snort white powder? Fair enough.

Probably be a good idea to do it outside which would negate the risk.

 

[dryflyguy]

I use a combination of desicant - that I get from from shipping box dryer packets - and frogs fanny

 

[ratgunner]

I just use Gink.